NRL: Cleary wants word with top ref

Warriors coach Ivan Cleary

Coach Ivan Cleary is "bewildered" that the New Zealand Warriors will get the same National Rugby League referees for two weeks in a row.

Cleary also said today that he was planning to talk to NRL referees coach Robert Finch to clarify issues from the Warriors' defeat to Penrith last weekend.

That match was controlled by Gavin Badger and Brett Suttor, who will again be in the middle when the Warriors are away to defending premiers Melbourne on Sunday.

"I'm a little bit bewildered by that one," Cleary said of getting the same referees in successive matches.

"I'm not sure that's happened too often in the past.

"That's going to make me speak to the referees boss about a few things this week. I was a little confused about some aspects of the game last week and, having the same referees, I would certainly want to clear up a couple of things."

Cleary had been critical of Badger and Suttor immediately after the loss to the Panthers, whom he felt had been given too much latitude in slowing the play-the-ball.

He said today that what Penrith got away with was probably one reason for the Warriors' slow start.

"I felt probably one aspect of our poor start at the weekend was that the Penrith got the jump on the referees in terms of the rhythm that they got into and how long they could hold us down," he said.

"By the second half, I just think they couldn't stop, otherwise they would have been penalising the whole game."

Cleary believed that Badger and Suttor's uncertainty was something Penrith skipper Petero Civoniceva exploited.

"Petero is pretty good with the refs and I think he had some fair control over the weekend."

Cleary also said he believed there was too much inconsistency and differences in refereeing styles in the NRL.

His criticisms come in a season in which referees have been under spotlight more than usual.

Already this week, Ben Cummins and Gerard Sutton have been stood down for their performance in Parramatta's win South Sydney, which included Cummins incorrectly sinbinning Parramatta and former Kiwi skipper Nathan Cayless.

- NZPA