Sam Kasiano is penalised by referee Matt Cecchin. Photo / Getty Images
Sam Kasiano is penalised by referee Matt Cecchin. Photo / Getty Images
Cronulla have upset Melbourne 14-4 in one of the most dour affairs of the NRL season, marred by a massive penalty count.
The Sharks rattled the premiers from start to finish but the wash-up will centre on referees Matt Cecchin and Alan Shortall who blew 30 penalties.
On another three occasions Storm players were marched 10 metres for backchat. The game will place further scrutiny on NRL CEO Todd Greenberg and referees boss Bernie Sutton and their crackdown on infringements.
Added pressure has been thrown Greenberg's way after NRL Immortal Andrew Johns posted to his Instagram page and stated he was "waiting for a response" from the boss.
Johns wasn't alone with his criticism of the current state of the game as channel 9 commentator Paul Vautin also couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"What's going on with our game? They're bewildered, the whole rugby league world is bewildered as to what's going on with the great game of rugby league," Vautin said.
"I can understand penalties for infringements but they're really nitpicking and going hard at everything and it's just wrong.
"I feel very privileged to have the job that I have which is to commentate on rugby league and come and watch rugby league, tonight what I saw was so disappointing by giving, I think it was 32 penalties, and no one enjoyed it.
The game was a stop-start affair with the Storm failing to cross for a try despite the home side giving away 14 penalties.
Both sides were frustrated by persistent whistleblowing and referee Cecchin finally ran out of patience when he sin-binned Storm skipper Cameron Smith for dissent.
Cameron Smith is sinbinned during the round four NRL match against the Cronulla Sharks. Photo / Getty Images
Smith was last year mockingly labelled "referee Cameron Smith" by Sharks coach Shane Flanagan and the 13,196-strong crowd was whipped into a frenzy when he was banished to the sheds for back chat.
Channel 9 commentator and legend of the game Phil Gould said the pressure to blow the whistle came from the CEO.
"He was easily the best referee in the game because he had the lowest penalty count," Gould said.
"He got criticised regularly because his penalty counts weren't up with everyone else's.
"With this edict which has come from the CEO of the game … the edict that's come from Todd Greenberg, why it's come I don't know.
"Tonight it got to the point where (Cecchin said), 'I'm going to keep blowing this and blowing this and blowing this until it blows up,' and it has blown up tonight.
Valentine Holmes runs the ball. Photo / Getty Images
Centre Will Chambers was also put on report for a grapple tackle late in the game.
The Sharks ran out winners after a try-less second half with three Chad Townsend penalty goals and a Joe Stimson penalty goal the only times the scoreboard attendant was bothered during the second stanza.
The Sharks went to half time up 8-2 despite having Luke Lewis sin-binned for 10 minutes midway through the first-half and being on the end of a 10-5 penalty count in the first 40.
Backlash surrounding the constant blowing of the whistle came in thick and fast with fans of the game growing increasingly angry about the state of the league.
"I don't know what's going on."
"Put somebody in the sin bin. You can't keep blowing penalties without sin binning players," Fox Sports commentator Warren Smith proclaimed.
"The players and the referees both need to sort this out," Braith Anasta added.
Cameron Smith of the Storm looks on after the round four game against the Cronulla Sharks. Photo / Getty Images
The only try of the game came when Jesse Ramien showed incredible pace to get on the outside of Curtis Scott and Josh Addo-Carr and popped a flick pass for Edrick Lee.
The Sharks were without strike weapons Matt Moylan (knee) and Josh Dugan (leg) but showed strong defensive resolve to keep the Storm try-less and collect the win.
After the game Melbourne Storm head coach Craig Bellamy refused to be drawn into the matter, repeatedly saying he was more concerned with his team's lacklustre performance than that of the referees.
"That's the way it is at the moment and we haven't adapted to it.
"It was a frustrating game to watch but for me it was more frustrating because of the way we played."
NRL's hottest topic rears its ugly head on Good Friday
Brandon Burns scores a try. Photo / Getty Images
Robert Jennings and Moses Mbye both left the field after a sickening collision five minutes into the Rabbitohs' Good Friday clash against the Bulldogs in Sydney.
Souths centre Jennings pinned his ears back and headed for the corner as he searched for the opening try of the match. Canterbury's defence came across in cover and three players successfully bundled the outside back into touch, but not without some damage.
Fullback Mbye was part of the desperate trio and his head slammed into Jennings' melon, causing both players to go down.
They lay on their backs holding their heads in agony as medical staff rushed onto the field.
Play was stopped for several minutes as the victims were assessed and a stretcher came out.
Mbye was the first to sit up, revealing his neck was covered in blood. He was taken from the field and Jennings followed soon after.
Bulldogs and Rabbitohs players exchange words. Photo / Getty Images
It was later revealed Jennings had passed his Head Injury Assessment (HIA) and was cleared to return but Mbye was ruled out for the remainder of the match.
It was a devastating blow for the Bulldogs, who were up 14-6 at halftime. Mbye has been a revelation for the side since shifting from the halves and at times acting hooker to fullback this season.
There was drama too in the second half when Rabbitohs prop Sam Burgess knocked Josh Morris down as his elbow collected with the centre's throat. The crowd erupted and Burgess was put on report.
"ANZ stadium is about to explode," Fox Sports commentator Michael Ennis said.
That gave the Dogs the ball in prime field position but they were unable to cross the stripe as the referees blew penalty after penalty while Souths defended their line — often illegally.
The amount of penalties being blown has been the hottest topic so far this season and Penrith legend Ryan Girdler was sick of it.
"This is out of control. I think we are going to see fans walk out of the stadium because of the referees," Girdler said in commentary for Triple M on the hour mark.
The Rabbitohs celebrate after scoring a try. Photo / Getty Images
Souths scored twice in the final five minutes to claim a controversial four-point win as more refereeing decisions became talking points.
The Rabbitohs were trailing 16-10 at ANZ Stadium when Hymel Hunt crossed in the 75th minute to give the home side a sniff.
Rookie playmaker Adam Doueihi thought he blew a chance to force golden point when he missed the tricky conversion but Cameron Murray sliced through two minutes later to stun the crowd of 32,471.
But the Bulldogs are certain to feel aggrieved over a contentious first-half try to Greg Inglis that forced lead referee Ben Cummins to apologise to captain Josh Jackson.
Cummins pulled Jackson out in the 34th minute to warn him over repeated penalties inside their 20m line, but allowed play to resume despite the forward still moving back into the defensive line.
Damien Cook and team mates thank fans after winning their round four game against the Bulldogs. Photo / Getty Images
The Rabbitohs spread the ball on the first play and Inglis powered over a retreating Jackson to cut a 12-0 deficit to six, with Cummins apologising to the Bulldogs skipper.
"I'm sorry Josh, I didn't realise," he was heard saying after the try.
The Bulldogs wasted no time showing their resiliency, posting first points when Brett Morris tapped a Jeremy Marshall-King kick back into the path of looping brother Josh a minute later.
With Mbye injured, Foran took over the kicking duties and applied some reverse swing on a sideline conversion that any cricket team would be proud of. The Rabbitohs blew a chance to hit back when Burgess ran around brother Thomas on his way to the tryline, and the Bulldogs brothers made them pay not long after.
A blindside run by Will Hopoate ended in Brett finding space along the touchline and the veteran winger again found his twin for his third try in two weeks. Incredibly, Foran's conversion from in front this time when under the crossbar.
South Sydney eventually got one back but only after taking advantage of a retreating Jackson following his conversation with the referee for repeated infringements.
