‘What the point?': Legend slams NRL
An email was sent to all 17 clubs before the season warning coaches, players and officials to not criticise referees after matches, while head office also got rid of Graham Annesley's weekly briefing in a bid to remove the focus on the men and women making big calls in games.
While it's doing a great job protecting the referees, it's leaving fans frustrated that they can't hear the thoughts of coaches after a game when they're asked about crucial decisions.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart blew up in round 3 over what he thought was a lopsided penalty count against his side, while several coaches held back over the weekend when asked about major calls.
The Melbourne Storm had a try chalked off by the Bunker after Eli Katoa was adjudged to have knocked on 👀📺 Watch #NRLDragonsStorm on ch.502 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/KoIi3sZZVO✍️ BLOG https://t.co/ZJTL4pG32I🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/l776xwby7qpic.twitter.com/ytnxU0CoPm
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) March 29, 2025
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary was very diplomatic when asked about the decision to disallow what appeared to be a try to Moses Leota that killed off his side's momentum against Souths, while Melbourne's Craig Bellamy and Harry Grant clearly thought Eliesa Katoa scored against the Dragons that would have given them the lead in a tight contest.
Benji Marshall was unhappy with the decision to award the Warriors a late penalty that they converted to win the game by two points, with the Wests Tigers coach unwilling to expand on his thoughts because he didn't want to be sanctioned.
'You were watching the game, you write whatever you think,' Marshall said after Sunday's narrow loss.
'I don't want to do what Ricky (Stuart) did and risk getting fined and talk about the ref because we're not allowed to, so I won't bring it up.
'I don't think we are (allowed to talk about decisions). There's nothing more to say, if you were there watching you know.'
With coaches muzzled and the NRL unwilling to weigh in on controversial calls, Parker feels that fans are being short-changed and left without important answers about potentially match-changing decisions.
The Warriors hit the front late on, thanks to a penalty goal from Metcalf! 📺 Watch #NRLTigersWarriors on ch.502 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/Dx1WPhI1YM✍️ BLOG https://t.co/u62zd1uZzT🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/W9J707ASPPpic.twitter.com/iCAfxT37Cj
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) March 30, 2025
'The journos have a role to play. If they jump up and down and make such a fuss in and around some of the decisions that are made, the lack of explanations and the high shots that have been let go, the NRL will then feel compelled to give the fans (answers),' the former lock forward said on SENQ.
'The fans are the ones that need answers, or do we not need answers? And then you just move forward? Does no one want to hear from a referee that Leota was a try or wasn't a try?
'Does no one want to hear from the referees boss that (Selwyn) Cobbo's foot wasn't out when he tried to bat a ball back in from a 40/20 attempt?
'I think we do need to hear, and the fans are given that right. They pay their hard-earned money to go and watch a game of football, and they're not getting some of the answers they need.
'On the flip side, they front up and get given these questions thrown at them when they're emotional after a win or loss, and they've got to be tight-lipped and can't say anything.
'You're dealing with some really smart individuals, and essentially, they're not saying a thing, so what's the point of having press conferences?'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Broncos rake the best in NRL with no deal for 2026
Brisbane hooker Cory Paix has all the tools of the trade on and off the field to be a huge success, but right now he has a baby on the way and his contract status is in limbo. The 25-year-old carpenter will start at No.9 away to Newcastle on Sunday as the best rake in the NRL still without a deal for 2026. The door is not shut at the Broncos. Coach Michael Maguire would like to keep Paix, but salary-cap space is tight and there is no offer on the table. There was a glimpse of an opportunity at North Queensland, but that closed when Canterbury's Reed Mahoney signed for next year. The Dolphins and Gold Coast have no spots available, and with his partner expecting a child soon, Sydney and Super League are not options. "Nothing to report on just yet," Paix said when asked about his next contract. "My manager's working tirelessly around all that, and that stuff will sort itself out in October. "I've put my sole focus into looking after my wife during this process, and I've got to say it's been pretty smooth from my end." Staying at the Broncos for 2026 is still his hope. "Absolutely. I wanted to be here for life, but sometimes in life you don't get what you want," Paix said. "My sole focus is playing my brand of footy to help suit the team and get us across the line." Paix could have left the club last year and taken up an opportunity elsewhere, but has no regrets about staying and fighting to get his spot back. "The way I've been brought up, once you sign a deal you honour it. I am really proud of myself for doing that," he said. "I wanted to prove myself and I wanted to be at this great club. I still do. There's no place I'd rather be." Paix was out of the team for a month when Ben Hunt switched to hooker, but with Hunt now at No.7 he received a lifeline in last week's 38-28 win over the Dolphins. The sixth-placed Broncos have won nine of the 12 games when Paix has started, where his 97 per cent tackle efficiency has tightened the middle defence. Watch all the highlights as the Broncos take on the Dolphins in Round 24! 🎥 — NRL (@NRL) August 16, 2025 His mental strength is a forte and why he was able to cope with being left out. "I've been in that position plenty of times before, so I knew what was in front of me. I had to go away and work hard," Paix said. "It was nice to put the jersey back on again. It's always special. "We've got so much in front of us and we just want to put in a really good performance down in Newcastle." Paix is fully ticketed as a carpenter and still works on his days off. "I've been doing it for 10 years and I'm really proud I've stuck at it. A day off for me is unheard of," he said. "I like getting out to the work site and networking with people and helping myself improve in that space, because footy doesn't last forever."
