A Penrith trainer faces a season-long suspension, another has been warned, and the club has been fined $25,000 for interrupting play during last Saturday night’s 8-6 loss to Parramatta.
When the event occurred, the Eels were on the attack in the last minutes of the semi-final.
The NRL has issued a breach notice to the Panthers, proposing penalties against the club and their orange shirt trainer Pete Green, who would be barred from visiting the field of play and sidelines for the balance of the 2021 season due to an alleged violation of the game’s operations handbook.
According to the manual, a head trainer can only stop play after determining that a doctor is required to enter the field of play.
Green, on the other hand, is accused of telling a touch judge from the sidelines to suspend the game in the 76th minute after interchange forward Mitch Kenny injured his ankle.
The NRL has also warned Penrith’s blue shirt trainer for his role in the strike.
The Panthers must react to the breach notice within five business days. A interim suspension is in effect until the club responds.
After the breach warning was issued on Tuesday, Penrith players told the media that Green was just concerned about Kenny’s well-being.
They assured, however, that Green’s absence on the pitch would not have an impact on the team’s performance in Saturday’s preliminary final versus Melbourne.
“Mitch was in a bit of distress there, he looked in quite a lot of pain, so I thought Greenie was just trying to look after our player as best he could and that was getting the game stopped,” fullback Dylan Edwards said.
“Because you never know what could happen in rugby league; the ball could spill back and he could be in the way there and he wasn’t in a real good state to move.”
Five-eighth Jarome Luai said the team would be comfortable facing the Storm at Suncorp Stadium no matter who fills Green’s void.
