‘They were stiff’: Eels coach Brad Arthur blows up, slams penalty count

Parramatta coach Brad Arthur usually keeps his temper in check in press conferences but has unloaded on the “stiff” calls against his side.

Brad Arthur was seething. Photo: NRL.com

Eels coach Brad Arthur has come out swinging after the Raiders 26-18 win in Canberra on Saturday night.

Since a 53-12 loss in round 5, the Raiders have won five straight as well as having a bye to romp into the top eight.

Watch every game of every round of the 2023 NRL Telstra Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

Heading into the game without Mitchell Moses, who was concussed at Magic Round, the Eels knew it was going to be tough.

But Arthur was furious over the 10-3 penalty count against his side and was clearly fuming in the press conference.

“I’m very proud of our team,” Arthur said. “They tried their backsides off, we were physical, we were tough, we were resilient, nothing went our way. Nothing went our way.

“It’s very hard to come down here to Canberra when you get a 10-3 penalty count against you.

“We contributed a few things with not getting some kicks in and good ball especially in the second half. But I don’t know what more I can say to the boys because I thought they were stiff.”

Questioned over whether he thought the penalty count was unfair, Arthur lashed out.

“I think so. 10-3, we can’t be the best in the competition with our discipline and then get penalised 10 times tonight,” he said.

“We can’t be told we’ve got great compliance by the referees and then get penalised 10 times. It can’t happen.

“I’d never say anything about the refereeing, but I think tonight we were hard done by.”

Asked if he thought there were any specific calls, Arthur identified the “hip drop” that was penalised on Junior Paulo on Joe Tapine earlier in the match, claiming: “There was no force in it whatsoever — none.”

As for whether he’d be surprised if Paulo got suspended, Arthur said: “Yeah, there was nothing in it.”

Does Paulo have a case to answer? Photo: Fox Sports

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart saw it differently.

“I’m a mate of Junior’s and I don’t want to add any more exposure, but I had a player go off over that,” he said, as Tapine left the field for treatment. However he returned and played 52 minutes in the match, which is line with the minutes he’s played all season.

“Corey Horsburgh pushed a player in the head, Corey got pushed in the head as well when he was held by the jumper. (Latrell) Mitchell last week pushed a player to the head twice and nothing happened, he got to play the ball. We get a player sent to the bin.

“If you’re going to changing interpretations around like that, it’s just c**p. You can’t change interpretations week to week.

“I feel sorry for the referees because they’re the ones under pressure when the interpretations keep getting changed.

“Why this week when you push someone in the head you get 10 minute sin the bin and put pressure on us as a team because last week we saw a situation that you’re allowed to do now, you’re allowed to push players in the head.”

Stuart added that players should not be sin binned for hip drops because they’re “tackles that accidentally go wrong”.

Arthur also called out a few ruck indiscretions, pointing to a tackle on Eels winger Haze Dunster where “he does get contacted to the head and can’t get a penalty — it’s an error — and they’re coming out of the red zone, drop the ball and get the same sort of contact in the head and it’s a penalty against us.”

Arthur slammed that the Wighton tackle was cleared, but Cartwright's wasn't. Photo: Fox Sports

It was the 72nd minute when Dunster was on a line break and was tackled from behind by Jack Wighton and lost the ball. Just over 60 seconds later, a tackle that appeared to bounce off the ball from Bryce Cartwright on Tapine was penalised.

“It was another relatively soft penalty, it’s high contact but not a lot in it,” Michael Ennis said in commentary.

After the press conference, Raiders legend Mal Meninga laughed off Arthur’s frustration saying: “It’s either he's the most disciplined team and getting the rough end of the stick, or he’s one of the most undisciplined teams and getting penalised.”

For the record, the Eels had only given away 48 penalties for the season leading into the match, which was the third least behind only the Sharks (39) and Sea Eagles (47).

After tonight’s match, the Eels are the eighth most penalised team so far this season.

The result sees the Raiders into fifth on the ladder as of Saturday night, while the Eels drop to 14th.