LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
Adam O'Brien, coach of the Newcastle Knights, has let loose on the refereeing decisions made during their clash against the Cronulla Sharks in the Shire.
O'Brien expressed his frustration with referee Gerard Sutton and his team, after a loss that likely dashes the Knights' hopes of making it to the finals.
The Knights faced a blow early on when Phoenix Crossland was sin-binned for multiple infringements, leaving them a man down for ten minutes.
O'Brien questioned the fairness of the call in comparison to other similar incidents, challenging anyone who thought Sutton's decision was justified.
"I'd be surprised if anyone thought that was fair.
We had three penalties in the half, one for being offside at a scrum and one for slowing the ruck down.
Then, on the third one, a player gets sent to the bin.
Is that the standard now? I haven't seen that all year.
We're fighting to stay in the competition, and we get hit with that? Honestly," O'Brien vented during the post-match press conference.
"I've seen teams given multiple warnings for infringements on their own tryline, and then they might get a final warning before a sin-bin.
He sent the player off on the third penalty.
It's just absurd."
O'Brien's frustration with the refereeing decisions was evident, as he used some strong words to describe his disappointment with the outcome.
Time will tell if the Knights can bounce back from this setback and keep their finals hopes alive, as they look ahead to their next challenge.