Referee Gerard Sutton returns to the spotlight after a controversial call-up during the Panthers’ 26-18 win over the Roosters on Friday night.
After 39 minutes, a couple of quick and successful challenges followed by a shot from just outside the penalty area by Penrith Scott Sorensen might have resulted in another goal for Tricolors Sam Verrills.
Sutton immediately threw a dangerous penalty per entry that left the Roosters baffled and turned out to be a moment that changed the game.
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Panthers hold on to angry roosters 01:49
Viliame Kikau scored in the next set to put the score at 14-6 at the break and Roosters coach Trent Robinson was left boiling after the game.
“That was a horrible decision,” Robinson said.
“We shouldn’t have let us try in the end, but tonight there have been so many bad decisions.”
In another controversial moment, Roosters striker Angus Crichton was sacked after Sutton decided to stop the game to check on an incident two plays earlier.
“The same referee last week and there were 30 weird offsides and a 3-1 penalty count,” Robinson said.
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So every opportunity (tonight), that of Sammy Verrills, we also had Crichton’s sin-binning … we’re not playing rugby union. Stop the game and send it to the trash, don’t give them a chance.
“It wasn’t a good enough performance tonight (from Sutton). These are important decisions you can’t go wrong and they weren’t good enough.”
Fox League analyst and first-place winner Corey Parker also criticized Verrills’ call.
“There were some controversial decisions during the game, right in the half a penalty was given for an entry from Sam Verrills,” Parker said.
“This has been given a penalty for a dangerous entry, Verrills is sitting on the floor, he is sitting on the floor when he tackles, he only passes directly on him and Sorensen, where else will he go? That was ridiculous.
“It’s not a penalty and we do want to eradicate dangerous things, but this is by no means a penalty, they score a try after that, they go to the break with an eight-point lead, it’s deflating.
“I thought tonight they had it all against them.”
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