Ricky Stuart slams NRL bunker, claims refs are 'petrified'

Referee Gavin Reynolds speaks to Jarrod Croker of the Raiders. Photo / Getty

Canberra coach Ricky Stuart has blown up about the NRL bunker failing to penalise Penrith for setting up a wall that led to Peter Wallace's game-winning field goal.

Wallace nailed a 25 metre field goal in the 79th minute of their 19-18 win over the Raiders in Bathurst.

Referee Gavin Reynolds awarded the one-pointer, but called on the bunker to adjudicate whether Raiders forward Paul Vaughan was impeded from marker to chase down the attempt.

Review official Luke Patten stood by Reynolds' decision, explaining that there was enough space for Vaughan to run through to put pressure on Wallace.

Stuart saw it differently.

"There's a new rule this year in place where you're not allowed to have blockers to impede a player that's chasing down the kicker of a field goal. We had a player who was impeded by two blockers," he said.

The Raiders coach was also upset with the referees for missing Panthers rake James Segeyaro being offside on his chargedown of Aidan Sezer's attempt in the dying moments of the match.

"I didn't see him onside. I saw him offside," he said.

Stuart said he felt for the officials, who he believed lack the courage to penalise teams at the death.

"The referees should've actually went and ruled on what they seen, and set it up to the bloke up here," he said.

"We're really pushing them into the corner, the poor referees. I feel sorry for them because they're that nervous and that petrified of making a decision, the poor buggers."

Stuart also said that he prepared his team to face a Penrith side whose every game this year has gone down to the wire, but was frustrated that the game was decided by what he claimed was a wrong call.

"We should've kicked our field goal, I agree with that. But theirs wasn't a field goal," he said.

- AAP