The Panthers have laughed off an official Rabbitohs complaint about the number of times one of their trainers enters the field, saying “we’ve got no interest in it at all” and asking why it’s “such a fuss”.
As Penrith and South Sydney zero in on Sunday’s grand final in Brisbane, the tense subplot playing out between the two clubs took another twist when, according to a News Corp report, the Rabbitohs sent an email to NRL head of football Graham Annesley.
The report claims South Sydney alleged Penrith trainer Hayden Knowles had entered the field 13 times during the Panthers’ preliminary final win over the Storm.
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Trainers are allowed to take to the field three times per half when their team is in possession of the ball, while moments in the game like tries and dropouts are also opportunities for a trainer to make their way onto the pitch.
The reported email follows the feud that played out between Penrith coach Ivan Cleary and South Sydney mentor Wayne Bennett before and after their qualifying final clash, in which Cleary accused his counterpart of trying to “manipulate” the referees.
Panthers chief executive Brian Fletcher has responded to the report of the Rabbitohs’ email, dismissing South Sydney’s approach as they strive to redeem themselves from last year’s grand final defeat to Melbourne.
“We’re talking about a bloke in a blue shirt, and we’re worried about winning the prize, not a bloke who is running on the field,” Fletcher said.
“We’ve got not interest in it at all. Why is it such a fuss?
“We’ve got our eyes on the big prize and we’ve got to do everything we can to give it our best shot.
“(Panthers general manager) Matt Cameron has spoken to (Knowles) to make sure he doesn’t break the rules, but he’s an experienced trainer who has done State of Origin.
“How can you tell what effect he has by being on there? How many times has (Broncos trainer) Allan Langer been on the field?
“It’s not going to bother us.”
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The Panthers had found themselves embroiled in a separate trainer drama only two weeks before their qualifying final against the Storm, after trainer Pete Green hurtled onto the field and forced referee Ashley Klein to stop play in Penrith’s semi-final win over Parramatta.
The move was in response to Mitch Kenny falling to ground injured in back play, but Green called for play to be stopped before assessing the bench hooker, which is adverse to NRL rules.
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It may have also cost the Eels a chance to win back the lead, with Parramatta being forced to halt while attacking Penrith’s try-line in the dying minutes, trailing 8-6.
The NRL hit the Panthers with a $25,000 fine and Green was suspended from his trainer duties for the remainder of the season.
The tension between the Panthers and Rabbitohs has remained high during grand final week despite Cleary’s decision to not engage in a war of words with Bennett.
Cleary said during his post-match press conference after Penrith’s preliminary final win over Melbourne that he would avoid clashing with the master coach this week.
“I’ll be doing what I’m good at and staying in the background,” Cleary said.
Cleary has featured in two grand finals as a coach and lost both.
The Warriors lost to the Sea Eagles 24-10 in the 2011 grand final and the Panthers fell to the Storm 26-20 in last year’s decider.