Refs aren't giving Knights a chance: Smith

Dominic Brock | rugbyleaguelive.com | 14/05/08 | 0

AUDIO - Smith: 'The penalty count killed us'

Knights coach Brian Smith is struggling to understand why his team have copped so much grief from referees this season after complaining about his side’s lop-sided penalty count against Melbourne on Monday.

Newcastle fought hard but were eventually beaten 18-4 by the premiers in Melbourne, after being hit by a 10-3 penalty count by referee Ben Cummins.

While he could not complain about many of the penalties conceded – including a lifting tackle and a late hit that saw Jarrod Mullen, Corey Paterson and Matt Hilder all charged by the judiciary – Smith said he is dumbfounded by the lack of penalties his team has received in 2008.

Newcastle have conceded 65 penalties – the most in the NRL – and have received only 46, the second-fewest behind the Panthers (38).

“It’s not so much the penalties we've conceded that worries me,” Smith told the Newcastle Herald.

“It’s the ones we don’t get... We had about 150-odd plays in the game, and apart from two penalties we got on our first play, they apparently never held us down, they were never offside, they never made a high tackle, they were always straight at marker, and they didn't infringe on all the other myriad of possible penalties.

“I just find that a bit hard to comprehend.

“I know what we need to work on to stop conceding penalties. But I don’t know what we’ve got to do to get penalties.”

Smith said he’s had no indication from the NRL that his side needs to improve its discipline.

“Someone would need to point out to me and nobody from the NRL has what it is that would lead anyone to believe that we're the most undisciplined team.

“Nobody’s telling us that we’re not doing this or not doing that.

“There are a few small things we’re trying to attend to, but no one has indicated to us that we're worse than anyone else.

“Is it just coincidence that in the vast number of games this year we’ve found penalties going against us?

“I don’t understand why that would be.”

It’s not so much the penalties we've conceded that worries me. It’s the ones we don’t get. Newcastle coach Brian Smith