‘That gets sent off?’: Teddy fumes, Robbo rages over inconsistency as ‘goalposts move’

Roosters coach Trent Robinson was left fuming and accusing the NRL of ‘moving the goalposts’ after Nathan Brown was sent off against Manly.

Nathan Brown's controversial send off

Roosters enforcer Nathan Brown was sensationally been sent off for a high shot in a decision that sparked debate and angered both skipper James Tedesco and coach Trent Robinson.

Less than a minute after coming on during Thursday night’s clash at the SCG, Brown launched and collected Ben Trbojevic’s head with his arm in an ugly second half collision.

Referee Ashley Klein called the former Eels lock forward over before giving him his marching orders, stating: “The issue is you’ve run out of the line with intent there, you’ve left the ground”.

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On field, Roosters captain James Tedesco questioned the decision and was visibly shocked his side would have to finish the game a man down.

“What? Send-off? Sir that’s not a send-off. F*****g hell,” Tedesco said.

Speaking in the post-match press conference, Trent Robinson also slammed the call, questioning when was the last time an NRL player was sent off.

Nathan Brown’s high shot on Ben Trbojevic. Pic: Fox Sports

“We’ve had high tackles, we’ve had shoulder charges, we’ve had all of that. That was a high tackle that hit him in the neck that had no effect on him (Trbojevic),” Robinson said.

“He got up and elbowed pretty quickly straight after, that wasn’t sighted and went unpunished.

“You don’t want to see it, I don’t think it’s great for Ben but I mean there’s so much worse than that that has happened, and that gets sent off?

“If the goalposts have moved tonight then move them and then send him off, but if you can’t mention when the last send off was.

“Guys have been heavily concussed from high tackles and all of that

“Nothing happened there tonight and he gets sent from the field.”

Robinson also maintained a sin bin would have been a sufficient punishment for the tackle and Trbojevic also remained on the field.

“On where the game has been adjudicated at the moment, 100% (that is a sin bin),” Robinson said.

Robinson wasn’t happy.

“If you can let me know of guys that have been hit high and concussed and all of those things and not been sent from the field, which I can give you many, then what made that stand out.

“If we had two more people on the field that would have been sent off in the other code for many weeks in a row. But in our game, that’s not how it’s adjudicated.

“I imagine they’ll say it’s a send off but I could give you much worse tackles than that that haven’t been sent from the field. He hit him high and in the neck.”

Meanwhile, Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold was of a different opinion and said a send off was the right decision.

“Yeah I thought it was foul play so I was comfortable with a send off,” Seibold said.

“It wasn’t deliberate, I wouldn’t have thought so anyway just by looking at it. I understood why he got sent off.”

Brown’s send off turned the game into a 12 on 12 for eight minutes after Manly forward Toafofoa Sipley was sin binned for repeated infringements.

“It’s probably a silly play... I love aggression, but get your target,” Gorden Tallis said post game.

“He hits him in the head, he races out to hit him.”

Originally published as ‘That gets sent off?’: Teddy fumes, Robbo rages over inconsistency as ‘goalposts move’