St George Illawarra NRL coach Paul McGregor has blown up at referees and the bunker, describing them as embarrassing and incompetent after Saturday’s 21-14 loss to Newcastle.
McGregor will come under scrutiny by the league and is danger of copping a hefty fine for his post-match spray at officials.
He was livid after his side were twice denied by the video referees in the first half as the Dragons went down to the two-time wooden spooners.
First, Tim Lafai’s effort was disallowed after Jason Nightingale was controversially ruled to have knocked on while contesting a bomb.
Then minutes later, Nene MacDonald ran 95 metres to cross between the posts only to have it called back after Tyson Frizell was ruled to have pulled back Trent Hodkinson.
“Embarrassing and incompetent,” McGregor said when asked about both decisions which were referred to the bunker.
Asked if they got it wrong, McGregor said: “Definitely – I think that anyone who knows rugby league would agree because the ball went back on the Nightingale one and it should have been overruled and it wasn’t and Hodkinson took a dive.”
Asked if the decisions were especially disappointing, given the bunker had time to deliberate on them, he said: “It is. When you spend millions of dollars, it is.”
He will seek a please-explain from referees boss Tony Archer. McGregor was also furious after a decision late in the game handed the Knights possession while the Dragons were on the attack.
Josh Dugan raced down the right side and passed to MacDonald on the outside however the ball seemingly deflected off Ken Sio into touch.
“He knocks it on, knocks it into touch and we don’t get the ball,” McGregor said.
The result is a massive blow to the Dragons’ top-eight hopes and they sit in eighth, equal with Penrith on 24 points.
Having led the competition after seven rounds, they have lost seven of their past 11.
For Nathan Brown’s side, it broke an eight-game losing streak and was just their third win of the year.
After being so poor this year at crucial times in games, the Knights were able to get home thanks to a Jacob Saifiti try eight minutes from the end and a Hodkinson field goal.
Brown rejected the notion that the referees had decided the game, saying his side had been forced to roll with the punches all year.
“Mate, we’ve had as much bad luck as anyone this year,” Brown said.
“I could tell you a thousand things but, at the end of the day, you’ve got to be good enough to find a way.
“That’s why I don’t come in here complaining about the officials because these young kids need to learn.”
The Barry
Roar Guru
Rough call on the Nightingale knock on. But Frizell grabbed Hodkinson's collar and tugged it two or three times. Yes, Hokko went down easily but the refs had no alternative. It was Frizell's fault not the refs. It was unnecessary and completely brainless. So you lose to a team that has won three games in two years and it all supposedly comes down to one poor refs decision in the first half. Wow! Dragons are in bigger trouble than I thought if that's what McGregor chooses to focus on. His carry on is more embarrassing than the refs performance. It's such a bad culture of refs faulting in rugby league. It's really bad sportsmanship and comes across as very petulant.
Albo
Guest
Yep ! Its the same every match ! All teams get away with as much as the refs allow them. And then they whinge if the rules are applied occasionally. The Cows got the rub in the first half and with a 5-3 penalty count. The Chooks got the 2nd half roll with a 6-2 penalty count ( total 9-7 to the chooks). There was not much in the game, but the Chooks bench forwards dominated the 2nd half to see them get home. The Cows have a tough draw ahead to remain in the 8. Roosters are cruising to the top 4 with Cordner, Friend & Gordon still to come back.
Renegade
Guest
Nice deflection Mary
Taree Raider
Guest
The Raiders will swap St George Widdop for Wighton. How's that sound. There is a history of Raiders going to the Dragons.
db
Guest
I agree that the referees seemed to see the play very differently in the first half compared to the second half. Were you at the game or did you watch it on TV? I was at the game and can assure you the Cowboys middle third were constantly offside. This doesn't show up as obviously on TV. In saying that, the Roosters were doing exactly the same thing, especially in the second half. Both teams flouted the rules equally. Most teams contravene the laws of the game to the same extent. The difference is when referees decide to blow the whistle and this seems to be somewhat of a lottery. It is mind-boggling watching a game at the ground when players are a full metre in front of the referee for a full set of 6 and there is no penalty.
Albo
Guest
Spot on souvalis ! I reckon the Nightingale / Lafai incident was a pathetically wrong call by the bunker, but the Macdonald ruling was correct with Hodkinson grabbed , and the missed touch on Sio happens most games. The refereeing this weekend so far has been atrocious, but St George fans should be more concerned with a 62% completion rate, 15 errors and Widdop deciding to have the day off for some reason ?
Paul
Guest
How bad is Widdop??? Having him as "a marquess playmaker" and captain is a black joke.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Team makes 15 errors, coach blames the bunker, public roll their eyes.
souvalis
Guest
What is with all the sooking from beaten team supporters this weekend ? Dragons finish the game with a 62% completion and want to blame the ref ? Play a rookie at fullback,watch him get outpositioned in defence then drop the match winner...and it's the refs fault ? Lafai does a Dugan and throws the ball over the sideline late in the game and Packer nails their coffin..where's that referee ? Frizelle grabbed Hodkinson...it was no try when Woods did it to Gallen a month or so ago so it was no try today and every other day henceforth...what else..the milked penalties from Levi ? Milked fair and square,Mcinnes had opps to take some of his own but chose not to...his prerogative... ..'you've got to be good enough to find a way' but they weren't today..
Wild Eagle
Guest
The Eagles played Parra in the first round. The Semi Trailer makes a good run and decides to play the ball without being tackled . A Manly player comes in and tackles him. Parra get the penalty and DCE has no redress despite explaining that the ref was 100% wrong.. As it stands the GF could be decided by a player tackling someone who has wrongly decided to play the ball before being tackled. The captain needs a voice it is obvious. Reversing wrong decisions on the spot is the only way forward.
Joe
Roar Rookie
Agree with McGregor 100%. This round has been littered with referee mistakes that have swung games. That said I do like Nathan Browns attitude although he might see it different if it cost his team a spot jn the eight.
Dodgydragons
Guest
Totally agree Scott, although we were our own worst enemy today, too offload happy and playing sideways without doing the hard yards up the guts. Very frustrating viewing, but being a dragons supporter it comes with the territory. Too many games this season are being decided by the refs poor decisions, and I'm not just talking about dragons games. The NRL need to go back to one ref on the field, two refs just means totally different interpretations to the same play, one calls one way, the other sees it differently and we have the lottery that we have being dished up now with interpretations to the rules. I've turned the tv off a few times this year when the refereeing has been so substandard and always seems to be to the benefit of higher ladder teams, like the storm with ruck infringements. I know things are bad when I'm yelling at the Telly about the refs, and the dragons aren't even playing!!!!
johnnyball
Guest
Have a look at the Cows/Roosters game if you want to see poor reefing. Roosters off side all night ,inside the ten and lying all over players and getting a free ride up field all through second half. Why were the Cows suddenly seen to be offenders in the second half?
Scott Pryde
Expert
And rightly so...