LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
Penrith officials are firm in their belief that trainer Corey Bocking made an "honest mistake," despite receiving a hefty five-match suspension and the club being fined a significant $50,000. This penalty was imposed after an incident in which Bocking interfered with a Gold Coast Titans conversion attempt during last weekend's match.
On Monday, the NRL announced this unexpected punishment, which stems from "previous breaches by Penrith Panthers trainers." In the incident, Bocking ran directly across the path of Titans kicker Jayden Campbell as he was preparing for the conversion.
This disruption forced Campbell to collect himself urgently, ultimately resulting in a missed conversion. Shortly after, Nathan Cleary tied the game with a long-range field goal, sending it into extra time.
The Panthers secured their victory with a golden point try from Blaize Talagi, a result that cost the Titans two crucial points in their fight against the wooden spoon.
While Penrith has five days to respond to the notice, they quickly rallied to defend Bocking following the NRL's announcement regarding the breach. A club statement affirmed, "The club is adamant that the actions of the trainer were an honest mistake and there was no intent to breach the rules or gain an advantage. The trainer immediately apologised upon realising the error."