Latest news with #ShaneElford
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Footage exposes second Panthers trainer incident as ‘up yours to the NRL'
Footage has emerged of a second incident involving a Panthers trainer on the weekend, which has been described as an 'up yours to the NRL'. Penrith have been fined $50,000 and trainer Corey Bocking banned for five matches for interfering with a Gold Coast Titans conversion attempt last weekend. Bocking ran directly across the path of Titans kicker Jayden Campbell, who was attempting a conversion in Saturday's match. Campbell had to furiously compose himself and ultimately missed the conversion before Nathan Cleary sent the game into extra time with a long-range field goal. The Panthers won the match thanks to a Blaize Talagi golden point try which cost the Titans two crucial points in their bid to avoid the wooden spoon. Now new footage has surfaced of Panthers blue shirt trainer Shane Elford staying on the field and barking instructions for a lengthy period late in Penrith's 30-26 win. Elford can be seen in backplay for the duration of the fifth tackle as Penrith advanced the ball, even directing the Panthers to set up Cleary for a two-point drop goal from the 40-metre line. Watch the second Panthers trainer incident in the video above Paul Crawley said on NRL 360 on Tuesday night: 'He stayed on for every tackle and stayed on for tackle five as Nathan's lined up for the field goal. 'He's finally got to the sideline right at the end, and he hasn't stopped giving his messages the whole way. This is minutes after (the conversion incident). 'You know what this is? This is an up yours, a stuff you to the NRL rules. They couldn't care less what the rules are. It shows the arrogance of their trainers at the moment. 'The NRL's response is it's up to the ground manager to enforce this. But if the ground manager misses it, bloody enforce it afterwards.' NRL 360 co-host Braith Anasta said: 'You can see here Shane is trying to set them up for this field goal, watch him point back to the 40-metre line. 'He's trying to get them in position. Nathan Cleary doesn't need Shane Elford. It's unnecessary. They (Penrith) are overplaying it. 'But it's not so much the Panthers' fault, it's the NRL's. It's obviously happening in other games.' Rugby league journalist Andrew Webster said: 'Don't you reckon you could identify moments like that numerous times in a game?' Crawley said: 'It probably does, but it shouldn't.' Elford is the same trainer who came under fire for covertly spraying water on a ball before a Penrith kick off earlier this season. NRL blue shirt trainers are allowed to enter the field during any stoppage, as well as to 'run messages' three times per half. They must be off the field after the fourth tackle. Gorden Tallis said: 'Are we watching Under-8s, or are we watching NRL.' 'Why is he on the field? He's going to run on unless we change the rules and say you're not allowed on unless someone's injured.' 'Most clubs would do it, so let's just change the rules. 'They're just better at it. It's like when everyone was whingeing about the wrestling. Melbourne were just better at it.' Webster added: 'But the trainer going in front of the conversion, you don't see that every day. That's next level disruption.' Anasta asked: 'Do you think we'll see a crackdown now?' Crawley replied: 'It doesn't need to be a crackdown, just follow the rules.' Speaking on Tuesday, Titans hooker Sam Verrills was still fuming about the conversion incident and question Ivan Cleary's claim that trainer running in front of Campbell made an 'honest mistake'. 'I don't know what sort of trainer just runs in front of a person who's trying to kick the goal, I've never seen that,' Verrills said. 'We were up by two, five minutes to go, I don't know why a trainer will just run in front of him. 'He's come out and said he didn't mean it, but it looked pretty obvious.' The NRL confirmed the heavy sanction for Bocking's act came as a result of 'previous breaches by Penrith Panthers trainers'. Tallis said on NRL 360: 'If they win the grand final, the $50,000 is nothing.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Calls for NRL rule change after second Panthers trainer involved in alleged breach
A second Panthers trainer is facing scrutiny over a passage of play in the lead-up to Nathan Cleary's game-levelling field goal against the Titans, sparkling calls for the NRL to implement an immediate rule change. Penrith have already been dealt a blow after their golden point triumph over Gold Coast, with the club copping a whopping $50,000 fine and trainer Corey Bocking slapped with a five-game ban for running in front of Titans playmaker Jayden Campbell before he took a shot at goal. But a second incident involving one of Penrith's trainers has since come to light, with vision showing Shane Elford appearing to flout NRL rules in the lead-up to Cleary's two-point field goal that sent the game into extra time. NRL 360 ran the footage on Tuesday night's program which showed