‘Get it right’: Payten fumes at refs after Cowboys draw
Jasper Bruce |
Todd Payten has struggled to hold himself back from swearing as he launched a stinging critique of the NRL’s match officials following North Queensland’s 30-30 draw with Penrith.
The Cowboys coach says he’ll formally complain to the NRL next week but claimed on Saturday night that he’d never allow a player to get away with as many mistakes as he feels the referees make.
“It’s so frustrating, we want consistency and we’re not getting it. I’m confused what’s a high shot and what’s not. I’m sure everyone else is,” he said.
“I’ll talk to the NRL through the week, go through the right channels, but it’s just white noise. ‘Yeah, we got that wrong’. But no-one’s held accountable for it.
“If it’s my player making error after error or a couple of howlers, then there’s a fair chance he’s not in the team.”
Payten took specific issue with Cowboys winger Murray Taulagi being penalised for a high shot on Liam Henry, who slipped into the contact.
The Panthers scored from the set that followed.
Payten was incensed that Cowboys centre Viliami Vailea was not awarded a penalty minutes later after being flattened by Tom Jenkins in cover defence.
The collision left Vailea sprawled on the ground in pain.
“Murray Taulagi got a penalty where a bloke fell into his chest and then Viliami Vailea, less than five minutes later, got his head taken off,” Payten said.
“It was right in front of the touch judge and there was no call there. That was wrong. There was also a flop sort on the 40-metre line. Any later and it would’ve been tomorrow.”
Payten also intimated that Penrith five-eighth Blaize Talagi threw a forward pass to Isaiah Papali’i ahead of the visitors’ first try.
When Cowboys co-captain Tom Dearden was asked by the Townsville press how the Cowboys could remedy their slow starts, Payten interjected.
“One of the (Panthers’) tries was off a forward pass so I tell you how to fix that. Make the fu-, make the right call,” the coach said.
“That’s right in front of the touch judge. It was half a metre or a metre forward. There was one here against the Titans (in round eight) that was three metres forward.
“They have such a huge impact in the game. Get it right. Get it right.”
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary was similarly disappointed with a non-call late in the game.
The usually unflappable Cleary was on his feet in the coaches box after Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater kicked the ball forward in his attempt to control Nathan Cleary’s bomb.
Cowboys second-rower John Bateman regathered the footy standing in front of Drinkwater.
But the Panthers were not awarded a penalty that would have allowed them to kick for a potentially game-winning goal in the final two minutes.
“He was offside. It was obvious,” Cleary said.
“I reckon there were at least three kick pressure calls we should’ve got tonight as well, just no-brainers.
“It’s disappointing. But there’s a lot of other calls throughout the game.
“Obviously it hurts a bit more when you see one you could’ve won the game with that was so obvious.”
AAP
