Cameron Ciraldo Seeks ‘Clarity’ from NRL Regarding Uncommon ‘Spirit of the Game’ Penalty

Bulldogs head coach Cameron Ciraldo has expressed his intention to seek clarification regarding a penalty awarded to Josh Curran, which he deemed “against the true spirit of the game.”

With only a few minutes left in the first half against the Eels, Blake Wilson attempted to charge at the ball when referee Wyatt Raymond blew the whistle, penalising Curran.

The referee went on to explain to Curran that “you called Matt (Doorey) offside and pulled him out, that’s against the true spirit of the game” (check out the footage above).

In response, Curran insisted he hadn’t made contact with Doorey.

Following this, Reed Mahoney sought clarification from the referee and received the same explanation.

“What?,” former player Andrew Johns exclaimed on Nine.

Fellow commentator Billy Slater remarked: “That’s the first time I’ve encountered something like that.”

After the match, Ciraldo was queried about whether he had ever witnessed such a penalty being issued.

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“No, when was the last instance of that happening?,” he responded. “I was unsure of the reason for it. I’ll need to clarify that.”

“There were numerous incidents that went against us at pivotal moments. We need to address that.”

“We must find ways to improve at what we can manage – but that one was certainly perplexing.”

Canterbury triumphed over their traditional rivals, clinching a 16-8 victory and maintaining their unbeaten status for the year.