Benji Marshall fumes at match officials and claims he 'feels sorry for his players' as Nathan Cleary's Panthers have the last laugh against Jarome Luai's Wests Tigers

A seething Benji Marshall admitted he 'felt sorry' for his players, as he fumed at referees for two controversial calls against star man Jarome Luai, following his side's 18-14 defeat by Penrith.
Nathan Cleary 's side had the last laugh over their former five-eighth, Luai, as they leapfrogged the Tigers to go one point clear of them in the NRL ladder.
Luai had a mixed reunion with the Panthers, playing a hand in all of the Tigers' three tries but gifting Penrith penalties ahead of two game-defining scores in Sunday's second half at CommBank Stadium.
After the teams were locked at 10-10 at halftime, Cleary kicked for goal to put Penrith ahead after Luai tackled Penrith's new five-eighth Blaize Talagi.
The four-time reigning premiers later scored off an escort penalty, conceded by Luai.
Sat next to the Tigers' five-eighth, Marshall unloaded on referees, appearing to claim they were too involved in the contest.
'I thought it was one of our best performances of the year,' the Tigers boss said, reflecting on the loss.
'We're playing against quality opposition that play at a really good level.
'They test you with their attack. Probably got the best kicking game in the competition. And we went toe to toe with them. And I honestly thought we were the better side tonight.
'The game is so hard and demanding. And I actually feel sorry for our players because they didn't actually get to decide tonight.
'I thought two calls, the first one on Jarome, on last, making a tackle. I thought it was outrageous. That decision took them to 12-10.
'And the second one, he got done for an escort, which I thought was bad too. And then they scored off the back of that set. Just let them decide. Let them play.
'The game is actually hard enough. So I'm proud of our boys and proud of the effort. And we'll keep fighting and turning up like that the way we did tonight and keep improving.'
On reflection on the escort penalty, Marshall said he would be taking his concerns up with the NRL.
'Absolutely,' he said, when asked whether he'd get in touch with the league.
He again affirmed that the escort penalty was the 'wrong call'.
'I agree with protecting the kickers, but he didn't take his legs out. They didn't put him in a dangerous position. It was simultaneous when he kicked it and he made contact there. Like, that's not a penalty.
'I'm all for protecting kickers. Don't get me wrong. OK, I just I thought it was the wrong call. And I thought it actually cost us because we're in a cycle there where they got field position, kicked the goal, got the ball back, went down, got a penalty and then scored, so anyway, I've had my rant.'
Luai, meanwhile, was a little more reserved in his comments.
'I think the ref gave me the explanation of it was a bit careless. So, I understand the rules and in that moment, you know, I understood what I was doing. He's just in the rules.'
But interestingly, that was when Marshall quickly interjected, saying: 'He's saying he doesn't want to make any comments.'
Despite the contentious penalty, the Tigers' co-captain almost helped his team to victory in the final 10 minutes when Jack Bird regathered his bomb close to the line and offloaded to Jahream Bula.
But a miraculous cover tackle from Scott Sorensen and Nathan Cleary stopped the fullback inches short of the line and the Panthers held on.
Marking the Tigers' other ex-Panther in Sunia Turuva, left winger Tom Jenkins scored his first hat-trick in a win that keeps Penrith's mid-season resurgence humming.
An away clash against the Warriors is set to prove a litmus test in a fortnight, with Penrith only able to lose four more games this season to finish with a 50 per cent winning record.
Three-time reigning wooden spooners the Tigers head into their bye on a four-game losing streak that threatens to undo their improved start to the season.
Jenkins completed his hat-trick, crossing just after Luai was cited for collecting Liam Martin on a kick chase.
But Luai had been involved in everything the Tigers did well in a better first half for Benji Marshall's side.
He first put boot to ball from his non-preferred right foot ahead of Starford To'a's try before again swinging to the right side as the Tigers shifted for Turuva to score.
The 28-year-old was at the centre of another memorable moment early in the second half, flooring opposite man and long-term teammate Cleary in a bone-crunching one-on-one tackle.
In his first game back from a hamstring injury, Jeral Skelton gave the Tigers a sniff with 10 minutes to play as Luai and Adam Doueihi found him on the left wing.
But for a second consecutive week, the Panthers rediscovered their gritty best to hit their second bye in form.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Telegraph

an hour ago

• Telegraph

How Lions will counter jet lag to avoid repeat of 2017 fiasco

The first major challenge the British and Irish Lions will face when they touch down in Perth on Sunday will be overcoming jet lag. Eight years ago, the squad landed in Auckland just three days before their opening game against the New Zealand Barbarians in Whangarei, and some players were struggling so badly that they fell asleep on the bus to the game. This time the Lions management team is determined to minimise the sleep disruption caused by travelling across seven time zones, which according to the latest science, can take up to 10 days to recover from. The Lions face the Western Force in Perth six days after they land. The Lions party of 91 players, coaches, support staff and executives will each be given a personal plan devised by their sports scientists, Graeme Close, the head of performance nutrition, and Ben Pollard, a strength and conditioning coach, all overseen by Aled Walters, the head of athletic performance. The Lions have also partnered with sleep specialists Resmed for the tour. 'The sleep and jet-lag plans are a critical aspect of how well we hit the ground running in Australia,' says Walters. 'Everyone will expect the performance in Perth. No one will think 'but that was probably due to jet lag'. So that's why what these guys have done is critical.' The first thing in the Lions' favour is that the last game before departure (Friday's loss to Argentina in Dublin) was eight days before their first tour game, unlike 2017 when players were involved in the Premiership and United Rugby Championship finals the previous weekend and the squad did not depart for New Zealand until the Monday. 'What we know from the science is that it typically takes a day and a half to adjust per time zone,' Close says. 'But what we can do is put the science into it and we can get that done in about three to four days. So if we get everything right, we can be completely adapted, ready to rip in for game one.'

