Phil Rothfield and Michael Clarke clash over NRL refereeing in heated live radio stoush

Phil Rothfield has taken aim at Michael Clarke over his comments about the ugly elimination final between the Rabbitohs and Roosters in a fiery on-air clash.

Phil Rothfield and Michael Clarke.

Veteran journalist Phil Rothfield has called out Michael Clarke in a fiery on-air radio spat after the former Australian cricket captain blamed referee Ashley Klein for losing control of the elimination final between South Sydney and the Sydney Roosters on Sunday.

The Rabbitohs won the spiteful match 30-14, but the major talking points from the match came from a record seven sin bins, numerous high tackles, five players sent for Head Injury Assessments — of which three failed, several scuffles and a head slam in one of the most contentious matches in the modern era.

The match review committee came down hard on the players on Monday, issuing five charges from the Allianz Stadium clash.

However, speaking on the Big Sports Breakfast on Sky Sports Radio, Clarke fired up at The Daily Telegraph scribe, declaring he felt like it was “under 10s” because of how Klein repeatedly disciplined players for indiscretions.

Ashley Klein gives Tevita Tatola his marching orders. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Phil Rothfield: “That game was a really, really bad advertisement for rugby league, that’s my view. Do you agree with me with that?”

Michael Clarke: “God, I feel like it’s under 10s. Yeah there were some head highs, I agree with that Buzz. But please, it’s not touch footy give me a break.”

Rothfield: “Clarkey, There were players on the football field that weren’t there to play rugby league.”

Clarke: “Well you set a standard at the start of the game as well.”

Rothfield: “They did set a standard!”

Clarke: “They sent someone off for flicking his ear, give me a break.”

Rothfield: “Listen, I’ll tell you what the problem is and I’ve been banging on about it for a couple of years is that we have the world’s softest judiciary. So players will go out there and do these headhigh tackles, they’ll risk going to the sin bin, but they know they’ll be fine and they won’t get a decent suspension like what used to happen in the old days.

“Even sin bins now mean bugger-all. Souths were reduced to 11 players for 10 minutes and they won that section of the game six-nil. So until they get serious and put players out of these games for that shocking bloody head slam that (Jared) Waerea-Hargreaves did on Tom Burgess and all those high tackles …

“Clarkey don’t play them down, until players start getting suspended for their actions, nothing will change. The sin bin doesn’t work anymore.”

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves faces a four-week ban for a head slam. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Rothfield did say the early sin bin of Victor Radley may have started the rot but that the players were their own worst enemies.

Rothfield: “How many sin bins should there have been?”

Clarke: “Two? I’ll give you three max.”

Rothfield: “Did you actually watch this game?”

Clarke: “Mate, it’s the NRL. It’s at the highest level. That’s the sport. It’s like you know what? Don’t bowl bouncers in cricket. Because if it hits you in the head it hurts … you have to pitch the ball up only. That’s what we’re trying to create in rugby league.”

Rothfield: “You know Trent Robinson wasn’t dirty? He blamed his players … if you guys want to watch rugby league like that, go and watch UFC — it was rubbish that game.”

Clarke: “I watch that (UFC) as well. The refereeing was rubbish.”

Rothfield: “Give me Cronulla, Canberra and the skills we saw …”

Clarke: “Give me State of Origin any day of the week.”

Rothfield: “Give me some skill out of yesterday’s game. Seriously …”

After claiming only three players should have been sin-binned, Clarke then suggested Rabbitohs prop Tom Burgess should have been given 10 minutes on the sidelines for a high tackle on James Tedesco, which forced the Roosters’ captain to be ruled out of the remainder of the match after failing his HIA.

Burgess was on Monday charged with a grade-two careless high tackle. If he pleads guilty, the English forward will be suspended until the grand final, if the Rabbitohs progress that far.

Michael Clarke admitted a week ago he didn’t watch a single game of NRL in Round 25.

Rothfield: “Now you’re getting serious Clarkey? It should have been a send-off? Right OK.

Clarke: “Good refereeing. If that’s not inconsistency right in front of you I don’t know what is”

Rothfield: “If you knew more about rugby league, right …”

Clarke: “Oh, here we go. Here we go.”

Rothfield: “You know nothing about it.”

Clarke: “You know everything because you played 100 Test matches? Continue. You watch the same TV I watch. I’ve watched it for 41 years, you’ve watched it for 80. You’ve played the exact same amount of Origin games as me.”

However, a week earlier, Clarke admitted on the network that he hadn’t watched an NRL game all weekend.

Rothfield: “Clarkey, not one decision in a send-off these days, is made by the on-field referee. Not one of them.”

Clarke: “Then you know what buzz? Take the on-field referee away then. If we’re just going to go with the bunker to rule the game, don’t have anyone out there. The on-field ref has to have control. Yes, he gets advised by the bunker but it must be his decision, otherwise get him off the field! It’s not different to a DRS made in cricket.”

Tom Burgess faces a two-week suspension for a high tackle on James Tedesco. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Rothfield: “Isn’t it? OK.

“Did you enjoy yesterday’s game? If you enjoyed it seriously, it was a shocking advertisement for rugby league and for you blokes seriously to be blaming the referee … To blame Ashley Klein for the debacle yesterday, he would not have sent one of those guys off to the sin bin, without backing from the bunker.

“All I know is the feud between Souths and Easts has now got out of control and the there were that many cheap shots out there yesterday, it was not good for rugby league. It was not. I can only remember one or two skilful moments in that game … it was all about bashing people and that’s not right.”