Smith sent to sinbin as Storm demolish Eels
Parramatta didn’t make a dent on the scoreboard but did manage to get under the skin of Melbourne skipper Cameron Smith, who was sent to the sinbin during their 32-0 NRL semifinal win at AAMI Park.
For just the second time in his record-breaking 412-game career, Smith was given a 10-minute time-out for lashing out at Reed Mahoney with 11 minutes left in the first half on Saturday.
Smith reacted to the Eels’ hooker grabbing hold of his jumper in back play, slapping his hands away while assistant referee Grant Atkins watched on from nearby. One of his hands looked to have come in contact with Mahoney’s forehead.
Referee Ben Cummins marched the Storm veteran, whose only other sinbin came in round four last year for backchatting referee Matt Cecchin in their clash with Cronulla.
League commentator Phil Gould was outraged by the decision.
‘‘He’s trying to slap at his arm and he just catches him in the
forehead but it’s a nothing – it’s an absolute nothing, an absolute nothing, an absolute nothing. What a disgrace,’’ Gould said on the Nine Network.
Smith is likely to be charged with contrary conduct, which might be a A$1500 fine if the match review committee give him the same penalty as South Sydney’s Cody Walker. The Rabbitohs’ playmaker was sinbinned for a similar offence in Friday night’s finals win over Manly.
If he is charged with striking, Smith might miss game time, with a grade-one charge carrying a 200-point base penalty.
In 2008, Smith missed Melbourne’s 40-0 grand-final loss to Manly through suspension.