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Manly's message to fans as DCE braces for mixed reception in final home games
Manly officials hope love – not hate – will be in the air as angry fans threaten to disrupt two major Daly Cherry-Evans events over the closing weeks of the NRL season. The club's most-capped player will celebrate his 350th game in the NRL when he runs out against the Dolphins at 4 Pines Park on Saturday afternoon. Thirteen days later against the Warriors, Cherry-Evans will make his final appearance in maroon and white before either departing for the Roosters or retiring from the competition. Both home games will be played against a backdrop of drama and acrimony. Cherry-Evans' decision to quit the Sea Eagles – announced on Channel Nine just three weeks into the season - has not gone down well with many Manly fans. While they initially backed their captain, that support has dwindled in recent months as the Sea Eagles' season headed south. RELATED: Legend's message to Jake Trbojevic amid worrying fallout at Manly Family first as Cameron Smith makes major career decision Fans' telling response after Channel 9's divisive post-game move They have won just seven games since his shock announcement and are currently on a four-game losing streak that has all but ended their top eight hopes. Manly fans are at war with each other, with half calling for the captain's axing and the other half arguing he should be given a send-off commensurate with his service to the club over 15 years. There are fears the anti-Cherry-Evans brigade will make their feelings known loudest during his final two home games – or boycott the matches in protest. But Sea Eagles CEO Tony Mestrov is confident supporters will give their captain the farewell he deserves. He told Yahoo Sport Australia: "Daly is our most-capped player and a premiership winner and I'm sure fans will want to show their appreciation for his contribution over many years. To play 350 games is a remarkable achievement and is to be applauded. The crowds at 4 Pines have been great all year and we'd love to see big numbers attend our final two home games." Superfan Stephen Lucas, whose 'Guess what? Manly hates you too' banner is well known to league supporters, is also calling for unity. "If some so-called fans boycott those games, it just means there will be more room for the real fans and less d***heads at the games," he said. "It will be sad saying goodbye to DCE. I wish he wasn't going but in saying that he has his reasons and I wish him the best whatever he chooses to do. I am glad I got to see him play so many games for Manly and hope he goes out on a high note."
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Brave Munro credits late mother for fighting spirit
Tyrone Munro has credited his late mother for instilling the "undying passion" for rugby league that has guided him through a year of personal tragedy and professional setbacks. It was almost a year ago that Munro won the hearts of the NRL world by playing for South Sydney during a week of devastation off the field. Only 19 at the time, the winger bravely put his hand up to play against NRL powerhouse Penrith just two days after losing his mother Kirawhan Fernando, and on the same day he lost his uncle Raymond Caldwell. After the twin tragedies, Munro looked set to finally become a regular first-grader at South Sydney in 2025 following a wretched run of injuries. But in round one, Munro fractured his collarbone for a third time in little more than a year, so has gone on to play only 10 of a possible 22 games. Through it all, it has been the wisdom of his late mother that has kept Munro going. "At the end of the day, whatever's happening to my life, that's on me. It's not on anyone else. I don't sit around and wait for people to message me and see how I'm feeling," he told AAP. "Regardless of how I'm feeling, I'm going to get up and I'm going to do what I'm going to do. "I proved that last year when I went through that tragic time, because I love this sport, I've got a passion for it. It's an undying passion. "My mum probably instilled that in me." It was Munro's mother who had encouraged him on the first steps of his professional rugby league journey, which began with a first-grade debut at only 18 in 2023. He still carries her words with him today. "She told me to chase your dreams and make sure you do everything to protect those dreams. The sky's the limit," Munro said. The speedy 20-year-old reiterated the extent of his potential in the Rabbitohs' 20-16 defeat of Parramatta on Saturday night. Munro scored the first try of the gutsy win, and defensively dominated his much more seasoned opposite man Josh Addo-Carr all night. MUNRO SAYS NO 🖐Telstra Moment of the Match — NRL (@NRL) August 16, 2025 Squaring off with a fellow Indigenous flyer was a fitting way for Gomeroi man Munro to celebrate the first Indigenous Round clash of his young career. "It's probably something I'm going to remember for the rest of my life," he said. "It was pretty emotional for me, I've got a lot of love and respect for 'Foxx' (Addo-Carr). "He took me under his wing when I was coming through the reps and stuff, when I was coming through (junior grades) Harold Matts and SG Ball." The curtain is beginning to come down on an injury-ravaged season for Souths, who mercifully appear to have dodged the wooden spoon with Saturday's win. Munro, who has played 17 first-grade games, hopes 2026 can finally be the year he plays a full season as a starting winger for the club he loves. "That's the goal," he said. "But I've just got to execute it when I get an opportunity. "There's still a lot more that I need to prove to myself, not to anyone else. I just keep it humble, keep working hard and let my footy do the talking." 13YARN 13 92 76
