More players get away with making contact with referees during a game

SPORT CON (Part II): They missed Trent Merrin and didn’t even bother with Mitchell Moses. Now it seems the NRL have missed other examples of players shoving referees.

THEY missed Corey Norman, then Trent Merrin, and didn’t even bother with Mitchell Moses.

Now it seems the NRL have missed yet another two examples of players shoving referees out of the way.

So much for the game getting tough on players who make contact with officials.

As these images show, Cronulla prop Andrew Fifita gives poor old Ben Cummins a nudge in the back as he prepares to cart the ball up against North Queensland in round one. Cummins was the same bloke who was touched on the chest by David Klemmer, the Canterbury enforcer who avoided a two-week ban on Wednesday.

Fifita said: “I was trying to push him (Cummins) out of the way so I could have my run.’’

While Fifita forgot all about the run-in, coach Shane Flanagan was a little more concerned, telling his rampaging prop he had been ‘’tossing and turning’’ at night in fear he’d be cited. Fifita said it was important players didn’t touch referees, but there was an issue with pocket referees.

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“They’re always trying to get in the way of the ruck. I know they have a job to do ... it’s hard when they jump right in front of you.”

Referee Adam Devicich backs into Jake Granville.

In the same game, Cowboys’ rake Jake Granville is seen to hold his hands out and push Adam Devicich, yet nothing came of it. The NRL on Wednesday night maintained the match review committee would continue to take a strong stance in relation to “avoidable contact with match officials by players’’.

It’s understood the Granville incident was not worthy of a charge given it was more a case of the pocket referee backing into a player.

NO TIGERS SOAP OPERA

THE bidding war over Mitch Moses and Luke Brooks that is­ ­already threatening to disrupt the Tigers’ season will not become another Daly Cherry-Evans debacle.

While the Tigers and a range of other clubs have expressed interest in the dynamic duo, their manager Isaac Moses took careful note of last year’s Cherry-Evans soap opera and will not allow it to unravel the Tigers’ season.

Rival clubs have expressed interest in Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks.

Both players have already told Tigers coach Jason Taylor and the club’s bosses that they will not discuss their futures until only days before the June window opens. Other club coaches eager to jump in early have also been told not to call until then.

A FOUL-MOUTHED ORDEAL

ST GEORGE Illawarra will have a report finalised for the NRL by early next week after Joel Thompson copped an almighty spray from a drunken Sharks fan as he left Southern Cross Stadium last weekend.

Not only were the Dragons players forced to walk from the sheds across the field to the car park, the Holden Cup players were forced to wait nearly an hour for a spare dressing room. The area at the western end of the ground normally used is out of play because of construction work.

Thompson showed tremendous restraint not to deck the supporter who insisted on using obscenities in front of the back-rower’s two-year-old daughter. What a classy bloke.

Apparently, he later apologised via social media.

Joel Thompson was verbally abused by a Sharks fan. Pic Brett Costello

The RLPA is also interested to see what measures Cronulla take before Monday week’s next home game against ­Melbourne.

Sharks skipper Paul Gallen was no longer taking any chances at home games, and had security escort him from the car park to the sheds.

SEARCH FOR CEO COST THE WORLD

WE can reveal the true cost of the “worldwide” search for a new CEO — between $200,000 and $250,000. That is how much the NRL’s preferred recruitment agency, Signium International, will charge to hunt down the right candidate. And guess what?

The man they were chasing was sitting down the corridor: Todd Greenberg. One club CEO said: “They will argue they needed a test of the worldwide market. That shows to me they didn’t have any faith in Todd.”

FLANAGAN THE OLD CHAIR MAN

CRONULLA are always on the lookout for a bargain. Sharks coach Shane Flanagan saw some old cinema chairs (pictured) were being thrown out from Hoyts Eastgardens. Flanagan grabbed the stray chairs which are now being used in Cronulla’s player and media area.

Cronulla’s player and media room has been fitted out with old cinema chairs.

A NEW GIG FOR ROSE

PREMIERSHIP prop George Rose has popped up at the Tigers — the Oberon Tigers, that is, in the Group 10 competition.

The former Manly, Melbourne and St George Illawarra cult hero has surfaced in the state’s central west, where he plans to pack down with his brothers Matt and Trent.

BILLY’S SHIRE HELP

BILLY Slater was spotted in the Shire at the start of the week. But he wasn’t sussing out any potential deals with Cronulla. He was booked in for a fresh bout of shoulder surgery at Kareena Private Hospital.

NINE HOPES RABS NOT RETIRING TYPE

CHANNEL 9 is holding internal talks about luring legendary Ray Warren back next season. “Rabs” has suggested this will be his final season calling rugby league — but we’re not so sure.

Warren has another year remaining on his Nine deal and station execs are working hard to bring him in for one final season.

Nine is more than aware it needs Warren in its footy ratings war with Fox Sports.

Warren admitted recently that retirement “scares” him.

Originally published as More players get away with making contact with referees during a game