The family of Joseph Manu has pleaded to the public to stop the online attacks directed towards Latrell Mitchell.
Despite their son recovering in hospital with severe facial fractures after the incident, they are still feeling sorry for the online backlash that Mitchell has been dealing with.
Nooroa Manu, the father of Joseph, travelled to Australia earlier this year when the trans-Tasman bubble opened. This has allowed him to be there for his child while he goes through his recovery. He was emotional and worried about his son, but didn't want social media users to take action against the Rabbitoh fullback.
โWe actually feel sorry for Latrell,โ said Nooroa to the Sydney Morning Herald.
โHeโs copping a lot of abuse and we donโt want that happening. We want to make sure heโs going to be all right too."
โHeโs very talented and we know his family, they are really good people. Thatโs just how we feel and itโs up to Joey how he feels."
"It was just unfortunate [what happened on Friday night]. Joey is ready to move forward and weโre happy as a family. I think the main thing is we move on.โ
While initially concerned about his son following the injury, he remains optimistic about his recovery from surgery.
โIt was a little bit of a scare, but heโs in the right place to be recovering. It sounds like heโll make a full recovery within six weeks."
"Heโs been very lucky with injuries and this is his first real serious one. Heโs on the mend which is a good thing.โ
The Manu and Mitchell families have gotten quite close over the years, with the families getting to know each other while the pair were teammates in 2016-2019. This included premiership seasons in 2018 and 2019. The duo also spoke about how the other inspired and spurred the other on during training.
The tackle in question took place in South Sydney's victory over the Roosters on Friday night. The incident resulted in Mitchell being sent to the sin bin.
Latrell Mitchell sent to the bin for this hit ๐ #NRLRoostersSouths
๐บ WATCH via Kayo Sports https://t.co/ixM4yjsFe8 pic.twitter.com/C0ds1xZXjN
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) August 27, 2021
Directly after the tackle, Manu approached Mitchell yelling "Why did you do that for? It was a dog shotโ. In the heat of the moment, his reply was โI donโt need to apologiseโ and โI was protecting my f---ing headโ reported the Herald.
The two have since spoken since the heated on-field exchange, with Mitchell messaging his former teammate over the weekend.
The players aren't the only ones who have reflected on their actions relating to the incident either. The NRL has since admitted that the Mitchell should have been sent off the ground, instead of receiving the sin-bin.
After the horrific incident, Manu required surgery. He suffered a fractured cheekbone which required three plates to be inserted into the affected area. Despite the injury, he remained in high spirits, taking to social media to thank the public for their support.
An update from Joey Manu. โค๏ธ๏ธ #9WWOS #NRL pic.twitter.com/EnVm8Xu29q
— NRL on Nine (@NRLonNine) August 29, 2021
Similar to Manu, Mitchell's season is also over having accepted his early plea of a six-week ban. He opted against fighting the charges, which could have led to nine weeks on the sidelines if unsuccessful.
This isn't the first incident of his career, with some prolific voices in the NRL community growing concerned about the reputation that the Rabbitoh Fullback is developing.
James Tedesco was one that admitted that how Mitchell's aggression and energy can be a detriment to him and how accidents like this cannot happen.
โHe said he didnโt mean it and it was an accident,โ Tedesco told the media.
โIt happens pretty quick when youโre at fullback and I donโt think Trell would do it on purpose, but itโs forceful contact to the head."
"Whether itโs accidental or not, it causes someone to break a fair amount of bones in his face โฆ you just canโt do that.
โI love Latrell. I love playing with Latrell. Heโs a fiery player and he plays the game in that manner. He wants to be dominant, but youโve got to be careful, I guess because heโs got in trouble before making contact with the head - and itโs happened again."
โHis fire and passion makes him such a great player, but I guess itโs finding that balance not overstepping over the line. You donโt want to be breaking peoplesโ faces.โ
As the ladder currently sits, the Rabbitohs and Roosters would find themselves playing each other in round one of the finals. With one round remaining, the incident and fallout after the match have added extra drama to a potential re-match in the finals.
