Trent Robinson has refused to blame a pivotal obstruction call from the bunker for his team's 22-16 loss to Penrith.
But the coach questioned whether the bunker had been consistent in applying its rules after a similar play went unpunished in the lead-up to a Penrith try on Thursday night.
Joey Manu appeared to have scored the Roosters' first four-pointer after he charged through opposite centre Taylan May to plant the ball on the Sydney Football Stadium turf.
But the bunker spotted Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves collecting Penrith's Dylan Edwards as he followed through on a decoy run and rescinded the try.
The Roosters dropped back to 12-0, their momentum stifled.
The call eventually proved significant in the outcome of the game as the Panthers held their fast-finishing hosts off for a six-point win.
It was also brought into sharper focus when Penrith's Liam Martin collided with two Roosters in the lead-up to a Sunia Turuva four-pointer in the second half, only for that try to stand.
Martin bounced between Sitili Tupouniua and Luke Keary, with the first Rooster falling to the turf and the second having his run impacted in attempting to reach the play.
"(The Manu no try) is a bit like how Sitili got knocked over in our one," Robinson said.
"Was he going to save the try? No, he wasn't.
"I don't think (Edwards) would've got there either on Joey Manu. But anyway."
The issue as Robinson saw it was that the first call had applied the obstruction rule to the letter, while the second had used discretion to determine the Roosters' defenders were unlikely to have made it to Turuva and save a try.
"What was the judgement on, I guess is what we're asking," Robnson said.
"Is it, was Luke or Sitili going to get there, or was Edwards going to get there? Or is it the rule on the obstruction?
"I feel like there was two different rulings in that case. One was given, 'Yeah, it's an obstruction but we think it would've got one' and the other one didn't get the benefit of the doubt."
Roosters captain James Tedesco was frustrated by the call, claiming a player who appealed for a penalty would be likelier to secure one.
"He knocked him a little bit to affect him on that. If Keary went to the ground, it probably would've been no try," he said.
Robinson conceded the call was crucial, but would not blame it for the Roosters' defeat.
The Roosters struggled to wrestle ascendancy back from their fast-starting visitors, ruing first-half errors that kept them on the back foot.
"It was a pretty big play for us but in the end they were a better team by far," Robinson said.
Asked for his opinion, Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said he'd made a pledge with himself not to weigh in on bunker matters this season.
"I'm going to keep that going tonight," he said.
"I'll say one thing, every time we've ever done a black-and-white interpretation in rugby league, it's been a failure.
"I'm not saying that was the case tonight, I'm not saying yes or no, but every time we have, it doesn't work."
Relive all the action from Thursday night's live blog below.
Had some technical dramas so I haven't been able to bring you the quotes straight from the pressers, but that'll do us for tonight.
Really impressive stuff from Penrith, very disappointing from the Roosters who continue to struggle against the top teams in the league.
Hope you enjoyed tonight and I'll see you tomorrow for both Good Friday matches. Take it easy!
LoadingSunia Turuva has bagged the first hat-trick of his NRL career as Penrith overcame Nathan Cleary's absence for a 22-16 defeat of the fast-finishing Sydney Roosters.
Talismanic halfback Cleary (hamstring) joined Scott Sorensen and James Fisher-Harris in the casualty ward for Thursday's clash at Allianz Stadium and could miss up to a month.
But all signs are that the Panthers will be able to keep their premiership defence on track without the general after they unleashed their suffocating best on the Roosters.
Dylan Edwards orchestrated the early 14-0 lead that proved pivotal and stand-in halfback Brad Schneider ably handled Cleary's workload with the boot on club debut.
The Roosters were left to rue an error-prone start that prevented them from reining Penrith in once they got going.
Once off-contract Turuva struck twice in five minutes after the break, the Tricolours had it all to do down 22-6.
Tries from Brandon Smith and Daniel Tupou put some respectability on the scoreboard in the final six minutes, but it was too late for the Roosters to avoid a ninth-straight loss to the Panthers.
In his first game playing the role that made stars of Sean O'Sullivan and Jack Cogger, Penrith's back-up halfback Schneider put in the kick that helped Turuva to his first try of the night.
Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii fumbled Schneider's cross-field bomb to the deck, with Edwards passing to an unmarked Turuva 10 minutes into the contest.
Schneider was Cleary-like in his kicking thereafter as the Panthers easily controlled the battle for territory.
After nailing the sideline conversion that followed Turuva's first try, Edwards grubbered through the line for the visitors' second.
Edwards finished the night with 258 run metres in another workmanlike performance.
The Roosters had few answers to Penrith's steely defence, though would have taken comfort from their ability to draw blood once in position.
On their first foray into the red zone, Joey Manu's would-be try was scrubbed for an obstruction, and on their second just before the half, Sitili Tupouniua touched down from a Sam Walker kick.
