The head of the team that sponsors the Warriors’ naming rights has charged that NRL referees are biased against the team.
Decisions made against the club have been referred to as “cheating of the highest order” by one New Zealand chief executive, Jason Paris. Two of the Warriors’ players were sin-binned in their 18-6 loss to the Penrith Panthers on Saturday in Brisbane.
The Warriors’ naming-rights sponsor, One NZ, is where Paris vented his anger with the officials’ calls on Twitter throughout the game.
“Are you kidding me?” he wrote. To what extent are the referees and the @NRL bunker biased against the @NZWarriors? Do they stand to lose any money? It feels like they want us to play with 12 players and we are always up against 14.
In response to a fan who expressed similar feelings, Paris continued, saying, “It’s so ridiculously frustrating.” Just picture the team’s reaction—three games in eleven days, and then this garbage. The height of dishonesty.
When questioned about Paris’ remarks by the Herald, the NRL declined to comment. Following the game, Warriors coach Andrew Webster made a joke about how disappointed he was with the officials’ performance and that he would speak his mind if the media helped cover any potential fine.
Webster declared, “I’m going to take a hat around and get you guys to pay for my fine.” “I’ll give you all whatever you want if you want to chip in.
” Webster was not pleased with Demitric Sifakula’s suspension for pushing Nathan Cleary and the Panthers’ lack of action for hits that required a head injury evaluation for Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
Webster remarked, “I feel like the Demitric guy is pushing him in the face, like his hand is open.
” Nathan’s expression changes, but it seems as though someone is trying to shove him before he disappears into the trash.
