NRL 2016: Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson unloads on referee Ben Cummins, bunker

UPDATE: Roosters have been hit with two breach notices, totalling fines worth $40,000 over incidents following their controversial loss to the Dragons.

Jake Friend of the Roosters speaks to referee Ben Cummins.

THE NRL have issued the Roosters with two breach notices after coach Trent Robinson criticised referee Ben Cummins’ performance against the Dragons on Sunday.

In a statement, the governing body said it could not allow any club to “deliberately and blatantly attack our referees”.

The NRL claims Robinson allegedly ‘harassed’ Cummins when he approached him in the tunnel after the match.

The Roosters coach was also issued another breach notice following scathing comments he made about Cummins, which the NRL claim were an attack on his credibility.

CEO Todd Greenberg said the club had potentially breached NRL rules and would have seven days to respond.

“We cannot stand by and allow any club to deliberately and blatantly attack our referees,” Mr Greenberg said.

“Not only is it a breach of the rules which are there to protect our referees from abuse, but it sets a bad example to the rest of the game, particularly juniors.

“We know from experience that young people imitate their NRL heroes and attacking referees is simply not acceptable.

“We are also trying to encourage young people to become referees and public attacks like this do nothing to achieve that goal. ”

Robinson came under scrutiny for post-match comments towards Cummins in which he claimed the referee was “disrespectful’’ to his captain Jake Friend and “couldn’t look them in the eye’’.

Roosters captain Jake Friend claims Ben Cummins doesn’t show him any respect.

Friend said he won’t look at him when he wants to question calls.

NRL officials have always had a zero tolerance stance on coaches approaching referees after games.

It is understood that Robinson’s repeated what he said to Cummins to the media moments later.

An irate Robinson exploded at match officials — and the NRL bunker — after Monday’s loss in a ferocious outburst that will cost the Sydney Roosters coach at least $20,000.

Rarely in years has a coach walked into a post-match media conference and unloaded as Robinson did after his side’s 20-18 loss to St George Illawarra at Allianz Stadium.

After a personal attack on referee Ben Cummins’ integrity, Robinson sensationally claimed his side simply wasn’t allowed to win the match due to decisions from Cummins and the bunker.

Robinson said Cummins was “horrible, disrespectful and won’t look our players in the eye.”

He also claimed the game went soft on one Australia’s proudest days, Anzac Day.

Powerful Roosters chairman Nick Politis sat in on Robinson’s press conference and was mumbling obscenities about decisions in Monday’s game.

Roosters hooker Jake Friend then joined in by accusing Dragons players of feigning injuries and that the bunker needed to be manned by officials “that know the game.”

Robinson was filthy at a series of questionable on-field decisions and how the bunker kept intervening and making decisions through slow motion replays.

Sam Moa and Jake Friend of the Roosters watch on as referee Ben Cummins places Moa on report.

The Roosters coach knew would be heavily fined by the NRL.

“You don’t want to make excuses for a loss but I’m not going to sit here and allow poor decisions to go by and I’m not going to allow referees not to talk in the way that they should to our players over years,” Robinson said.

Asked would he contact NRL ref’s boss Tony Archer, Robinson said: “I’d say Todd (Greenberg, NRL CEO) might be ringing me (about a fine), that might be a start.”

Robinson took aim at Cummins.

“Ben Cummins has been horrible and disrespectful to our players for many years. It’s continued. We have good high percentage win-rate up until this year and we have won two games under him. He speaks poorly to our players and won’t look them in the eye. The way he spoke to Jake during the game was unacceptable,” he said.

Robinson has singled out Ben Cummins in particular. Picture Gregg Porteous

“The bunker decided to be the on-field ref today. They jumped in at every occasion. They’re not the match review committee. It has to be a ‘reportable’ offence. The match review committee spend hours on Monday and Tuesday mornings to get that right. You can’t play match review committee in a split second.

“You have to create change. We’re not saying we should have won today. I’m saying we should have had a chance to win today.”

Asked was that chance taken off his side, Robinson said: “I do, I definitely do. We should have had a chance to win that game.”

Friend was also filthy at Cummins.

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“He wouldn’t talk to me. Do you think that is disrespectful? As a captain, I have the utmost respect for referees and the opposition. I know every call isn’t going to be right one but I should at least have the ability to be able to talk to Ben about that. He just waves me off and refuses to talk to me,” Friend said.

“It didn’t help that St George were laying down. They know it’s going to go to the bunker and be slowed down (on replay). In slow motion, everything looks worse. They have to have people in the bunker that know the game. It doesn’t help blokes lay down because they know the bunker will slow it down. As a team, we don’t lay down. We just want to play the game.”

Robinson said some penalties issued — by Cummins and the bunker -were “soft.”

Referee Ben Cummins speaks to Dylan Napa of the Roosters.

“We’re on Anzac Day,” Robinson roared. “We want to play a tough game and they were just soft calls coming from a bunker. They weren’t good enough.

“We didn’t lie down for penalties. You’re on ANZAC Day, get up and play on. Then if you do (lie down), the bunker gets excited in slow motion and decides to penalise it. It’s not our game. I see (Johnathan) Thurston get laid out time after time but he still gets up and plays on. You can’t lie down and then come and make a big play on the next play. It’s not our game.”

And further adding to their troubles, the Roosters have four players on report — Sam Moa, Kane Evans, Dylan Napa and Eloni Vunakece.

Originally published as NRL 2016: Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson unloads on referee Ben Cummins, bunker