League legend Gorden Tallis has erupted over a penalty against Newcastle Knights captain Tyson Frizell for a hair pull on Panthers playmaker Jarome Luai.
Frizell was attempting to tackle Luai in the 56th minute with Newcastle holding a narrow 14-8 lead when the controversial incident took place.
Frizell attempted to grab Luai by the jersey but instead dragged him down by the hair in awkward fashion and the whistle was blown.
Only two tackles later the Panthers equalised through a Jaeman Salmon try before Nathan Cleary eventually kicked a match winning field goal in golden point.
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The Triple M team debated the incident on Sunday.
“It would have happened only 10 metres from where I was sitting,” Fox League’s James Hooper said.
“We were all shaking our heads that there’s absolutely no way it was a penalty
“The only spot he could grab on Jarome’s jersey because Luai had gone past him was the top of the collar.
“Everybody that was in the ground at the time was furious that it was a penalty.”
Tallis was irate about the call and referenced his iconic tackle on Brett Hodgson in State of Origin in 2002
“If you pull at the top of his head that’s a hair pull. If his hair goes past his collar, which is his uniform, and you go to grab his jersey that’s play on, that is play on,” Tallis said.
“If Brett Hodgson has long hair and I do that tackle in Origin I get penalised. That’s not fair.
“If your hair goes past your shoulder, and is past your uniform, it can get pulled and you can’t complain about it. Or get it cut. fair dinkum.”
Frizell and Knights coach Adam O’Brien were also left fuming at the decision when asked about the incident after the match.
“When his hair is hanging halfway down his back and I am going to make a tackle it is incidental,” Frizell said.
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“I guess if I do pull his hair it is classified as a penalty, but it wasn’t intentional and I’d like for him to tie his hair up.
“It was incidental, I wasn’t going for any hair or anything like that but when it is hanging half down your back, it’s hard not to grab a bit of it.”
O’Brien labelled referee Peter Gough’s decision “ridiculous” and said he could employ a new tactic — however it could take weeks to introduce.
“Huge (call), it is ridiculous, otherwise I will advise them all to start growing their hair long,” O’Brien said.
“To try and get an advantage, it was ridiculous.
“The players need a bit of credit, they are just trying to make tackles and get people on the ground… there must be a lot of innuendo the players are out there to maim each other, that’s not the case,” O’Brien said.
