NRL 360 host Paul Kent has called on the Panthers to release the audio which the club claims exonerates under-fire trainer Pete Green.
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary on Tuesday leapt to the defence of Green who was accused of sledging former Panthers player Jed Cartwright during the preliminary final last Saturday.
Green was alleged to have referenced Cartwright’s struggles with a back injury during his time at Penrith.
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Rabbitohs star Cody Walker confronted Green at the end of the match and vision showed the five-eighth had to be restrained during the fiery exchange.
The incident prompted Panthers great and Jed’s father John Cartwright to call for a lifetime ban for Green.
But Cleary declared the incident a misunderstanding and club say they have audio which proves Green said “nothing untoward”.
“John Cartwright came out and said he was saying ‘go for his back’ or something along those lines,” Kent said.
“Penrith’s version was he was telling them to get back in line, that’s where the word ‘back’ came into the conversation.
“But then overnight it emerged out of Penrith that he actually couldn’t be on the field there when he was defending, he had to be on there when he was attacking so then he turned around to give (Cartwright) a rap on the tackle on Dylan Edwards.
“Penrith have since come out and said they’ve got the audio of it and there’s nothing untoward. Well if that’s the case Penrith, upload it onto your website, the full 80 minutes, don’t edit it, put it up so everybody can listen to it, I’d like to see that.
“If you’ve got the audio, put it up online and make everybody listen to it and make up their own mind and don’t cut it, just let it sit there and let it run.”
Dave Riccio said the Panthers have “let Pete Green down today” and also slammed the club for failing to release the audio.
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“I’m confident enough in my sources to believe (Penrith). But Kenty to your point, all they have to do is present the audio,” Riccio said.
“At 7pm we’re still waiting for a formal statement from the Penrith Panthers other than the head coach being interviewed at a media day.
“Let the audio free and you will hear that’s exactly what Pete Green said, yet no one from the Panthers will stand up and defend their man.”
Green is expected to escape sanction ahead of the grand final and Kent explained the NRL haven’t acted because South Sydney haven’t lodged a formal complaint.
“The heat out of the moment has since gone away, they’re on Mad Monday and they don’t care,” he said.
“Nobody at the club has an appetite to push forward and make a formal complaint to the NRL.”
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