NRL Video refs leave coaches stumped

The DRS controversy which has plagued Australia's Ashes campaign has stretched its tentacles to the NRL, with several baffling decisions leaving coaches confused in the run-in to the finals series.

Newcastle veteran Wayne Bennett, the NRL's most successful coach, was at a loss to explain how either of Penrith's two tries were awarded at Centrebet Stadium on Sunday - claiming the laws of physics would have had to be altered to allow one of the four-pointers.

It comes a day after Parramatta's Ricky Stuart was again left cursing his luck when rookie winger Brayden Wiliame was denied against Canberra when replays seemed to indicate a fair try.

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While Penrith's two controversial touchdowns mattered little in a runaway 32-14 Knights win, it still left Bennett scratching his head as to how the men in the video box - Luke Phillips and Justin Morgan - could get it so wrong.

Penrith's Dean Whare claimed a spectacular one-handed try to open the scoring - but replays clearly showed his left hand dragging against the sideline.

Bennett's frustration only grew when the Cameron Ciraldo appeared to have an airswing in attempting a kick in the lead-up to Clint Newton's late try.

"The disappointing part about it was that the games are so keenly fought and contested and they've got hindsight," Bennett said.

"It's not a decision that has to be made out there.

"They go back to replays on it and I know there's a fine line between it all but I didn't think there was a fine line between them.

"The point was his hand was on the sideline - that's clear evidence that it wasn't a try.

"His body weight was going down, there's no way that he's taken a hand off the ground and then replaced it there - you can't do that, it just doesn't happen.

"Even with the kick I've got no doubt in my mind he missed the ball.

"You've seen enough football in your life you know when they kick it and when they don't."

Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said he thought both tries were fair, with his an

ger directed at the on-field officials after no action was taken against Kade Snowden after back-rower Adam Docker suffered a fractured cheekbone while attempting to tackle the Knights prop.

The Panthers had forwards Mose Masoe (shoulder charge) and Lewis Brown (high tackle) placed on report, both coming on separate tackles which floored Knights back-rower Robbie Rochow and forced him from the field.

"I wasn't happy with the fact one of our players had a broken cheekbone from a fairly dubious knee," Cleary said.

"We had two calls where we had blokes put on report because the guy carrying the ball stayed down.

"Where as our man Adam Docker stayed down having made a tackle, but the play went on and in the end there was no repercussions for it except that he's got a fractured cheekbone.

"I'm not happy about that."

Asked if he thought Snowden's actions were deliberate, Cleary said:

"I'm not going to make a decision on that, you all saw it."

AAP