Elford - wearing his blue trainers top - running instructions to Panthers players right up until the decisive kick after the fifth tackle. The NRL's rules state that blue shirt trainers must be off the field after the fourth tackle, meaning he shouldn't have been out there in the first place. The rules also state that the trainers are only allowed on the field during stoppages, or to run messages to the team a maximum three times per half. But Elford - who caused uproar earlier this year after being caught spraying the ball with water before a kick-off - seemed to violate those rules on Saturday. The fresh incident led to an explosive debate on Tuesday night's NRL 360 program, with veteran league journalist Paul Crawley describing Elford's actions as 'an up yours' to the NRL rules. 'This is Shane Elford out on the field, the Panthers trainer,' Crawley said as they rolled the vision of the incident. 'They've got to be off by tackle four. And he's stayed on for every tackle, and stayed on for tackle five as Nathan's lined up for the field goal." "This is a stuff you to the NRL rules. They couldn't care less what the rules are."Paul Crawley discusses another instance of the Panthers trainer stretching the rules.📺 Watch #NRL360 on @Foxtel CH 502 or stream on @kayosports: — Fox League (@FOXNRL) August 5, 2025 The panel noted that Elford was even seen waving players into position and trying to direct them around the park, seconds before Cleary's field goal. The fact the incident came moments after Penrith's other trainer Bocking ran in front of Campbell before his shot at goal, left Crawley an incredulous Crawley demanding action from the NRL. 'He's finally got to the sideline right at the end and he hasn't stopped giving his messages the whole way. So this is minutes after (the Bocking incident)," Crawley continued. 'You know what this is?' This is an up yours, a stuff you, to the NRL rules. They couldn't care less what the rules are. 'So the NRL's response to this is that it's up to the ground manager to enforce this but if the ground manager misses it, bloody enforce it afterwards. It shows the arrogance of their trainers at the moment.' RELATED: Eels rocked as third player from grand final team 'requests release' Stunning news about Latrell Mitchell as Bennett axing divides NRL hits Wests Tigers player with fine over 'offensive' gesture Veteran commentator Andrew Voss also expressed his outrage, and called on the NRL to implement a rule change around trainers that would eliminate many of the issues and frustrations from fans. "Can we bring in a rule when a team passes 50 (halfway line), the trainer must get off the field?" Voss posed on SEN radio on Wednesday morning. "They don't need to be there after that. No one needs water and only in the case of an injury. The NRL need to make this change today." NRL explains Penrith's huge sanction after latest trainer drama Elford was fined $10,000 earlier this season after being caught squirting water on the ball during a clash with North Queensland. And it's the repeated infractions from Penrith's trainers that led the NRL to slap the club with such a heavy sanction for Bocking's offence. NRL CEO Andrew Abdo revealed it was the sixth offence from a Panthers trainer in five seasons, with Bocking banned until the finals series. The $50,000 fine was also Penrith's single biggest up-front sanction since they breached Covid biosecurity measures. Penrith have claimed Bocking's actions were an honest mistake but Titans player and most fans are refusing to buy that explanation. And the NRL CEO admitted it had no bearing on their sanctions anyway. "The breach of the rules is not a consideration of whether someone is doing something intentionally or not and we're not questioning the integrity of the club," he said. "This is a simple rule and that rule has been broken, whether it was by accident or not, it's a breach." It not a stuff you to the NRL because the NRL allows them to do it. When you know that there will be no consequences you are going to do whatever you want. Penref know this which is why they will continue to push the envelope — Rabbitoh Robert (@RabbitohRobert) August 5, 2025 This huge pet peeve of mine and it's not panthers specific. Every single club has this especially the bigger clubs and it drives me crazy — Limas (@0xLimas) August 5, 2025 This shouldn't be allowed, but trying to single out Penrith is laughable, literally every team does this. Alfie was famous for it… — Tim (@Tim_Tam98_) August 5, 2025
RNZ News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
NRL clubs face fines for ball-squirting trainers
