Penrith Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary says while NRL players know they can win penalties by exaggerating or emphasising injury, they’ll continue to do it.
Saturday’s semi-final between Parramatta and Penrith contained arguably one of the most blatant examples of a player staying down to earn a penalty when Eels winger Blake Ferguson clutched at his neck after a tackle from the Panthers’ Mitch Kenny.
Almost as soon as referee Ashley Klein blew his whistle, Ferguson jumped to his feet to confront Kenny, the push-and-shove ending in several players from both teams coming together.
The NRL has already warned players this season they could face a contrary conduct charge for attempting to gain advantage with a referee for high contact.
Ferguson was not charged by the NRL judiciary on Sunday, however, with Marata Niukore the only Eels player facing a ban – for his careless high tackle on the Panthers’ Scott Sorensen midway through the second half of the bruising clash in Mackay.
Cleary said Ferguson was acting no differently to any other NRL player who has witnessed the outcome of making sure high contact or crusher tackles are noticed by on-field officials.
“That’s something that ultimately would be nice to be eliminated but if it keeps going like that everyone’s going to do it because at the end of the day you want to win,” Cleary said.
“Getting penalties helps you win so it’s just the way it is at the moment.
“You watch it every week, if someone goes down and they get put in an awkward position, they hold their neck and more often than not it’s a penalty.
“Again it comes back to just wanting to win the game and those things help.”
The Eels, meanwhile, were fuming after the match for a different reason, with coach Brad Arthur accusing the Panthers of using trainers to deliberately slow the game in the dying minutes as Parramatta pushed for a match-winning try.
Kenny was again involved, staying down after his ankle had been stepped on, with a Panthers trainer getting play stopped by Klein just as the Eels were firmly entrenched inside Penrith’s 20m.
Kenny was eventually replaced by Tevita Pangai Jnr with the break allowing Penrith to reset their defensive line and repel the Eels’ raid.
Dandragon
Roar Rookie
Couldn’t care less about anything you’ve said other to ask why you wasted a Pfizer dose if u are such a fool to believe it’s all a pharma conspiracy. With such an ignorant attitude, your Pfizer dose would’ve been so much better spent on someone who would’ve felt privileged by it, not entitled - yet still belligerent - like yourself. What a waste of a dose!!!
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
Thanks for your support . :thumbup:
The Final Word
Roar Rookie
Sounds serious. Rest up and stay well, BD. :thumbup:
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
Geoff has reminded me of that . Halfway through I was about 90 th so I'm pretty happy whatever the result. Had both AZ so I'm fine although had a high dose radiation treatment about Xmas last year but travelling ok now. You keep safe.
The Final Word
Roar Rookie
The sky is BLUE and sunny here as I type this BD. The place is covid-19 outbreak and lockdown free! I got my first Pfizer jab last weekend, much good it will do when there is another variant every other week. But I guess it keeps big pharma in business, so that's something. How ironic that I moved here just before the bat hit the fan and I can watch the finals here in Brisbane or at my local Redcliffe Dolphins oval (Moreton Daily Stadium). So you're top 10 in the footy tipping BD. I'm impressed. Geoff (GfBS) is snapping at your heels though. You don't want to get these last tips wrong, mate. No pressure. :stoked: :thumbup:
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
Papi :happy: I would never besmirch you.
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
Look him up on YouTube. You'll get a laugh . How are things in the Sunshine state.
The Final Word
Roar Rookie
The rule is that a player cannot interfere with a defender. It does not specifically mention assisting their own players, but if his player gets an advantage or the defence has been disadvantaged, then that has to be taken into account. That trip on Su'A by Luai was blatant, and not even the FOX Sports commentary team noticed or commented on it. He throws his hip and leg out all the time pretending he is unaware of Su'A's presence, but the whole action was totally unnatural and totally intentional. It's about time Luai and the Panthers get pulled up on their attempts to cheat and manipulate the game.
