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SYDNEY - The NRL has hit Penrith and South Sydney with breach notices proposing A$10,000 ($11,300) fines for each club over their coaches' criticism of refereeing.
NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley said yesterday that comments by Penrith coach Matt Elliott and Souths counterpart Jason Taylor in post-match media conferences breached guidelines which forbid attacks on the integrity of a referee and accusations of bias.
The NRL took issue with statements made by Elliott after his team's loss to the Sydney Roosters on Saturday, in particular: "They got it wrong, but the rules don't apply evenly to Penrith."
The breach notice to South Sydney relates to Taylor's comments after their Friday loss to Manly.
It cited his quotes: "I feel like when we went to Melbourne and we came to Manly tonight, the referee comes here thinking that Souths aren't going to beat Manly, Souths aren't going to beat Melbourne, because that's not how its supposed to go. I just feel like were getting a tough deal at the moment."
Annesley said the NRL had clear guidelines in relation to coaches commenting on referees that allow every opportunity to question and even criticise individual decisions or a general refereeing performance.
"These guidelines expressly forbid coaches, officials, or players attacking the integrity of a referee or accusing them of bias," he said.
"It's hard to think of a more fundamental attack on a referee's integrity than the suggestion that he went into the match with a pre-conceived idea about which team should win or be penalised.
"Referees have to be prepared to accept criticism in relation to their decisions but they shouldn't have to put up with people questioning their impartiality."
The clubs have five working days to respond to the breach notices.
* Paul Gallen's hopes of a State of Origin call up are still alive after he was yesterday charged with a grade one careless high tackle.
The Cronulla backrower has been strongly tipped to be chosen for the first time in the 2007 series when the NSW selectors name their team next week for the third Origin match at Suncorp on July 4.
Those hopes were in doubt when Gallen was put on report for a high shot on Warriors winger Patrick Ah Van in the Sharks' NRL loss on Saturday night.
A two-match ban would have put him out of Origin contention. However, the grade one charge means Gallen is now facing only a one match ban, whether or not he takes the early guilty plea.
-AAP
