Reynolds, Mitchell facing two-match bans after spiteful Tigers-Rabbitohs clash
Josh Reynolds and Latrell Mitchell will miss two NRL matches with early guilty pleas for incidents during Friday night's spiteful clash between the Rabbitohs and Tigers.
Wests Tigers playmaker Reynolds landed in hot water when he tried to kick the ball only to collect the head of South Sydney's Cambell Graham just six minutes into the Rabbitohs' 18-10 triumph.
Mitchell did not appreciate the act and raced in, striking Reynolds with a swinging arm and then hauling Reynolds off the ground by his jersey.
Reynolds was hit with a grade-two dangerous contact charge and Mitchell with grade-two striking.
Mitchell was also placed on report later in the game for collecting Luke Garner high, but will escape a further ban for that incident with a $550 fine.
If both players plead guilty as expected, they will be a huge loss for their respective clubs over the next fortnight.
Benji Marshall is certain to be returned into the Tigers' halves while off-contract Alex Johnston will resume fullback duties for the Redfern club.
Graham was already nursing a head cut from a clash with Canterbury's Christian Crichton just five days earlier when he copped Reynolds' size-10 boot.
"I copped the boot in the face [from Reynolds]. I might have to get myself back on the wing otherwise all my looks will go," quipped the Souths centre. "He got me a beauty. He's a competitor. He was going for the ball and there are no hard feelings there.
"It was an unfortunate thing where we were both competing and those things can happen in footy.
"He apologised to me a couple of times and had no intentions of kicking me in the face."
Graham loved the fact Mitchell had his back, even if the defence of his teammate will see him miss two matches.
"It's good to see big 'Trell' get into him [because] I didn't have to do anything," Graham said.
"Trell is a fierce competitor every week at training and on the field and lets everyone know he's got our backs and we really appreciate it. It shows the care he has for this group, and likewise we have that same care for him."
Halfback Adam Reynolds watched Josh Reynolds and Mitchell share a hug at full-time and told the Herald: "It was just boys being boys out there. They were sticking up for their teammates."
Adam Reynolds missed four of his five conversions and when somebody yelled out after the game he might want to hand the job over to Mitchell next week, the halfback fired back: "He'll be suspended."
Tigers veteran Marshall said of the Reynolds incident: "I thought it was a bit 50-50. He's playing at the ball and it's a hard one because he's already in the act of doing it. The other bloke [Graham] seemed alright and that's the main thing."