Paul Gallen Advocates for Reform of Sin Bin and HIA Regulations After Bulldogs Halfback Remains on Field Following High Tackle

Paul Gallen has asserted that Sean O’Sullivan ought to have been sin-binned following his high tackle on Jye Gray, who had to leave the field for a head injury assessment late in the Rabbitohs’ match against the Bulldogs.

With just ten minutes remaining in the game, the Rabbitohs held a 30-18 lead when Gray nearly slipped through a gap.

However, he lost the ball and was subsequently tackled high by O’Sullivan as he began to descend.

Latrell Mitchell quickly confronted O’Sullivan to express his displeasure, but Brad Fittler believes that the Bulldogs halfback had limited options in that moment.

“He (Gray) has dropped into the arm … there’s no denying contact was made, but Sean O’Sullivan had little choice in that scenario,” Fittler commented on Nine.

“Not only is he falling, but he also slipped forward.”

Rabbitohs forward Tallis Duncan expressed his frustration towards referee Todd Smith, while captain Cameron Murray attempted to calm him down.

Smith placed O’Sullivan on report as Murray rolled his eyes before addressing the referee.

“There’s a clear duty of care that needs to be upheld,” he stated. The referee acknowledged this, mentioning that there were mitigating factors involved.

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Later, Gallen reiterated his stance that O’Sullivan was fortunate to remain on the field, saying, “This is a really tough situation for the game considering what transpired just moments ago.”

“We observed the hit by Sean O’Sullivan … Jye Gray had to leave for an HIA, yet Sean O’Sullivan stays in play,” he reflected.

“South Sydney has now lost one of their key players in a tightly contested match, and I feel they’ve truly suffered as a result. In situations like this, when a player is forced to go off for an HIA, I believe the offending player should also be sent to the sin bin.”

At that point, the Rabbitohs were still leading 30-18 and managed to secure a 32-24 victory over the Bulldogs.

Later in the game, Mitchell attempted to even the score by aggressively tackling Connor Tracey in the back as a kick rolled over the dead ball line.

He quickly returned to confront Matt Burton after some verbal exchanges.

“If the referee isn’t careful, this could spiral out of control in the final six minutes,” commentator Brenton Speed warned.

Fortunately for the officials, the match concluded with relative calm.