NRL: Warriors get unfair deal over penalties

Warriors coach Ivan Cleary. Photo / Getty Images

It's official - either the Warriors are the biggest cheats in the NRL, or, as many have long suspected, the New Zealand club continues to get a raw deal from referees.

Statistics compiled by the Herald show the Warriors have been penalised 99 times - the most of any team - over the first 18 rounds this season.

And halfback James Maloney is the competition's most penalised player, having been pinged 18 times for a variety of offences.

But while eagle-eyed whistlers have been quick to spot Warriors' wrongdoings, it has been a case of see no evil when it comes to their opponents, with the club also receiving the third-fewest penalties.

The Warriors have conceded 18 more penalties than they have received. Only the Roosters (-19) have fared worse.

The Broncos' penalty ledger sits at +20, while the Dragons and Storm (+16) have also fared well.

Sunday's backs-to-the-wall victory over the Panthers was the final straw for coach Ivan Cleary, who tabled an official complaint for the first time in his coaching career after senior referee Shayne Hayne caned the Warriors 11-3 in the penalty count and awarded a string of 50-50 calls in the home side's favour.

Hayne's performance was so lopsided it even attracted criticism from notable Australian pundits, with Phil Gould and Bob Fulton among those providing scathing assessments of the NRL's second-ranked referee.

Fulton, the legendary former Australian player and coach, lambasted Hayne in his post-match comments.

"Shayne Hayne, hang your head in shame," Fulton said.

"You have produced the worst refereeing performance in the last 20 years."

Cleary's biggest complaint is the lack of penalties awarded to his side in the second half of matches that are in the balance.

"A penalty when you are doing it tough is just gold and again at the weekend we couldn't get one - I find that a bit hard," Cleary said.

But while many Kiwis will see lopsided refereeing as a simple case of Aussies shafting Kiwis, Cleary believes it is more down to a subconscious favouring of more prominent clubs.

"My theory on that is that it's just easier for referees," Cleary said.

"We are the only team that is not an Australian team. The media machine is bigger over there.

"I heard Ryan Nelsen talking about it after the All Whites played Italy. If you are a referee and give a decision that is a dodgy one against Italy instead of the All Whites the ramifications are far [greater].

"If we get a bad deal in Australia and we complain the media is gonna be like 'yeah whatever'. But if it happens to Manly or St George there can be a big hoo-ha." The standard of refereeing is a hot topic across the Tasman, with former top referee Greg Hartley - himself notorious for a grand final blunder - slamming the state of officiating. "I can't remember the standard being worse in 50 years of watching, playing and refereeing rugby league."

Rather than being disciplined for his performance, Hayne has been appointed to control two games this weekend as the NRL rests top referee Tony Archer.

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The return of four frontline players for Saturday's match against the Storm has been tempered by the loss of halfback Isaac John to a season-ending knee injury. A key figure in the club's four-match winning run, John ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in Sunday's victory over the Panthers.