The NRL has come out swinging in defence of referee Peter Gough over the controversial hair-pulling incident involving Jarome Luai, insisting players shouldn’t expect to have their locks grabbed because they grow it long.
As debate rages over whether the Knights were hard done by when Tyson Frizell was penalised for grabbing Luai’s hair in the golden point loss to the Panthers, NRL head of football Graham Annesley said Gough was in a “no-win situation”.
Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien and Frizell fumed at the call in the post-match press conference, but Annesley referred to an angle in which the experienced referee viewed the incident.
Another lateral shot from the other side showed Frizell with a fistful of Luai’s jumper, as well as hair, as he tried to collar the NSW five-eighth from behind.
“I don’t know what the referee could have done,” Annesley said. “The referee is in a no-win position here, an absolute no-win position.
“The referee ignores what he sees there he’s accused of allowing a player to pull another player’s hair. He’s not the only player in the competition with long hair.
Tyson Frizell and Jarome Luai hair pull.Credit: FoxSports
“We’ve got the NRLW competition this year. It would be ridiculous for us to say, ‘well, if you’ve got long hair you’ve got to expect it to be pulled at some point’. Is it possible players can get their hair pulled accidentally? Yeah, of course.
“It’s a really difficult one for the administration of the game and a difficult one for the referees on the field because they only act on what they see. I know my explanation is not going to satisfy Newcastle or their fans, but I just don’t know what else the referee could have done in that situation.”
The match review committee didn’t charge Frizell for the offence, while O’Brien steamed he would instruct his players to grow their hair if it would induce penalties.
There have been 15 players who have been charged in the last five years for hair-pulling incidents, but Eels centre Waqa Blake was free to play in last year’s grand final despite grabbing Luciano Leilua’s locks in the preliminary final.
On the Luai drama, Annesley said: “From the referee’s perspective, all he sees is what he thinks is a player being tackled by the hair. He has no option but to respond to that.”
Meanwhile, the NRL has told clubs it will still be allowed to sign players from rival teams just four rounds out from the finals, paving the way for premiership contenders to pillage stars from teams out of contention for the top eight.
Despite howls of protest after Tigers winger David Nofoaluma left the wooden spooners to join the injury-ravaged Storm late in last year’s regular season, the NRL is unlikely to budge on its contentious system unless an agreement is struck in the collective bargaining agreement.
Clubs will have until August 7 to finalise transfers for the rest of this season, which will be just a month out from the end of the regular season.
Nofoaluma’s short-term deal saved the Tigers salary cap space during a miserable wooden spoon season, while helping the Storm bolster their title hopes.
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