Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett avoids addressing Brandon Smith's police incident after the star's milestone game
Updated . First published at
Wayne Bennett has refused to address a pre-match incident with Brandon Smith after the Rabbitohs star was questioned by police at the airport.
The mid-season recruit, who has been sidelined with a knee injury suffered in his first game for South Sydney, returned for his 150th career game on Sunday afternoon.
But Smith's milestone match was overshadowed by reports he had been called aside by Queensland police on arrival at the airport, just one day out from the match.
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"Queensland Police had cause to speak to a 29-year-old male at Coolangatta Airport. The male was later released without charge," a statement from the authorities said.
"Police have no further information to provide."
Brandon Smith of the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Getty
The reason why Smith was questioned is still unclear but there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing from the New Zealand international.
Bennett was asked about the incident following the Rabbitohs win over the Titans.
"That's an issue we're not going to talk about," the 75-year-old replied.
Asked by a journalist "why didn't they (QLD police) get you to interview him?", Bennett, a former policeman, laughed: "I did."
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Smith joined the Bunnies mid-way through the season after a well-publicised exit from cross-town rivals the Sydney Roosters.
The 29-year-old was still recovering from an ACL injury when he signed with Souths and returned against Manly in round 18, before suffering a fresh knee injury.
It delayed the milestone appearance for Smith by more than a month. The hooker was presented his jersey by club legend Issac Luke.
Smith wasn't the only Rabbitohs star who made their return to the competition against the Titans, with marquee man Latrell Mitchell showing no signs of concern as he stepped out following a sideline stint with a quad injury.
A 20-18 win over the Titans positioned the Rabbitohs 16th on the ladder, while their rivals secured a spot at the bottom of the premiership table.
