Mitch Kenny, NRL player from Penrith, to receive ban following controversial social media post
Kenny received a breach notice for his Instagram story post saying that a “couple of Boxing Day lines have got me in troubleeee (sic)”.
Mitch Kenny will be suspended for the first game of Penrith’s premiership defence after the NRL concluded its investigation into his Boxing Day social media post.
Kenny was issued a breach notice by the NRL for posting to his Instagram story on Dec. 27 that a “couple of Boxing Day lines have got me in troubleeee (sic)”.
The dual premiership-winning hooker quickly deleted the post and uploaded a second image that read “Happy New Year guys. Enjoy and ignore trolls who grabbed my phone.”
The NRL is set to announce Kenny’s punishment later this week, but AAP sources indicate he will be unavailable for the round-one match on Friday, March 8 against Melbourne.
Soni Luke, Penrith’s backup hooker from last season, is the frontrunner to start against the Storm, with newcomer Luke Sommerton also being considered.
Luke played 20 games for the Panthers last season as a substitute, while Sommerton made his NRL debut towards the end of the season with two appearances under his belt.
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Kenny could also face a monetary penalty from the NRL, similar to North Queensland centre Valentine Holmes who received a $25,000 fine and one-game ban for a comparable post in September.
In Holmes’s post, he was seen with a small bag of white powder in his mouth. The 2016 premiership winner later apologized for the incident.
Kenny is expected to return for the Panthers’ second-round game against traditional rivals Parramatta.
