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NRL to look into Penrith trainer as sanction looms
Scott Bailey, AAP • August 3rd, 2025 2:36 pm
Gold Coast's Jayden Campbell missed a shot at goal after being interrupted by a Penrith trainer | Photo: Dave Hunt/AAP
The NRL must decide whether to suspend or fine the Penrith trainer who ran in front of Jayden Campbell before he missed a crucial conversion on the Gold Coast.
An apologetic Penrith remained adamant on Sunday that the incident had been an accident, with absolutely no intent or malice late in the Panthers' 30-26 win.
The NRL will review the matter on Monday, as it does all in-game football issues, before a breach notice is expected to be handed down to the Panthers.
There is a precedent for trainers to be suspended from matches, including Penrith's Shane Elford and North Queensland's Mitchell Dunn for squirting water on a ball earlier this year.
League bosses will decide on Monday whether fellow Panthers trainer Corey Bocking faces the same fate following Saturday's matter.
After Gold Coast had scored to go ahead 26-24 with five minutes remaining, Bocking ran directly in front of Campbell after the Titans half had lined up his kick.
That prompted Campbell to have to go through his routine again, before missing the shot from the sideline that would have put the Titans four points up.
Nathan Cleary then nailed a superb two-point field goal to send the match to golden point for Penrith, before the Panthers won it with a Blaize Talagi try.
"Did it cost us the game? I don't know," Titans coach Des Hasler said of the trainer's actions.
"He will get breached. That's the only thing that's going to come out of it."
Penrith insisted afterwards the matter had been a mix-up, caused by confusion over an interchange.
That prompted the Panthers to call Bocking back to their bench to change which player was coming off the field, leading to him running in front of Campbell.
"He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We had a sub and I changed it at the last minute," Penrith coach Ivan Cleary said.
"He was trying to communicate with the bench for a late change. There's a lot of stuff going on.
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary said the trainer made an honest mistake and had apologised immediately | Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
"That's why there was a bit of confusion. It was an honest mistake. He apologised straight away.
"I'm happy to say we've apologised. It's not something anyone set out to do."
In 2021, Penrith physio Peter Green was suspended for incorrectly stopping play late in a semi-final win over Parramatta.
The most recent instance of a trainer being sanctioned for interrupting a kick was in 2022, when the Eels were fined for one disrupting Cleary.
On that occasion Stephen Murphy ran from the Eels huddle and under the posts as Cleary attempted a sideline conversion.
Meanwhile, the Panthers are also sweating on scans on star lock Isaah Yeo's shoulder and Luron Patea's collarbone, set for Sunday afternoon.
Yeo was hurt in the first half, and despite playing on the Kangaroos captain finished the game on the sidelines.
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