Penrith Panthers players. Photo: photosport Two National Rugby League teams are facing A$10,000 ($NZ10,900) fines as punishment for on-pitch trainers dousing the ball with water from drinks bottles to make it harder to catch during a match in Townsville last weekend. Reigning champions Penrith Panthers and North Queensland Cowboys were locked up at 30-30 last Saturday after the regulation 80 minutes, sending the game into "golden point" extra time. Panthers trainer Shane Elford, who also serves as the club's general manager of football, was spotted by the referee squirting the ball with liquid from a drinks bottle before his team kicked off the first extra period. Another ball was brought onto the field, but it later transpired that home trainer Mitch Dunn had been spotted by officials doing the same thing before another kickoff during extra time. The NRL on Friday served the clubs breach notices, giving them five days to respond or accept the fines along with two-game bans for the offending trainers. "During the match, trainers from both clubs were observed squirting liquid onto the football prior to kick restarts of play, in contravention of the NRL Rules," the league said in a statement. "The NRL has ... reminded all clubs about the limitations of the roles of trainers on match days." In the event, neither team was able to score during the additional 10 minutes and the match finished in a draw, a relative rarity in the league since sudden-death extra time was introduced in 2003. - Reuters
The Star
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Rugby League-NRL clubs face fines for ball-squirting trainers
SYDNEY (Reuters) -Two National Rugby League teams are facing A$10,000 ($6,431) fines as punishment for on-pitch trainers dousing the ball with water from drinks bottles to make it harder to catch during a match in Townsville last weekend. Reigning champions Penrith Panthers and North Queensland Cowboys were locked up at 30-30 last Saturday after the regulation 80 minutes, sending the game into "golden point" extra time. Panthers trainer Shane Elford, who also serves as the club's general manager of football, was spotted by the referee squirting the ball with liquid from a drinks bottle before his team kicked off the first extra period. Another ball was brought onto the field but it later transpired that home trainer Mitch Dunn had been spotted by officials doing the same thing before another kickoff during extra time. The NRL on Friday served the clubs breach notices, giving them five days to respond or accept the fines along with two-game bans for the offending trainers. "During the match, trainers from both clubs were observed squirting liquid onto the football prior to kick restarts of play, in contravention of the NRL Rules," the league said in a statement. "The NRL has ... reminded all clubs about the limitations of the roles of trainers on match days." In the event, neither team was able to score during the additional 10 minutes and the match finished in a draw, a relative rarity in the league since sudden-death extra time was introduced in 2003. ($1 = 1.5550 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
News.com.au
12-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Explosive twist in ball tampering controversy as Cowboys caught out
The NRL's ball tampering controversy has taken a fresh turn with the North Queensland Cowboys being caught out. The footage came to light on Monday afternoon in the wake of Penrith's trainer being sprung spraying the ball with liquid from a water bottle before the opening period of golden point. Viral footage showed the Steeden was left dripping wet after Shane Elford twice sprayed the ball before handing it to fullback Dylan Edwards to kick-off. Cowboys coach Todd Payten told Code Sports his coaching staff noticed Elford doing the same thing throughout the match. But now CODE Sports has revealed footage showing Cowboys trainer Mitchell Dunn doing the same thing as Elford ahead of a kick-off. After being handed the ball by referee Todd Smith, Dunn turns and appears to spray the ball with a water bottle before handing it off. Dunn however was busted by Smith who yelled at the trainer for what he had just done. 'Hang on, hang on, no, no, no, no, no, nup, nup, give me the ball. You're not doing that. No way, get another footy, another football,' Smith says. 'He squirted it with water.' The irritated referee then kicks the ball to the sidelines before requesting a new ball to get the second period of golden point underway. 'I need a ball,' Smith reiterated. 'He squirted the ball with water. C'mon.' has contacted the Cowboys regarding the footage. The twist comes after Penrith's trainer copped plenty of criticism with Fox League commentator Andrew Voss saying trainers shouldn't be anywhere near the ball. 'Trainers, don't touch our balls,' Voss said on SEN's Vossy & Brandy show. 'Under no circumstance should trainers be touching the balls. It's a bit odd and it's a really quick fix.' Voss asked: 'When the ball is caught by the player, is any of the water still on the ball after it's flown through the air?' Panthers legend and board member Greg Alexander replied: 'I'm going to say not much (water).' Voss added: 'Maybe its more of an act of stupidity than cheating? The science of it might actually dismiss it as an act of futility that achieves absolutely nothing. 'I think he (Elford) should be fined.' Alexander agreed: 'It doesn't look good.'
