Melbourne have fallen to a losing record for just the second time since 2008, but may have a bigger concern if Cameron Munster is charged for a hip-drop tackle.
Munster could feel the wrath of the NRL’s match review committee for an apparent hip-drop tackle that Craig Bellamy admitted didn’t look good.
Munster fell onto the lower leg of Spencer Leniu in a three-man tackle late in the first half of Penrith’s 12-10 win, infuriating the Panthers’ prop.
He stayed for around a minute and needed treatment on his knee, before getting up and later becoming involved in a heated argument on halftime.
Munster was not penalised for the tackle nor placed on report but he could still be charged over the incident.
“It didn’t probably look good,” Bellamy admitted.
“But they didn’t see too much wrong with it.”
The NRL announced a crackdown on the tackle style last year, resulting in several players challenging bans at the NRL judiciary.
If cited, Munster would only miss a match if a grade-two charge was levelled against him, given that a grade one is only punishable by a fine.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary admitted he was unhappy with the incident.
“I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it at all,” Cleary said.
“But I’m his coach, so there are smarter people than me to work it out.
“And it hurt him.”
In their first season without any of the big three, Melbourne have now slipped to a negative record at any point of the year for only the second time since 2008.
Thursday night’s loss also marked the first time they have suffered back-to-back defeats since August 2018, having played in two grand finals since then.
The defeats have however come against Penrith and Parramatta, two teams who made last year’s top four and who are again expected to be among the contenders.
“It’s been a tough opening without a doubt, but we knew that would be the case with the games we had,” Bellamy said.
“If I am rating just on effort, they are eight or nine out of ten.
“But on just playing a little smarter and being hungrier at those (big) moments, we are probably a six.”
© AAP
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