The Guardian

2 hours ago

• The Guardian

Bulldogs forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan opens up on mental health struggles and hitting ‘rock bottom'

The Western Bulldogs forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has opened up about his mental health struggles for the first time since taking a leave of absence, saying there were times he 'didn't want to leave the house'. The former No 1 draft pick is hoping to make his AFL comeback after recently visiting a health retreat in northern New South Wales. Ugle-Hagan has not played this season but rejoined Bulldogs teammates earlier this week for the first time since April. He revealed the extent of his struggles while speaking with former AFL players Mitch Robinson and Rhys Mathieson on their Rip Through It podcast, saying he had battled with suicidal thoughts. 'All the noises actually sent me to a rehab facility for my mental health,' Ugle-Hagan said. 'It got to a point where I had to give my car to a mate, so I couldn't drive – I just didn't trust myself driving. 'There were times when I would think about, to be honest with you, [it is] just not even worth living. 'I went through a struggle where I didn't want to leave the house. I hit rock bottom and found basement … suicidal thoughts would come pretty frequently.' Ugle-Hagan said he turned to alcohol at the height of his struggles before spending time at the health retreat. 'When you are down, you want to keep finding an upper,' Ugle-Hagan said. 'My upper was probably staying and hanging out with my mates and getting on the piss, and training with them as well. 'But it just had no end goal. I didn't have a game. I didn't have anything. 'My mental health wasn't in the right space, so I was struggling, and I found it really tough to even enjoy football.' Ugle-Hagan had been unable to regularly train with the Dogs since late last year. He took part in a light training session at Whitten Oval, but could still be weeks away from a possible comeback at VFL level. The AFL would need to approve Ugle-Hagan's comeback because he has been under the league's mental health plan since taking leave. But Ugle-Hagan, who is contracted to the Bulldogs until the end of next season, said he was focused on resuming his 67-game AFL career. The Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge last week raised that same prospect. 'I want to play footy. I can't wait to play footy,' Ugle-Hagan said. Sign up to From the Pocket: AFL Weekly Jonathan Horn brings expert analysis on the week's biggest AFL stories after newsletter promotion 'I have been watching every single Bulldogs game. I have been supporting them. 'I will go to games at the end of the year. I genuinely want to play one more (game), I want to play some games. 'It's going to be grouse.' Ugle-Hagan maintained his commitment to the Bulldogs after trade speculation linked him with a possible trade to the Sydney Swans, given his time spent in NSW. He led the Bulldogs with a career-best 43 goals in 22 appearances last year, but has not featured at any level since the elimination final defeat to Hawthorn. Beveridge has also swatted away suggestions Ugle-Hagan could be on the move, declaring him 'our player'. 'I'm obviously still contracted with the Doggies and I still want to play for them and I want to win a flag,' Ugle-Hagan said. 'It's the Bulldogs until my contract runs out and then hopefully they offer me ­another one, but we will see how we go. 'They have given me opportunities since day dot, so why can't I get back?' – with Australian Associated Press In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Other international suicide helplines can be found at

Daily Mail​

2 hours ago

• Daily Mail​

Newcastle Knights star Fletcher Sharpe hospitalised with lacerated kidney following concussion

Newcastle star Fletcher Sharpe has been diagnosed with a lacerated kidney after being admitted to hospital in Perth. Sharpe reported abdominal soreness after suffering a concussion in the Knights' 26-20 win over the Dolphins in Perth on Saturday. It is understood he suffered the damage in the same tackle as the concussion, when his body hit the ground hard when brought down from behind. The five-eighth has since been taken to hospital, and is set to remain in Western Australia for several days as he deals with the issue. Sharpe would already have missed Friday night's clash with Canberra due to concussion issues. The Knights have a bye the following week. Newcastle do not yet have a timeline on how much longer they expect the 21-year-old to miss. Sharpe has been one of Newcastle's best threats this year, scoring 11 tries and setting up another three in a side that has the worst attacking record in the NRL. Newcastle have several back-up options in the halves, with Tyson Gamble available again and Jackson Hastings having returned to the NRL against Manly this month. Elsewhere, there are fears Dolphins winger Jack Bostock suffered a dreaded ACL rupture in the Perth match. The potentially season-ending injury comes just a week after the flyer scored four tries against North Queensland last Saturday. The Warriors are also waiting on scans on halfback Luke Metcalf's quad and winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak's ankle after their loss to Penrith. Watene-Zelezniak is expected to be sidelined for some time with a syndesmosis injury, but the fourth-placed club hold some hope that Metcalf's is not serious.