'Nasty' brain-snap sees Knights back-rower Mitchell Barnett sent off against Panthers
Newcastle's Mitchell Barnett looks set for a lengthy stint on the sidelines after he was sent off for landing an elbow to the jaw of Chris Smith.
The incident occurred well off the ball in the first half of the Knights' clash with the Penrith Panthers when Smith got in the path of Barnett, who was running towards the right corner of the field in an attempt to stop a Panthers try.
As he passed by Smith, he lifted his right elbow up, collecting the Panthers' No.19 in the face
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Referee Peter Gough immediately gave Barnett his marching orders, with the commentators also in agreement with the call.
The referee, Peter Gough, had no hesitation before sending Mitchell Barnett into the changerooms Getty
"That is nasty!" lead commentator Warren Smith said on Fox League's coverage.
"What an absolute brain explosion. That's as cheap as it gets."
"This is ugly and this is stupid. He will be spending a lot of time on the sidelines," NRL great Cooper Cronk added.
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Cronk and Smith weren't the only ones to condemn Barnett for his actions, with the 27-year-old slammed on social media for what many deemed to be a dirty act.
