NRL drops Bunker official Kasey Badger as the Gold Coast Titans accused Penrith Panthers trainer of intentional act

Official Kasey Badger has been stood down for this weekend’s round 23 fixtures after the NRL conceded Gold Coast should have been awarded a penalty try in Saturday’s loss to the Panthers at Cbus Super Stadium.

The axing of Badger for the second time this year after a costly mistake in a Gold Coast game has followed the NRL’s decision to whack Penrith with a $50,000 fine and five-game ban.

With Gold Coast leading 26-24 after overcoming a 24-0 halftime deficit, Titans goalkicker Jayden Campbell missed a crucial sideline conversion in the 75th minute moments after Penrith trainer Corey Bocking ran in front of him as he lined up the kick.

Clearly put off by Bocking, a furious Campbell threw his kicking tee at the ground in disgust after missing the goal that could have given the Titans a 28-24 lead with five minutes to play.

Instead, Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary booted a 40m two-point field goal to level scores at 26-all and send the game into extra-time.

The Panthers then escaped with a 30-26 win after five-eighth Blaize Talagi raced away for the match-winning try.

On his final warning for commenting about match officials, Titans coach Des Hasler bit his tongue post-match but has been in contact with the NRL.

Gold Coast hooker Sam Verrills said he struggled to understand how Bocking’s actions were an “honest mistake”, as described by Penrith coach Ivan Cleary.

“I don’t know what sort of trainer just runs in front of a person who’s trying to kick the goal, I’ve never seen that,” he said.

“I don’t know what the rule is and what the ref could have done. I heard the trainer got fined or the club got fined so I’ll leave that to the NRL.

“We were up by two, five minutes to go, I don’t know why a trainer will just run in front of him.

“He’s come out and said he didn’t mean it, but it looked pretty obvious.”

Campbell was arguably the best player on the field after orchestrating what could have been Gold Coast’s biggest comeback win ever.

Instead the Titans halfback was left shattered at full-time after missing the crucial goal.

“It’s going to throw anyone off,” Verrills said.

“Whether or not he gets the goal straight away without the trainer interfering (I don’t know).

“I know for a fact our trainers wouldn’t run in front of a goal kicker 10 metres out.

“The game’s done, we can’t do too much about it. It was frustrating.”

While Bocking is set to be suspended, Badger has also been scrubbed out following another Bunker controversy involving the Titans.

Gold Coast winger Phil Sami was collected high by rival Brian To’o in the 47th minute as he dived for the tryline, with the contact impacting his ability to ground the ball.

Badger initially missed the high contact and ruled Sami had gone into touch and awarded possession to the Panthers, only to backflip moments later.

Titans players were baffled at the decision on the field.

“You can’t be serious – he’s (Sami) knocked out before he hits the ground,” Titans captain Kieran Foran was captured saying to referee Liam Kennedy.

“He was asleep.”

The NRL agreed with Foran and said the Titans should have been awarded a penalty try.

It’s not the first time the Titans have been on the wrong end of a Badger call this season.

She was axed after Gold Coast’s round 13 loss to Melbourne for incorrectly stripping Verrills of a try on video review.

Verrills said the 16th-placed Titans were struggling to get the rub of the green as they try to fight their way off the bottom of the ladder ahead of Sunday’s ‘Spoon Bowl’ clash with the Rabbitohs.

“I think that’s just where we’re at at the moment,” he said.

“I don’t know how the Bunker clears a blatant hit in the head.

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“I feel like that’s our season. We’ve had a few unlucky calls.

“We’ll stick together and try and get out of it, but it is frustrating with the way the game turned out.

“That should have probably been a penalty try, but we had other areas to win the game.”

Originally published as NRL drops Bunker official Kasey Badger as the Gold Coast Titans accused Penrith Panthers trainer of intentional act