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Newcastle forward Mitch Barnett has been referred straight to the NRL judiciary for his dog shot on Penrith’s Chris Smith.
Barnett was sent off by referee Peter Gough during the first half of Saturday’s clash in Bathurst when he dumfoundly struck an unsuspecting Smith on the chin with his elbow as the two players passed each other away from the ball.
The match review committee has referred him straight to the judiciary, which will sit on Tuesday night.
“This is ugly and this is stupid. He will be spending a lot of time on the sidelines,” NRL great Cooper Cronk said at the time.
Newcastle legend Andrew Johns was disappointed to see Barnett do something so stupid, which contributed to the Knights losing to the Panthers.
“It’s a shame because Mitch has really worked hard on this side of his game, these impulsive brain snaps,” Johns told Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.
“I don’t know what his excuse is there, but I know it’s something he has really worked hard on to get this out of his game.
“These moments of madness, these impulsive moments where he does the most stupid things, and you can see how much it’s hurt him.”
