Rabbitohs star hit with long ban over 'dumb' act

UPDATED: Rabbitohs player Taane Milne is facing weeks on the sideline over an ugly tackle on Thursday night.

The match review committee has hit the South Sydney player with a grade three dangerous contact charge. He can accept a two-week ban, or fight it and risk three.

Milne’s “foolish, irresponsible, and uncalled for” brain fade was lashed by the rugby league community.

In the dying moments of his side’s 54-20 Anzac Day thrashing at the hands of the Storm, Milne dived at the legs of Cameron Munster in an all but completed tackle.

Real test for the “injuries shouldn’t come into punishment” stance when it comes to the Taane Milne tackle. Had potential to cause major damage, just pure luck it didn’t. On a stationary player with time to make a decision on tackle technique too. Horrid tackle

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) April 26, 2024

The incident triggered a bit of a scuffle in the middle of AAMI Park, and earned Milne a late sin-binning. He was also put on report.

“This is absolutely ridiculous … this is how players break their legs or do their knees,” Andrew Johns said in commentary for Nine.

Taane Milne was sent to the sinbin on full time for this tackle on Cameron Munster in the dying moments.

“I saw one of these years ago … it pretty much did every ligament in his knee.

“Milne has gone head first – he’s not even looking at the target. So dangerous.

“He only had one intention, to hurt Cameron Munster.”

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On Nine’s Thursday Night Knock Off post-game show, Johnathan Thurston called on the NRL to come down hard on Milne.

“We don’t need this in the game – this is purely trying to hurt players,” he said.

“I think the NRL need to come down hard on this because it was a dumb play and he has put his team under pressure now. They already have seven or eight players on the sidelines, and now there is an opportunity for him to be on the sidelines.”

South Sydney coach Jason Demetriou also described the Milne act as “dumb”.

Cameron Smith described it as “foolish, irresponsible, and uncalled for”.

“I think there were three seconds left on the clock. He was in a well-beaten side … that is pure frustration.”

Smith pointed to a moment earlier in the game where Milne slammed the ball into the ground after scoring as another example of frustrations leaking out.

“No one is hiding the fact that they have had an extremely tough year so far with a lot of scrutiny on their coach and a lot of scrutiny on the football side, (but) that makes it harder, no doubt.”

Aside from a 10-minute period in the second half where the Rabbitohs scored three quick tries, the Storm were in superb form.

But, they and the Maroons face a nervous wait for an injury update on gun winger Xavier Coates.

Coates came from the field immediately after completing a stunning first half hat-trick barely half an hour into the Anzac Day clash.

Xavier Coates scored a first-half hat-trick against the Rabbitohs before coming from the field.

Coates looked ginger after scoring the try – he straightened his leg before subdued celebrations of his hat-trick. He then walked straight to the Storm trainer and then straight off the field. He took no further part in the match.

At half time, Nine sideline reporter Emma Lawrence said the Storm medics believed it was only a mild strain.

“They are confident that it’s not as bad as first thought, but given his history of hamstring issues, (he’s been) ruled out of this one,” Lawrence said.

Coates has a history of hamstring issues, with the Storm making the call after taking a 32-4 lead into halftime, to rest him for the remainder of the match at home.

The Storm were also forced to end the match with only 12 men after Nelson Asofa-Solomona was pulled off with hamstring tightness. They had already used all of their interchange.