LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
Penrith Panthers have incurred a substantial fine of $50,000 and will be without trainer Corey Bocking for the duration of the NRL finals due to a significant error made during their recent victory over the Gold Coast Titans.
The incident occurred when Gold Coast's Jayden Campbell missed a conversion kick, after which Nathan Cleary scored a two-point field goal to push the match into extra time. Subsequently, Blaize Talagi sealed the game for Penrith with a decisive try.
On Monday, the NRL issued a serious breach notice to the Panthers, citing the team's past issues with trainer misconduct as a factor in the penalty.
Bocking will face a suspension for the final five matches of the regular season, and the club is required to pay a fine that is five times the amount of their previous penalty.
"It is alleged the trainer unnecessarily interfered with and distracted Gold Coast Titans player Jayden Campbell as he was attempting a conversion kick, in breach of the NRL operations manual and NRL code of conduct," an NRL statement said.
"The proposed penalty takes into account previous breaches by Penrith Panthers trainers."
"The NRL rules permitting club trainers onto the field will be monitored and strictly enforced by the NRL."