Angry Warriors coach Stephen Kearney called for the stripping rule to be “pissed off” after watching his side lose an NRL thriller to Parramatta.
The Warriors, who dropped to 12th after the 24-22 defeat, hung in until the end despite being on the wrong end of a 9-2 penalty count at Bankwest Stadium on Saturday.
They came close to going ahead with less than four minutes remaining when inspirational captain and fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck sent Gerard Beale clear only for his flick pass to be judged marginally forward by the on field officials.
But Kearney seemed more upset about the referees interpretation of the stripping rule after a couple of calls went against the Warriors, including one in the lead-up to an Eels try.
“The strip rule … if they can’t adjudicate it on properly go back to normal just leave it alone,” Kearney said.
“If they can’t get it right, which was pretty comprehensive today that they couldn’t, just leave it as it was.
“If you can’t t rule on it and you can’t make a decision on it, just piss it off, fair dinkum.”
Kearney foreshadowed more officiating problems leading into the finals.
“I think there will be decisions that cost clubs in the next few weeks, given it’s a very tight competition,” he said.
Fullback Clint Gutherson, playmaker Mitchell Moses and winger Mika Sivo were all prominent behind a strong metre-gaining pack as Parramatta solidified a place in the top eight.
“The majority of our wins have been a bit pretty, it was nice to have a grind and dig in,” said Parramatta coach Brad Arthur after the Eels sixth win in seven games at their new home.
“It was a touch ugly at times but that’s the style of footy we need to find when the going is tough.”
Moses broke an 18-18 tie with a 54th minute penalty awarded for a grapple tackle from Lachlan Burr, who was placed on report.
Halfback Moses then gathered a hard pass that bounced off his chest into his grasp and made a long break down the right before producing a perfect stab kick which bounced perfectly for Gutherson.
The Warriors got within two when winger Ken Maumalo crossed for his second try on the hour to draw level with joint try-scoring leader Sivo on 14.
The contest got off to sensational start with five tries and 30 points in the first 24 minutes.
Sivo’s burst and brutal fends of Beale and Blake Ayshford earned him his first NRL try assist in setting up Brad Taikarangi to head the highlight reel.
The Warriors led 18-12 at the break but Sivo got the Eels back on track in the with a 46th minute try.
Meanwhile, Warriors hooker Issac Luke faces an anxious wait after joining Burr on report late in the second half for a lifting tackle on five-eighth Dylan Brown.
