The NRL will examine comments from three-time premiership-winning coach Ivan Cleary after he delivered a stinging rebuke of the Bunker following Penrith’s win to qualify for a fifth straight grand final.
In an explosive start to grand final week, NRL bosses have asked for a transcript of Cleary’s press conference after he labelled a decision not to award the Panthers a second-half try due to an obstruction call as “terrible”, and said the prospect of similar scenario unfolding in the grand final made him “anxious”.
But according to sources speaking on the condition of anonymity not allowed to discuss the matter publicly, it’s Cleary’s concession he hoped senior Bunker official Chris Butler wasn’t appointed to the grand final which has raised most concern.
Cleary quickly retracted the comment on Saturday night and said: “I shouldn’t say that”. But the NRL is expected to take a dim view of the subject anyway.
No coach has been fined this year for criticising match officials.
Wayne Bennett brought the issue to a head after the Dolphins were denied a try due to an obstruction decision in their round-27 loss to the Knights, with Cleary lending his support to the game’s most decorated coach.
Ivan Cleary is not happy with the Bunker’s interpretations.Credit: Getty Images
A candid Cleary is not known as a coach who frequently raises the issue of match officials – and rarely discusses the issue in his weekly media commitments – but he took the extraordinary step of venting after the Panthers set up a grand final showdown with the Storm.
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