Penrith Panthers have been hit with a breach notice by the NRL after a trainer was found to have interfered with a goal attempt during their recent match against the Gold Coast Titans.
The trainer drew widespread condemnation from fans and commentators when he ran directly in front of Campbell as he lined up for goal at a crucial point in the match.
Campbell would go on to miss the kick that would have given the Titans a 28-24 lead in regular time, after a furious second-half fightback from the Titans.
The match ended up going to golden point thanks to some Nathan Cleary magic, slotting a 42-metre two-point field goal to force extra time, with the Panthers eventually prevailing 30-26.
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The breach notice issued by the NRL has handed the Panthers a $50,000 fine and a five-match ban for the trainer at the centre of the incident.
In a statement on Monday, the NRL said Panthers trainer Corey Bocking “unnecessarily interfered with and distracted Gold Coast Titans player Jayden Campbell as he was attempting a conversion kick, in breach of the NRL Operations Manual and NRL Code of Conduct.”
The NRL cited prior infractions involving Panthers staff in determining the penalty, labelling it another serious breach of the rules governing trainer conduct and on-field involvement.
Panthers officials have five working days to respond to the breach notice and have begun internal reviews of the incident, noting in their own statement that it was an “honest mistake” and the trainer had immediately apologised.
“The circumstances involved a late change and in-the-moment confusion, but we understand that does not excuse the outcome,” the Panthers stated.
This incident is at least the third time Penrith trainers have attracted NRL sanctions in recent seasons, following earlier breach notices for improper conduct involving the ball during warm-ups and match stoppages.
In 2021 the Panthers were fined $25,000 and had a trainer suspended for prematurely calling a stoppage in a finals match, raising concerns about the influence trainers can have on the flow of games.
There’s no doubt the NRL intended the breach notice as a message to all clubs that interference from trainers will carry serious consequences, hoping to deter further on-field involvement that impacts match integrity.