Todd Payten and Ivan Cleary Voice Their Frustrations Over Officiating After Stalemate

Todd Payten has voiced his annoyance regarding the officiating in the NRL following a series of contentious decisions during his Cowboys’ draw with the Panthers.

Panthers coach Ivan Cleary also expressed concern over the officiating, particularly after an off-side call was overlooked in the dying moments of the game.

For Payten, his initial outburst during the media conference focused on two significant incidents.

One such incident involved Murray Taulagi receiving a penalty in the second half for a high tackle on Liam Henry, who fell into Taulagi’s chest.

“That’s a game-changer,” commented Kevin Walters on Fox League regarding the tackle, as the Panthers seized the opportunity to score.

Moments later, Viliami Vailea was hit high by Isaah Yeo, but the officiating team did not issue a penalty for that instance either.

When questioned about the need for greater consistency from referees, Payten answered emphatically.

“Absolutely, that’s their job. They’re paid to make the correct calls at the right moments. Murray Taulagi was penalised when Liam Henry fell into him, and then just minutes later, Viliame Vailea got his head taken off right in front of the touch judge, yet no call was made. That’s unacceptable,” he stated.

“There was also a flop near the 40-metre line that warranted a penalty, and if it had happened any later, it would have surely been penalised. It’s immensely frustrating, and we crave consistency, which is lacking.”

“I’m perplexed about what constitutes a high shot and what doesn’t. I’m pretty sure others are confused too. I’m very close to the action.”

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“I will engage with the NRL this week through the appropriate channels, but it often feels like just background noise. No one seems to be accountable for it, and if my player was making repeated errors, there’s a good chance he wouldn’t be in the team.”

As the press conference continued, Tom Dearden was asked how the team could improve their starts after the Panthers surged to an 18-6 lead.

Payten interrupted to raise a concern about a forward pass from Blaize Talagi that allowed Isaiah Papali’i to score the first try.

“One of those tries was off a forward pass, so the solution is simple – make the correct call,” he declared. “The officiating has such a tremendous impact on the game. They need to get it right.”

Then it was Cleary’s turn.

With less than two minutes remaining, Scott Drinkwater failed to catch a bomb cleanly. It was uncertain whether Drinkwater had touched the ball, which subsequently bounced forward to John Bateman.

Cleary appeared visibly frustrated in the coaching box, believing strongly that Drinkwater had interfered with the play.

In a post-match interview, he was asked about the incident.

“He was off-side, that was clear,” he replied. “I just want to see them make the right calls. There was at least three kick-pressure penalties we should have received tonight as well, which were obvious decisions.”

“It’s disappointing. There were many other calls in the match, but it stings more when it’s one that could have changed the outcome. That was unmistakably clear.”