Canterbury coach Dean Pay set to be hit with $25k fine over post-match tirade at referees

CANTERBURY coach Dean Pay has five days to respond to a breach notice handed down by the NRL over his tirade directed at the referees following last week’s loss to Brisbane.

Dean Pay has been issued with a breach notice by the NRL.

CANTERBURY is considering whether to appeal a hefty $25,000 proposed fine for comments made about referees by head coach Dean Pay.

Pay was critical of referees Gerard Sutton and Chris Sutton after his side’s heartbreaking, last-minute loss to Brisbane last Thursday night.

The NRL on Monday issued the club with a breach notice and an increased fine due to an increase in this year’s salary cap.

Previous fines for similar outbursts were about $10,000.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PROPOSED FINE? VOTE BELOW

Bulldogs chief executive Andrew Hill told The Daily Telegraph last night: “We have just received the breach notice. We will review and response accordingly within the timeline.”

At the post-match press conference, Pay labelled a number of decisions as “ridiculous and disgraceful.”

The NRL believe Pay questioned the referee’s integrity when he claimed: “It’s like we’re not supposed to win.”

Pay unloaded on match officials after his side’s 22-20 defeat at Suncorp Stadium, which was decided by a last-minute sin-binning of Bulldogs fullback Moses Mbye — and subsequent penalty shot from in front by Brisbane’s Jamayne Isaako.

Moses Mbye is sent to the sin bin.

Mbye was sent to the bin for making contact with Brisbane skipper Darius Boyd as the two chased down an attacking kick.

“Is that worth a penalty to stop a game of football? We didn’t get the opportunity to keep playing. The game was over,” Pay said.

“I have got a group of blokes in there that have busted their arse and to be decided like that is ridiculous.

“What do I say to them? It is like we are not supposed to win.”

Many in the game believe Pay had every right to question and criticise match officials.

An NRL statement released last night read: “The NRL has issued the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs a breach notice for comments made about the match officials after last Thursday’s match against the Brisbane Broncos.

“A fine of $25,000 has been proposed for comments made by coach Dean Pay.”

NRL Head of Football, Brian Canavan said Pay’s comments “reflected on the integrity and performance of the match officials and went beyond the acceptable parameters.”

The Bulldogs have five business days to appeal the breach notice.

Moses Mbye reacts after being sent to the sin bin in the final minutes of Canterbury’s loss.

Originally published as Canterbury coach Dean Pay set to be hit with $25k fine over post-match tirade at referees