Legends question NRL's 'power to trainers'

3 years ago 364

Rugby league greats Brad Fittler and Peter Sterling person questioned the powerfulness of nine trainers aft the Panthers forced play to halt with the Eels successful attacking territory.

Penrith past nighttime edged retired the Eels 8-6 successful a semi-final thriller successful Mackay.

Late successful the crippled with little than 5 minutes remaining, the Eels were successful a presumption to instrumentality vantage of a 12-man Penrith antiaircraft enactment aft Mitch Kenny was near connected the turf down the play.

Kenny's ankle appeared to get twisted portion making a tackle connected Eels large antheral Reagan Campbell-Gillard.

Under existent rules, nine trainers tin petition for the referee to halt play if there's a superior wounded oregon information concern.

Fittler argued determination was nary "safety issue" and questioned wherefore determination was a request for the crippled to stop.

The stoppage allowed Kenny to travel from the tract with Tevita Pangai Junior coming connected arsenic his replacement.

"This is Mitch Kenny erstwhile helium got a twisted ankle and Pangai Junior came connected for him," Fittler said during Nine's post-game coverage.

"I americium inactive uncertain with the interchange that went connected with Pangai Junior.

"The information is, helium was down the play. It wasn't a information issue, it was an ankle injury.

"You wonderment wherefore the crippled had to beryllium stopped."

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Meanwhile, Sterling said the stoppage of play was a timely remainder for the Panthers, who had defended a fig of attacking sets successful the lead-up.

"That is frustrating and I wholly recognize Brad's vexation with that. It is simply a benignant of crippled wherever some teams are going to person complaints," Sterling replied.

"So galore things happened and truthful galore turning points. I'm definite Ivan Cleary would beryllium uncomfortable with immoderate of the things that happened retired there

"That was precocious successful the crippled erstwhile you are connected a roll, it is 3rd tackle.

"The worst happening that tin hap to you with the shot successful your manus is for the absorption to get a rest.

"His was ft was stood on. He did permission the field, it worked."

Fittler past questioned whether the NRL has fixed excessively overmuch powerfulness to trainers and coaches.

"When did the crippled springiness the powerfulness to trainers, who are wholly controlled by coaches, to beryllium capable to halt a game," Fittler said. "That has got to beryllium taken away."

Sterling added: "There was besides a stoppage contiguous wherever a defending subordinate was successful the attacking enactment getting his genu strap."

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"You can't halt for those things.

"So determination are frustrations successful the game. I americium frustrated with Blake Ferguson being down for a crusher tackle and erstwhile helium gets a penalty, helium bounces up to spell connected with it. You can't bash things similar that - you can't person it some ways."

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