Penrith Panthers have defended the actions of trainer Corey Bocking after the NRL proposed huge penalties for a controversial incident at the climax of Saturday’s clash against the Gold Coast.
Bocking ran in front of Titans halfback Jayden Campbell during the kicker’s preparations for a conversion attempt which would have made the Titans’ lead four points with less than seven minutes to go.
Campbell’s ensuing miss left the door open for a late two-point drop goal from Nathan Cleary to send the game to golden point. The Panthers finished 30-26 winners.
The NRL issued a breach notice to the Panthers on Monday, proposing to suspend Bocking for five matches and demanding the club pay a $50,000 fine.
The club has five days to formally respond, but issued a statement on Monday seeking to explain Bocking’s error.
“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,” it said.
“The circumstances involved a late change and in-the-moment confusion, but we understand that does not excuse the outcome.”
The NRL alleges Bocking “unnecessarily interfered with and distracted” Campbell as he was attempting a conversion kick in breach of the NRL operations manual and code of conduct.
It also noted the proposed penalty “takes into account previous breaches by Penrith Panthers trainers”.
Another Panthers trainer was banned for a week in May after squirting a ball with water during a match.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said after the game it was an “honest mistake” and both Hocking and club had apologised.
“He’s just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Cleary said, explaining he had just changed his mind on an interchange and Bocking was involved in the confusion.
Titans coach Des Hasler said he had to be “careful” about his choice of words, but ultimately said the incident probably didn’t cost his side the game.
Bocking will miss the rest of the regular season if the club accepts the breach notice as the Panthers chase a place in the top four in their bid for a fifth-straight premiership.
Meanwhile, players from Wests Tigers, who surprised Canterbury-Bankstown on Sunday in a 28-14 upset, are also being investigated by the NRL after they made hand gestures considered offensive in Arab cultures after scoring a second half try.
17% of the population of the Bankstown area has a Lebanese background according to the 2021 ABS Census, and the club hosts an Iftar event with fans each year.
