Paul Kent has called on Panthers trainers Pete Green and Shane Elford to be banned from the grand final after a series of incidents proved they have overstepped the mark in their on-field roles.
Green had to be separated form Souths star Cody Walker after he defended teammate Jed Cartwright over a sledge from Green about his back in the preliminary final.
However, it has been revealed that was not an isolated incident as Panthers trainers have form in altercations with opposition players and influencing the game outside the rules.
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James Hooper revealed the background to the Cartwright-Green incident shows how badly the Penrith trainer overstepped the mark.
“The Cartwright surname is synonymous with Penrith,” Hooper said on NRL 360.
“Merv was the founder of the club. John won premierships with the club. Bryce played for the club and Jed was at Penrith and he had a number of injury issues when he was at the club.
“He had a broken back. He had disc issues in his lower back.
“This trainer Pete Green treated Jed as the physio at the time.”
Paul Kent blasted Green for having a go at a former Penrith player on the field over an injury that he himself treated him for during his time at the Panthers.
“He had a go at him on the weekend over something to do with his back, which is just well out of line,” Kent said.
“He was treating him for a medical condition as the physio and then was sledging him about it during the game.
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“And as John Cartwright says, a player shouldn’t have to cop a sledge off some bloke running a water bottle.”
Phil Rothfield noted the Cartwright incident was not a first for Green, who has a history over pushing the limits of his role on the field.
“Particularly given importantly the guy has got form,” Rothfield said.
“He did it last year. He was involved in the drama last year.”
James Hooper explained it was Green who stopped play to attend to Mitch Kenny when the Eels were hot on attack in their 8-6 loss to the Panthers that knocked them out of the 2022 finals series.
“You can see Mitch Kenny lying down on the ground grabbing his ankle,” Hooper said.
“This was week two of the finals last year. Parramatta are flying on the attack, but Pete Green calls for the game to be stopped, so that he can attend to Mitch Kenny in back play.
“The Eels were furious at the time.”
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Kent explained that it is against the rules for a trainer to stop play unless an injured player is in danger and labelled Green’s actions cynical.
“There was a five minute break in the game,” Kent said.
“It should never have happened. Under the rules a trainer can only stop play if a player is in danger.
“Given he was clearly behind play at the time, he breached the rules. Unless he needed medical treatment to get off the field.
“Even with an HIA he is not in any danger, but it was a cynical play.
“He doesn’t even see the player Mitch Kenny on the ground before he was calling out to the referee to stop the game.
“It was such a cynical play and then he goes and has a look at him. It was so poor. They should have fixed it.
“This guy copped a wrap over the knuckles for it. He should just be out of this week straight away.”
Rothfield also pointed out that Penrith have form with sledging players, with another trainer Shane Elford having an altercation with Reed Mahoney in the first week of the 2022 finals.
“The Panthers have form,” Rothfield said.
“There is another incident with Shane Elford, who gives Reed Mahoney a spray in week one.
“There is Elford and Reed Mahoney is having a crack back at him. It is unnecessary.”
Kent believes the referees should intervene when trainers overstep their boundaries.
“The referee should be turning around and telling him to go as well there,” Kent said.
“I just don’t get it. I know it is a tactic to try and get them off their game, but Reed Mahoney good on him. He told him to shove it up the you know what and away they went.”
Rothfield called on the NRL to take action on Penrith in the off-season, but Kent wants both trainers rubbed out for the Grand Final.
“I think the NRL have got to do something about this,” Rothfield said.
“I’m not saying this week.”
“They should do it this week,” Kent interjected.
“You can’t kick two trainers out of a grand final,” Rothfield said.
“Yes you can, they have got more staff there,” Kent said.
“The game hasn’t started. Get rid of them.
“The trainer should not be able to say one word to the opposition.
“Like you’re a trainer, come on. Get off.”