Mycall
Roar Rookie
I don't know how he does it but Luai gets away with a lot of questionable things. He is often interfering with the defenders as they are tackling his team mates. He's not the only one, it's a general issue that the refs don't seem to care about anymore because I see it happening more and more. In the Sou V Pan game, there was one really blatant example when To'o was being tackled by 3 Rabbitohs and Luai pulled Graham out of the tackle well before the tackle was complete and allowed To'o to regain some control and get to ground.
The Final Word
Roar Rookie
I can't predict the future TS. I have to call it as I see it when it happens. :laughing: :thumbup:
The Sporacle
Roar Rookie
So if Souths win against Manly will there be any contentious decisions, I would imagine if they lose there will be and that's OK because that's part of being a fan. I am just personally sick of the whinging about the refs, I must just be a bit different in that sense. I see absolute zero sense in re scoring a game based on selecting incidents that suit the narrative. It will make no difference and serves no purpose except to add a bit of stress. If that's your mission then good luck, you will need it :thumbup:
Rellum
Roar Guru
I don't think admitting that publicly is the smartest thing.
The Final Word
Roar Rookie
No TS. I want everyone to open their eyes to the obvious. I'm tired of seeing certain sides always get a leg up from the referees and everyone rushes to the referee's defence when there are serious questions to be answered. A slap on the wrist for the ref or replacing them with another hardly gives a club their season back. There is no justification for the lopsided penalty counts or the missed calls or controversial decisions Atkins and Klein have made to assist the Panthers. It's time it stopped! See what happens when another ref gets the job and there are no dodgy decisions and there is a 7-5 penalty count instead of 9-2 or 7-2? The Panthers lose!
The Final Word
Roar Rookie
The NRL are finally starting to wake up to the dirty tricks the Panthers are getting away with. Just watch the replay of late in the Rabbitohs vs Panthers game just prior to To'o being bundled into touch towards the end of the game and watch Jerome Luai TRIP Jaydn Su'A to stop him getting across in cover. Next they need to make sure that neither Klein or Atkins referee another Panthers game this year. Revealed: Panthers trainer who stopped play wasn’t even on field as NRL launches investigation https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-opens-investigation-into-panthers-controversial-stoppage-in-finals-win-over-eels/news-story/63a96ab93fa338ea5b3d31e6b2b0df30 A sin bin ‘every day of the week’: The moment that went unseen — and burnt Eels https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-finals-mitch-moses-being-held-back-by-jarome-luai-penrith-panthers-vs-parramatta-eels-video-brad-arthur/news-story/fc2fe2100d990de71863dc389b46a441
The Final Word
Roar Rookie
"It nearly makes you want to watch Manly beat South’s..." There is too much Broncos DNA in the Rabbitohs (including your old coach) BD. Like it or not, you will end up cheering for Souths out of habit. Just to remind you what it feels like to cheer for the winning side. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
The Final Word
Roar Rookie
Phil who, BD? That ain't me mate.
Paul
Roar Guru
It'd soon stop if time off the field, say 5 minutes to be properly checked out by a doctor, was a condition of a penalty for anyone who claims they have a neck injury
Womblat
Guest
It's going to continue, it has to. It's no longer a sport, it's a business. These are employees. Their job is to win. That's the successful bottom line for their business. Honesty, sportsmanship, whatever, is irrelevant. If gaining a penalty gives an advantage, it has to be done. Their investors demand it and the fans require it. Many of us still believe in those qualities of genuine sportsmanship so it's a tough pill to swallow seeing divers and milkers become more common in a game we like to think we still own, but that's the nature of professional sport. It can only get worse and honestly, I can't see a way to stop it. Contrary conduct? Please.
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
Great minds think alike. I get my kicks watching him blow up no matter who he's playing.
The Sporacle
Roar Rookie
I think Manly can do it and the resulting posts will be gold if they do, I understand it's a sports opinion website, it's just the fact that they are generally not Parra fans that are blowing up about the incident that occured at 7 minutes 32 seconds.... if you look closely you can see on the grassy knoll the wind blowing the faceless man's jacket is opposite to the touch judges flag, hence the truth will be revealed once the puppet masters are dethroned.... :thumbup: Just watched the best rants of Phil Hellmuth :laughing: