Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson unloaded on the referees after Penrith spectacularly sent the minor premiers spinning into a sudden-death fight to keep their NRL title defence alive.
Robinson accused Jared Maxwell and Henry Perenara of being off the finals pace after the Roosters’ dramatic 19-18 loss at Allianz Stadium.
While stressing that Penrith were the deserved winners, Robinson was most unhappy with the 24 stoppages for scrums and penalties – 7-5 to Penrith – and downright furious that Roosters forward Remi Casty was denied a second-half try and pinged for double movement instead.
The premiers were leading 12-4 at the time and could have jumped 14 points clear had Casty been awarded a try next to the posts.
Instead, Penrith centre Dean Whare scored two minutes later to narrow the deficit to two points.
“That was a try. You can’t miss a try in semi-finals. You go upstairs. We went upstairs for everything (so) you go upstairs for that,” Robinson said.
“Penrith won the game and won the game fair and square but that wasn’t good enough.”
Robinson admitted the Roosters “were a bit all over the shop” and lost their nerve in the finals pressure cooker, but felt the whistle blowers did too.
“I thought the referees were off again tonight,” he said.
“I didn’t think they were up to the performance either. This was semi-finals. They kept missing the opportunity to keep this game going.
“We had that many stoppages in the game, it wasn’t semi-finals.
“They needed to lift their game there and those two weren’t ready for that tonight.”
The disgruntled coach was particularly peeved that the referees stopped play to allow Penrith hooker James Segeyaro to be treated for cramp while allowing the action to continue when James Maloney was down with an ankle injury that forced the Roosters playmaker off the field.
“They were poor,” Robinson said.
“Too many stoppages, too many poor calls. Henry Perenara was talking a lot about us, never mentioned Penrith. That was poor from Henry.
“Penrith needs to be the focus, but that wasn’t good enough.
“We don’t stop for cramps. That’s what semi-finals are. Semi-finals are keep playing footy – you can’t stop for a cramp.
“That’s what our game’s about. Play on. You want attrition in the game.”
Roosters captain Anthony Minichiello, supposedly celebrating his 300th first grade game, said at one point he actually took issue with the referees about all the stoppages.
“And they agreed with me.”
