Todd Payten, under pressure and navigating a challenging season start, has made a significant disclosure regarding a conversation with referees, suggesting a noteworthy directive from the NRL.
Amid growing scrutiny on the Cowboys, Payten has shifted the focus to the officials, revealing that referees are reportedly being instructed to seize control of matches almost right away-especially during the initial 15 minutes.
This revelation certainly clarifies many situations.
"I had some dialogue with the referees through the week, and they've been given directives to stamp their authority on the game in the first 15 minutes, with setting the tone, with the speed of the ruck, and what they want," Payten stated on Friday.
He added, "We saw that in the game last week, and we saw it again last night. I think it's going to be a little bit of an adjustment for the competition at the moment with the new rule changes and how it's going to be officiated, but we've been told."
This critical insight sheds light on the surge of early penalties, set restarts, and sin bins observed so far this season.
In fact, the Cowboys faced a sin bin last week against the same opponents within the first 10 minutes, following a string of infringements on their line.
By intensifying enforcement in the early stages, referees are effectively controlling the trajectory of the game.
As defensive fatigue sets in sooner, discipline weakens, and competition dynamics can quickly change, often resulting in unbalanced scorelines.