But the Panthers' right side, brutal to start the season, continued to smell blood after the break and Turuva cashed in after the ball twice went through hands.
Daniel Tupou's try on the left edge in the final minute left the Roosters requiring six points from their final set, but the buzzer thwarted any hopes of a late comeback.
Penrith's State of Origin second-rower Liam Martin suffered a right shoulder injury in the opening 10 minutes but was able to return in the second half.
Son of Penrith club legend Mark, Mavrik Geyer received a cheer from the crowd when he came on for his NRL debut with 30 minutes to play. He finished with 48 run metres.
AAP
The Roosters get one late as they sweep left towards Tupou and he dots down. They decline the kick to get one last shot at the Panthers, they have 25 seconds to try and score a miracle but Penrith knock down the pass and they'll win this game. Super win for the Panthers, very disappointing for the Roosters.
The Roosters generate some ruck speed through May and Smith and on the last tackle Smith manages to plunge over for a consolation try. Feels like that middle channel has been where the points are for the Roosters but they just haven't gone there enough. Panthers lead 22-12.
Tupou makes an error on his own 40 for the Panthers to earn possession back. Penrith don't go on to do anything with but it just cuts down the time. It's been a great showing of field position and possession from the Panthers.
Tago has a try disallowed by the slimmest of margins - he got over the line but just didn't manage to get it down.
Turuva has three! Penrith do the same thing again, they run the sweep from left to right and strip the Roosters for numbers and Turuva gets over for the first hattrick of his career! Edwards misses but it's 22-6 to Penrith and a long way back for the Roosters now.
Penrith sweep from left to right, Edwards to Tago to Turuva who gets over in the corner! It's simple, but the Panthers do it so, so well. Edwards misses, but Penrith lead 18-6.
Martin is coming back on - they've cut his jersey on him, put a new one on and sent him back out there. Tough stuff.
Roosters kick off to get us going!
The Roosers get a penalty to get one last shot at the Panthers line and it's Walker who creates the try with a great little kick in behind for Tupouniua who gets there in the end to score! Great try and the Roosters really needed that one. Walker converts and it'd 14-6 Panthers at halftime.
E.Butcher puts it down with his first touch on his own 40 to put Penrith on the attack. Manu fields a Panthers kick well but Walker gets pinged for an escort and Penrith will take the two. Edwards kicks it home and it's 14-0 to the Riff.
The Panthers give away a penalty in possession on their own 30 for obstructing the defenders, big boost for the Roosters, first time they've been down here.
Walker does wide to Tedesco who feeds Manu early, which gets him on the outside of May and be drives in to score! It's an awkward put-down but they all count....or do they? We're going upstairs because the Bunker doesn't like something.
They're ruling Waerea-Hargreaves took out Edwards as a lead runner....JWH went through the line as he's meant to, but Edwards ran into him behind the line. Tough call, no try.
Luai ducks down the blind on the last and goes wide to Tago, who finds Turuva in the corner. He runs out of room and goes inside to Edwards, who kicks for himself and is first to the ball to score! What a try and what a start for the Panthers! He converts his own try and it's 12-0 Penrith.
Schneider puts a kick across, Tago taps it back to Edwards who goes wide to Turuva and he slithers past Tupou to score! Great play and a fine finish. Dylan Edwards is kicking goals with Cleary out and it doesn't look great of the boot but it hits the post and goes in! It's 6-0 Panthers.
Martin has just come straight off and is grabbing at his right shoulder. Looks to be serious, he didn't even wait for a sub.
The Roosters get a penalty for offside that takes them out of their own end. Walker puts in a really nice kick on the last that seems to have Turuva pinned in-goal but he passes to Edwards who gets out. Great play from the Panthers back three.
It takes a few more sets, but eventually the Roosters let a kick bounce and the Panthers get the physical ascendancy, forcing an error a few tackles latter.
The Panthers threaten but eventually Luai's cut-out pass is intercepted by Young and the Roosters survive.
And away we go! Penrith kick off, running right to left.
It's hard to go past the Roosters given the outs for the Panthers, but I still think it'll be a test. Penrith are so well-drilled and so tough from 1-17 and if the Roosters are to win they'll need to find some of the commitment to excellence the Panthers have perfected in recent years.
I think they can, so I'll say they win 20-12 with Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii or Taylan May scoring first.
Both sides are 1-17, no late changes.
To remind you, the Panthers will have former Raiders playmaker Brad Schneider making his club debut at halfback and they'll also be without James Fisher-Harris at prop.
There's no replacing either of them, really. Fisher-Harris might be the best prop in the world right now and Cleary might be the best player overall.
But I do think Schneider is going to do OK. He had some fine showings for the Raiders in 2022-23 before a stint with Hull KR in Super League last year where he took them to the Challenge Cup final and deep into the finals.
Here's a golden point field goal he kicked in the Cup semi-final. It ruled pretty hard!
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