CHASTENED Knights forward Mitchell Barnett admits he will have to modify his playing style after losing almost a full season of his career to suspensions.
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Barnett copped a six-match ban on Tuesday night after being sent off for elbowing Penrith forward Chris Smith in the jaw during Newcastle's 38-20 loss in Bathurst last Saturday.
It was reported after the judiciary hearing that, including his lower-grade career, Barnett had been charged nine times and been suspended for 16 games since 2013, before Tuesday's visit to Rugby League Central.
His latest ban takes his enforced time on the sidelines to 22 games. Twelve of those games have been since he joined Newcastle in 2016.
The 27-year-old said after the hearing he would need to change his trademark aggressive approach.
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"Off the top of my head, I obviously do with my record," Barnett told the media. "I will go away and look at that now and make the necessary adjustments."
Barnett said he felt "horrible" after realising that his collision had left Smith concussed and had apologised to the Penrith back-rower.
"I got a fair trial and one thing I take out it is that I hope Chris is all right," Barnett said. "I have sent him a text message and we have exchanged text messages.
"The lesson I learned is just that I obviously can't be careless with my actions in terms of player safety. I have to be better there. It is disappointing, but I will go away and do my time and do what is best for the team going forward."
The lesson I learned is just that I obviously can't be careless with my actions in terms of player safety.
- MITCH BARNETT
The NRL's prosecutor wanted the judiciary to suspend Barnett for eight games if it deemed the incident reckless, and longer if it was considered intentional. Barnett's legal counsel argued the contact was careless and warranted a four-game ban.
Knights coach Adam O'Brien was disappointed but accepted the "straight-down-the-middle" verdict.
"At the end of the day, six is better than eight," he said.
"We thought we had a strong case for careless given where we thought the contact was made, but the judiciary has seen it differently. The NRL prosecution wanted intentional, so they haven't seen it their way either.
"The number is what it is and we'll have to get on with it now."
Coupled with Lachlan Fitzgibbon's expected eight-week recovery from a knee injury, the suspension will test the depth of the Knights' squad, particularly if any other forwards suffer injuries or miss games.
Had Barnett been suspended for more than eight weeks, the Newcastle Herald understands the Knights would have moved to recruit a back-rower as soon as possible.
With about $700,000 reportedly left in their salary cap for this season and two vacant spots in their top-30 roster, the club is likely to still chase a forward but won't rush into it.
O'Brien is confident the Knights can cover for the loss of Barnett and Fitzgibbon.
"I'm grateful that we've got Brodie [Jones] back, he trained exceptionally well over the summer and did a lot of stuff in our back-row, especially on that left edge," O'Brien said.
"And I think Jirah Momoisea's best footy is only in front of him as well.
"But obviously that back-row area, with Fitz being out and then now Barney, is probably the area where if we're going to be light-on in a position, it would be in and around that.
"But I do have faith in those two young blokes, in Brodie and Jirah, that they can hold their end up until some cavalry come back."
The coach said it was important Barnett made the most of the next six weeks.
"Barney had a really interrupted preseason, very limited on the field," O'Brien said.
"I try to find the silver-lining in everything and go right, our next job is to make sure ... he comes back in round 10 against the Bulldogs in the best physical condition that he has been in.
"Round 10 is when the rest of the competition is in that grind.
"That's how he will have the greatest impact for his teammates, when he comes back in good shape."
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