Latrell Mitchell v Roosters: NRL investigating Jared Waerea-Hargreaves Channel 9 cameraman incident
The fallout from Latrell Mitchell’s horror shot on Joey Manu has taken an ugly twist with Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and a Roosters official both under investigation for separate incidents.
Dean Ritchie,
Phil Rothfield
and
Brent Read
August 29, 2021 - 7:32PM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
NRL: Vision courtesy of Channel 9 has showed the moment that South Sydney Rabbitoh Latrell Mitchell confronted a member of the Sydney Roosters after…
The NRL integrity unit is investigating Sydney Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves over an incident with a Channel 9 cameraman as his teammate Joey Manu left the field with a smashed cheekbone on Friday night.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal Channel 9 has lodged an official complaint with the integrity unit over allegations that Waerea-Hargreaves approached their cameraman and swiped at his shoulder camera which was dislodged as he was trying to film Manu leaving the field in the 58th minute after a high shot from Latrell Mitchell.
“The NRL is aware of the alleged incident and the integrity unit is investigating,” an NRL spokesman said.
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The incident was included in the NRL ground manager report.
Hargreaves was also accused of being involved in a terse exchange on the edge of the tunnel with Mitchell at Suncorp Stadium after the game.
It can also be revealed that a high-profile Roosters official is alleged to have abused Rabbitohs forward Jaydn Su’A at halftime at Suncorp Stadium, branding him a thug in full view of the Souths bench.
Latrell Mitchell and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves exchanged heated words at Suncorp Stadium.
Mitchell’s season is officially over but the fallout from Friday night continues amid fresh revelations the NRL will investigate this week.
Mitchell entered an early guilty plea to a high tackle charge on Sunday morning, bringing an end to his season after he was suspended for six matches.
It is understood he has begun the process of healing by reaching out to former teammate Joey Manu in an attempt to repair any damage that was done to their relationship on Friday night.
Manu is recovering in hospital after undergoing surgery to repair a badly fractured eye socket.
It was when Mitchell attempted to see Manu straight after the game that he was told to clear off by Waerea-Hargreaves as he made his way towards the tunnel entry to the Roosters sheds.
Waerea-Hargreaves declined to comment on their interaction on Sunday but Souths insiders insist their exchange was anything but pleasant, prompting Mitchell to suggest the Roosters enforcer was hardly the type to sit in judgment.
Once a treasured teammate, angry players in the Sydney Roosters dugout also launched a tirade against Mitchell, calling him a “f…ing weak c….”
Multiple sideline sources revealed senior Roosters players on the bench, led by Waerea-Hargreaves, launched into Mitchell several times.
Mitchell is understood to have heard Waerea-Hargreaves’ insults. Injured forwards Angus Crichton and Victor Radley were other players understood to have verbally targeted Mitchell.
Fox Sports sideline commentator and former Test forward Corey Parker revealed the powder keg moment when irate Roosters players started castigating their former premiership-winning teammate.
Parker said Roosters coach Trent Robinson, sitting sideline, was forced to calm Hargreaves.
Parker’s comments on the night prompted Fox commentator and former NRL champion Greg Alexander to claim the Roosters bench wanted to “storm the field.”
“Jared, Victor Radley, Angus Crichton, every one of them were up on their feet. When Latrell got marched for 10 (in the sin bin), they were pretty vocal. When Latrell walked off the field around the 40 metre line, closer to the Roosters end, they didn’t miss him. They were livid and rightly so,” Parker said.
“I know for a fact that Latrell heard Jared. Jared is a mate of mine and I would have done the same thing. Jared was on the sideline giving it to Latrell.
“’Robbo’ then came in and put his hand on Jared and said: ‘No, no, it’s all right, mate.’
“Robbo’ then looked at Latrell and put his hand up to say: ‘All good, keep going.’ As soon as Manu went down, every Roosters player was up.
“The reality is, if Jared, Angus or Victor were on the field, at the field at the time, they would have lost their shit.
NRL: Nick Politis has released a statement backing his coach Trent Robinson after the controversial high shot on Joey Manu in round 24.
“It was extremely heated on the sideline. It was emotional and tensions were running high, absolutely. I’ve never experienced it before on the sidelines. I was riding it, the way it unfolded.”
Mitchell further infuriated Roosters players after scoring his second try when slamming the ball hard down next to Roosters player Fletcher Baker, who was laying on the ground.
“When Latrell came back on and threw the ball down, when he was walking back while ‘Reyno’ (Adam Reynolds) was kicking the goal, they were on the sideline again just giving it to him, about eight, 10 players, they were into him,” Parker said.
“The Book of Feuds, the rivalry, it all went into it.”
Waerea-Hargreaves’ manager, Steve Gillis, was unaware of any drama between his client and Mitchell.
Gillis did say: “Jared is like a guardian for all the players. He watches over them. They all look up to him.”
