Panthers coach Ivan Cleary was fuming at a controversial missed penalty that could have seen Penrith kick a match winning penalty goal in his side’s 30-30 golden point draw with the Cowboys.
With scores locked at 30-30 with a minute and a half to play in regulation time, a Panthers kick appeared to hit Scott Drinkwater on the foot before falling to John Bateman in an off-side position.
The referee ruled play on, but a penalty goal would have given Nathan Cleary a kick from 30 metres out to ice the win.
The Panthers then missed a late field goal opportunity to force golden point and both sides came up empty in the field goal shootout in extra time.
Cleary senior was blunt in his reply when asked about the crucial non-call post match.
“Yeah he was off-side,” Cleary said.
“It was obvious.”
Cleary was pressed on whether the referees put their whistles away late in close games.
“I just want to see them make the calls they should,” Cleary said.
“I think there was at least three kick-pressure penalties we should have got tonight as well. Just no-brainers.
“So that’s disappointing, but there are a lot of other calls throughout the game, but obviously it hurts a bit more when you see one you could have won the game with that was just so obvious.”
However, Cleary was more disappointed his side couldn’t ice the game after being up by 12 twice.
“I was disappointed we didn’t win because we were up 12 twice in the game and whenever that happens you are a little bit disappointed,” Cleary said.
“I feel like that has been the weekend we have had and the way the game goes a bit these days, but honestly I thought we should have closed it out in the second half.
“But having said that once it was 30-30 I think we did well to not lose.”