Panther’s trainer Ivan Cleary was fined $ 20,000 by the NRL after claiming Saturday night that the umpires “got” the Raiders back into their competition.
After his team’s win over Canberra, he said, “It felt like they were being brought back into the game. That’s all I can say … some really weird calls.”
Andrew Abdo, CEO of NRL, said he received a breach notice for questioning the integrity of NRL officials.
Abdo said there was no place in the game for public comment of that kind.
“I am disappointed that someone in a leadership position on our game has made comments that question the integrity of our officials,” he said on Monday.
“Our leaders should be professional and set the standard for our game.
“Comments like this will not be tolerated. The basis of our competition is their integrity, and Ivan’s comments have undermined that.
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“Sometimes our officials, like the players, make mistakes during the game. Everyone has a right to their opinion on these individual decisions, but we will not accept the integrity of the officials we interviewed.”
“Every Monday we stream live a football briefing in which every controversial decision is explained. Our office is as open and transparent as possible.
“Ivan’s comments have been disappointing, inconsistent with the standards we adhere to and will not be tolerated.”
