First take: Dodgy discipline costs Chiefs

Poor discipline proved costly for the Chiefs. Photo / Getty

Rebels 16
Chiefs 15

We've respected the discipline of the Chiefs and admired the way they have gone about their business.

They've been confident enough to regularly tinker with their selections and have not been afraid to mix up their choices. Marty McKenzie made a great job at first five eighths when asked to replaced Aaron Cruden before Andrew Horrell got a shot against the Rebels.

However the Chiefs will be frustrated by their game tonight which frayed at the edges with some uncharacteristic indiscretions in Melbourne.

Coaches Dave Rennie, Tom Coventry and Andrew Strawbridge demand discipline even under provocation and there were plenty of frayed edges amongst the Chiefs latest production.

Hika Elliot was fortunate to get a warning for a chop on an opponent especially after he was suspended earlier this season for a similar violation.

Then captain Liam Messam, who'd been allowed to talk to his troops about their unruliness, had a try rubbed out because he was offside ahead of the kicker.

More red mist arrived when James Lowe was sin-binned for kneeing an opponent in what really was just an exasperated brush because he was being held illegally.

The Chiefs kept their cool when Nic Stirzaker scored and had a tough second half to repair their frustrations. They almost made it until Messam was sin-binned for illegally defending his line.