Hasler rants as Sea Eagles implode

Manly coach Des Hasler has joined the chorus of criticism against referees after a blatant forward pass left the Sea Eagles rooted to the foot of the NRL ladder.

The Sea Eagles joined Canterbury, South Sydney and Cronulla without a win after two games in a 24-20 loss to Parramatta at Parramatta Stadium on Sunday, but only after referees Shayne Hayne and Brett Suttor failed to pull up a pass that looked almost five metres forward.

While Hasler questioned both Jarryd Hayne and Kris Keating’s passes in the lead up to Joel Reddy’s 73rd minute try – which brought the Eels back to 20-18 after Manly had earlier led 20-0 – Keating’s final pass definitely had a touch of Joe Montana to it as the home side continued their thrilling fightback.

“I’ll personally pay for those two touchies to visit OPSM and get a check-up because I didn’t know we’d reverted to gridiron – not once, but twice – at a pretty critical part of the game,” said Hasler, who also felt his side deserved a penalty following the collision between Ben Farrar and Hayne two minutes later as they contested a bomb.

“In my eyes it’s a turnover for a forward pass and a penalty going the other way.”

Hasler also questioned the swing in momentum after the break when the Eels got back into the game on the back of a lop-sided penalty count.

“How do you go from 4-1 for to 5-0 against?” Hasler questioned of the run of penalties.

While Hasler’s attack is unlikely to earn him any sanction from the NRL – given he questioned a decision rather than attack the integrity of the match official – the same can’t be said of Bulldogs coach Kevin Moore after his side’s 26-6 thumping by St George Illawarra on Friday night.

“It feels like you can’t get a fair crack of the whip on things like that – I just thought some of the decisions tonight were unacceptable at this level of footy,” Moore said, after the Dragons joined Gold Coast, Melbourne and the Sydney Roosters as the only sides to be a perfect two from two.

Asked if the standard of refereeing was an issue, Hasler said” “I’m a coach, that’s for our leadership group – that’s for (NRL chief executive) David Gallop to have a look at.

“That’s what he’s there for … there’s no point asking me.”

While both coaches had every right to feel aggrieved with some decisions, there is little doubt the strain of a poor start to the season is already showing through.

For Hasler’s Sea Eagles it was the second week in a row they had given up a substantial leads, having led Wests Tigers 20-4 before succumbing to the brilliance of Benji Marshall.

This week it was another superstar who put them to the sword, with Hayne responding to some friendly taunts from Manly backrower and Test and NSW teammate Anthony Watmough.

“It was funny, halfway through Choccy yelled out to me I was either rocks or diamonds. I guess that last pass really demonstrated the diamond part of me,” Hayne said of the pass to set-up Eric Grothe’s 77th minute match-winner.

Canberra are the only other side yet to record a win in 2010 though they get their chance to get on the board on Monday night when they host Brisbane in the nation’s capital.

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© 2010 AAP