The NRL has handed Penrith its biggest up-front fine since COVID-19 bubble breaches, ordering the Panthers to pay $50,000 and lose trainer Corey Bocking until the finals over a controversial incident from the win over Gold Coast.
Gold Coast halfback Jayden Campbell was incensed when Bocking ran in front of him just as he was lining up for a sideline conversion that could have given the Titans a four-point lead in the final minutes on Saturday.
After Campbell missed the shot, Nathan Cleary kicked a two-point field goal that sent the game to extra time, where Blaize Talagi broke the Titans’ hearts with the match-winning try.
On Monday, the NRL hit the Panthers with a hefty breach notice that factored in the four-time reigning premiers’ history of trainer misconduct.
Bocking will be suspended for the Panthers’ last five games of the regular season, with the club also needing to pay $50,000.
It is the single biggest sum handed down by the NRL as an up-front fine since Cronulla’s Josh Dugan was docked $50,000 for his second COVID-19 biosecurity breach in 2021.
The NRL has slapped the Penrith Panthers with a huge fine and has suspended trainer Corey Bocking (pictured) until after finals, after a bizarre incident occurred during their match vs the Titans
Bocking (right) opted to run in front of Gold Coast halfback Jayden Campbell (left), as he attempted to take a kick at goal during the Titans’ game against Penrith on Saturday
The game’s only larger fines since then have come from clubs directly to players rather than from the league itself.
‘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.’
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said at full-time that Bocking made ‘an honest mistake’ and had been running to the bench to communicate a late change in substitutions.
The club released a statement on Monday afternoon doubling down on this claim.
‘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,’ said a Panthers spokesperson.
‘The circumstances involved a late change and in-the-moment confusion, but we understand that does not excuse the outcome.’
AAP has been told Penrith are likely to accept the sanctions, which includes an eye-watering $50,000 fine, as they aim for nine consecutive wins against Newcastle this Friday.
Campbell (pictured) missed the shot before Nathan Cleary kicked a two-point field goal that sent the game to extra time
The Panthers would go on to win the match, with Blaize Talagi touching down to score the match-winning try
AAP has been told Penrith are likely to accept the sanctions as they aim for nine consecutive wins against Newcastle this Friday.
The NRL reviews all its rules at the end of each season but currently there are no firm plans to change rules to reward teams that are on the receiving end of similar incidents.
The breach comes as the Panthers await news on co-captain Isaah Yeo, who hurt his right shoulder earlier in the win over Gold Coast.
The superstar lock initially played through the pain of his injury but was taken from the field with 30 minutes to play and went for scans on return to Sydney on Sunday afternoon.
Earlier in the season, Penrith were fined $10,000 after trainer Shane Elford squirted water on the ball during a match against North Queensland, who were also fined as their trainer Mitch Dunn did the same thing.
The NRL memorably also fined Penrith $25,000 in 2021 when a trainer requested the semi-final against Parramatta be stopped so he could attend to an injured Mitch Kenny in the final minutes.
The Eels had been on the attack at the time and chasing a potentially game-winning try but had their momentum stifled by the stoppage, which was found to have occurred without Green performing a mandatory initial assessment on Kenny.
The Panthers held on to win the game and eliminate the Eels from finals contention but lost Green to suspension as they went on to win the 2021 grand final.
