Wayne Bennett has launched a staunch defence of Jack Wighton following the Rabbitohs star’s four-game suspension for a shoulder charge, insisting the judiciary got it wrong and warning of the precedent it sets.
Speaking at a Dolphins media day, the veteran coach pulled no punches in his assessment of the controversial ban, doubling down on his belief that Wighton’s contact with Sharks forward Toby Rudolf was misjudged by the NRL.
“I’ve been in football as long as anybody that’s in the game at the moment,” Bennett said. “It was never a shoulder charge. In my mind, it wasn’t a shoulder charge and still isn’t in my mind. Nothing is going to change that.”
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‘I watched the vision time and time again’
Wighton was rubbed out after the judiciary found him guilty of a Grade 2 shoulder charge, despite South Sydney’s attempt to have the charge downgraded. The decision means he’ll miss all but the final round of the regular season.
Bennett was especially critical of the explanation surrounding Rudolf’s head knock.
“Then they want to tell us that the impact caused the knockout for him to clash heads with Jack,” he said. “No one saw that. That didn’t happen. I watched the vision time and time again.”
While acknowledging the Rabbitohs playmaker was “looking at three weeks anyway,” Bennett was adamant that the fourth match added on after an unsuccessful appeal “sets a huge precedent, absolutely”.
“Even if it was a shoulder charge, four weeks for that… where’s that going?” he added.
Rudolf, who is currently sidelined under concussion protocols, revealed on The Rugby League Journeymen podcast that the incident left him with a damaged tooth but no serious after-effects.
“Long story short, I’m fine. I’ve just been taking it easy this week. I’ve got the concussion protocols to get through, so I’ll miss this week and then back for the week after,” he said.