Trent Robinson takes aim at NRL referees after Jared Waerea-Hargreaves sin bin

Trent Robinson hopes the NRL is prepared to continue sin-binning players for the reason one of his forwards was sent to the bench.

Burton gave Bulldogs fans a taste of what he will offer next season. Image: NRL Photos

Roosters coach Trent Robinson says the NRL has set a new standard for sin bins after Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was marched for 10 minutes in the 20-14 loss to Penrith on Saturday night.

Waerea-Hargreaves was a man on a mission when he was introduced on the half-hour mark, first getting involved in a minor scuffle with Apisai Koroisau, only for things to get a bit more serious moments later.

The Roosters had just conceded a set restart on their own line, so the veteran prop stayed in the tackle to buy his defensive line some time.

It was a deliberate act, and referee Gerard Sutton showed no leniency in his decision to sin bin Waerea-Hargreaves, even though he hadn’t given the Roosters a warning.

It was the correct decision by the letter of the law, but Robinson questioned the consistency of the interpretation after Penrith’s Liam Martin was allowed to stay on the field for something similar in the second half.

“They’ve talked about it, but it’s never been executed that way. It’s never been played out that way so it was brand new again tonight,” the frustrated coach said after his side conceded a try from the following set.

“We had a line break and it happened again right at the end of the game and nothing was done, so consistency has to be there. If you’re going to call it, then call it every single game in every single week.

“If they want to act it on it then they should act on the one at the end of the game as well when we make a break and someone lies in the ruck. You’ve got to have the cojones to make a call there.

“If they’re going to do it in that game then we’ll see it every week, and that’s fine because then they’ll stop lying in the ruck for that period of time.”

Waerea-Hargreaves has been one of the standout front-rowers this season but he was used sparingly as the Roosters missed the chance to climb into the top four.

He was restricted to just four carries in 11 minutes, but Robinson said the ill discipline had nothing to do with his decision to bench his inspirational prop.

“He was obviously on, and in that second half we just needed to get some change of momentum happening there and that’s why I made those changes,” he said.

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves rode the pine for ten minutes. Image: NRL Photos

Nathan Cleary is a strong chance to return for next week’s game against the Dragons, but the Panthers won’t make any rash decisions after what happened to Parramatta hooker Reed Mahoney on Friday night.

The Eels rake could be done for the rest of 2021 after he reinjured his shoulder while making a tackle in the heavy loss to the Rabbitohs.

That was Mahoney’s fourth game back and highlighted the risk of returning too early from an injury that can be reaggravated all too easily.

Cleary hasn’t played since Game Two of the State of Origin series when he bravely played through a dislocated shoulder.

The club opted to delay surgery until the end of the season, with the star halfback a vital cog for the Panthers to go one better after last year’s grand final heartbreak.

Cleary was named for Saturday’s 20-14 win over the Roosters but was given an extra week off to prepare for Friday’s game against a Dragons side that has faded badly in recent rounds.

“The fact is there is potential for reinjury. But through smart management and a bit of luck, we’re feeling pretty good that it’ll be okay,” Ivan Cleary said.

“It’s just about Nathan going through the process week-by-week. He got closer again this week, and I know he was very keen to play because he’s doing really well.

“It’s just one of those things where we need a bit of feel as well. He’s got to be confident and we’ve got to be confident.

“Luckily we’ve got enough wins in the bank where we can be a bit more selective. We’ll just go through the same thing this week and I’m sure we’ll make the right call.”

Cleary (C) was named in Penrith’s extended squad to face the Roosters but did not feature in the 17. Picture: Toby Zerna

He’s the trump card who Bulldogs fans hope can lead the revolution next year, but for now, Matt Burton is the ace in the pack who can lead Penrith to grand final glory.

They’ve been struggling for fluency in recent weeks, but the Panthers brushed their injuries aside to remind the rest of the competition that they are still a serious threat after they outclassed the Roosters 20-14 in Brisbane.

You could hear Trent Barrett’s cheers from his hotel room as Burton scored two tries and picked apart the Roosters’ makeshift right edge to keep Penrith in the hunt for the minor premiership.

“I thought our middles were outstanding, and I just played off the back of them,” said Burton, who relished his opportunity in the halves.

He opened the scoring with an 80-metre dash down the sideline that saw him step past James Tedesco like he was trying to keep socially distant.

He added another clean break from dummy-half and then scored a stunning solo try from a close-range scrum to make it 20-6 to go with his 173 metres as his running game drew comparisons to Brad Fittler.

“It was an important win for us,” Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said.

“Matt was terrific. I think that he’ll admit in the past couple of weeks that he’s been a little quiet.

“I’m happy for him. He’s a great kid.”

Matt Burton was instrumental for the Panthers in the absence of Nathan Cleary. Image: NRL Photos

Rivalry renewed

The Super Saturday hype reels focused on the Battle of Brookvale anniversary, but we’ll be talking about the Skirmish at Suncorp for a while after a fiery clash that should keep the match review officials busy.

Victor Radley’s rematch with Tevita Pangai Junior was put on ice, but fellow firebrand Jared Waerea-Hargreaves picked up the slack and was sent to the sin bin to cap a frantic four-minute period.

The Roosters enforcer started the game on the bench but came on after 30 minutes, was involved in a messy melee and then found himself off the field after referee Gerard Sutton marched him for a professional foul close to the line.

It was a costly penalty that saw Paul Momirovski score from the following set and was reminiscent of the first meeting between the teams when the game turned on its head when Siosiua Taukeiaho was sent to the sin bin for a high shot on Nathan Cleary.

Waerea-Hargreaves won’t face the ire of the judiciary, but his teammates face a nervous wait after Angus Crichton (crusher) and Egan Butcher (high tackle) were placed on report, while Penrith’s Kurt Capewell was also cited for a lifting tackle.

“We didn’t execute enough, and we weren’t disciplined enough,” Roosters coach Trent Robinson said.

Return of the king

Nathan didn’t play on Saturday, but the Panthers can see Cleary now the pain has gone.

The game’s premier halfback hasn’t played since the second Origin encounter due to a shoulder injury, but he should be back for next Friday’s game against the out-of-sorts Dragons.

He was named in the squad for Saturday’s match but was given an extra week to recover, and he’ll be the touch of class they need to revive their premiership drive.

The Panthers have bounced back from last week's huge loss to Melbourne. Image: NRL Photos

Championship spirit

Most teams would have folded on the back of Burton’s masterclass, but one thing you can’t fault is the Roosters’ resilience.

With a back-rower and a utility half in the centres, the Tricolours defended stoutly and kept the Panthers in sight before they mounted their charge on the back of a textbook Radley tackle on Momirovski.

Joseph Manu had just scored in the right corner before the possession-changing tackle, and fellow winger Daniel Tupou followed suit moments later to bring the Roosters back within six, but they lacked the polish to land the killer blow.

“It felt like we were coming home,” Robinson said