See why footy fans are accusing NRL trainer of the lowest act of the season: 'Ban him for a year!'
The Titans had scored five tries in 25 minutes to take a 26-24 lead late in regular time when Bocking ran in front of Gold Coast kicker Jayden Campbell as he attempted a conversion.
Campbell missed the kick after having to re-set himself. Had he converted, the score would have been 28-24 with just four minutes to play.
Instead, Penrith star Nathan Cleary was able to boot a two-point conversion in the last minute of regular time to take the match to golden point, with his teammate Blaze Talagi scoring a try in extra time to seal the 30-26 win.
To add insult to injury, footage from Fox Sports' coverage of the match showed Bocking appearing to smile as he ran past Campbell after ruining his preparation for the shot at goal.
Afterwards, Titans coach Des Hasler said he didn't know whether the incident cost his team the game - but fans had no such doubts.
Furious fans like this one vented their fury on social media after the Panthers won the match in extra time, with many saying the trainer robbed the Titans of a win
'Titans robbed. Panthers trainer running right in front of Jayden Campbell as he's about to kick is disgusting. Panthers should be DQ'd from that result for clear blatant interference,' one wrote on X.
'Ban the trainer for 12 months, fine Penrith, and dock them the two competition points. Absolutely pathetic sportsmanship and it's not the first time they've done it. Send a clear message that it won't be tolerated,' another added.
'Whatever happens here, the Titans have been absolutely dudded. Fox will wax lyrical about Cleary, but Campbell should have had a conversion attempt from in front,' a third said.
'Great kick by Cleary but Penrith trainer running across the conversion line like he did negates anything from this game. He knew what he was doing, no excuses,' added another.
Asked about the incident after the match, Hasler said, 'Did it cost us the game? I don't know.
'He will get breached. That's the only thing that's going to come out of it.'
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary insisted that Bocking's actions were not deliberate.
'He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We had a sub and I changed it at the last minute,' he said.
'He was trying to communicate with the bench for a late change. It was an honest mistake. He apologised straight away.'
Another Penrith trainer was caught in an underhanded act earlier this year.
Shane Elford was busted wetting the football in Penrith's 30-all draw with North Queensland in May, in an attempt to make the ball harder to handle for the opposition just before the Panthers kicked off.
A video taken by a fan showed Elford pouring water from a bottle onto the Steeden seconds before Dylan Edwards put boot to ball.
Cowboys coach Todd Payten said his coaching staff had spotted the trainer doing the same thing throughout the contest.
'He did it before every kick-off,' Payten said.
The win over the Titans gave the Panthers an eighth consecutive victory to leave the four-time defending premiers on 29 competition points, just one behind the fourth-placed Warriors.
In an ominous omen, Penrith have made the grand final on all five occasions (2003 and 2020-2024) they have previously won eight in a row.
They were cruising at halftime but Gold Coast had other ideas.
Brimson sent centre Brian Kelly in before Campbell intercepted a Cleary pass to race 90m and get the 16th-placed Titans on the board.
Campbell was at it again to step and weave his way through and hooker Sam Verrills dived over from dummy-half. Minutes later Phil Sami finished off a Brimson bust and the lead had been cut to two.
Sami was in again after Penrith muffed a Kieran Foran bomb and Gold Coast led with six minutes to play.
'I thought they showed a lot of character,' Hasler said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
4 minutes ago
- The Independent
Why Andy Farrell is favourite to lead the Lions again despite letting golden opportunity slip
After plenty of good, and a little bit of bad, the ugly arrived for the British and Irish Lions in the third Test. On a wretched night, it was a wretched performance, the tourists beaten in just about every area by an Australian side better adjusting to conditions of a kind that few involved had ever seen. And so a golden opportunity has been missed – confirming many of the assumed truths about this Lions crop. Andy Farrell had set the lofty goal of going unbeaten in Australia and completing the first series sweep since 1927, a scenario that looked likely after edging the second Test at the MCG. But Lions tours are tough. The Wallabies have plenty of talent and showed real fighting spirit. By contrast, Farrell's men looked tired at times, while the easing of the stakes with a series secure may have been a factor. 'I hope not,' Farrell said on that front. 'Otherwise we are not being true to ourselves in everything we talked about this week. I certainly hope not. Subconsciously I guess I will never know the answer to that question.' So the 2025 Lions are a good side, but not a great one; a team capable of fantastic highs and passages of thrilling rugby but without an 80-minute showing to really be proud. They threatened to run rampant in the first half in Brisbane, but thereafter, with Will Skelton back amongst things, Australia won four of the five remaining 40-minute periods in the series. Overmatched opposition they were not. The Lions, though, set high standards and asked to be judged on them - in that context, they did not succeed, and they will be disappointed to go out on a damp squib. Those facts should not at all take away from what the Lions have achieved in Australia. It is a real feat to secure a series with a game to spare – this was only the second time it had occurred in the professional era. Given the limited opposition the Lions faced in the warm-up fixtures, the intensity they found in that first Test was impressive, with Farrell's bold selection calls backing up his faith. The brutal toll of Sydney was clear for all to see but the Lions had already experienced some rough luck on this tour, from the loss of captaincy contender Caelan Doris on the eve of the squad naming through to the Garry Ringrose situation before Test two. It has been not been perfect by any means but Farrell and his staff merit huge credit for the way they have kept the Lions squad together. It remains quite the logistical feat that the tour ran so smoothly – even a broken bus on the day of the third Test only delayed the Lions by a couple of minutes. The wider team beyond the rugby coaching and playing unit were highlighted by Farrell as a key part of the Lions' success. 'Not only are they fantastic at their jobs but they are bloody good people who muck in,' Farrell said. 'Everyone knows the logistical nightmare that this tour could have been but these boys think that it is easy because of the people that we've had on tour. Not just the coaching staff, every single member of the staff has been a pleasure to work with.' While he has slightly dodged the question, the thought is that Farrell will probably desire the head coaching role again in four years' time in New Zealand. His love for the Lions has been clear throughout this trip, and the Englishman is exceptionally well liked by his players and members of the hierarchy. A Lions cycle is a long time in a fast-moving sport threatened again by behind-the-scenes noises made by proposed breakaway league R360 but it would be stunning to see Farrell's stock plunge in the intervening period, even if there are a few niggling concerns over an Ireland side coming out of a glorious peak. This Lions team should probably have won this series 3-0, yes, but speak to his squad and the admiration they have for Farrell is clear. 'He doesn't treat you like a schoolteacher in any way,' Tadhg Furlong said. 'He treats you like a man. He gives you responsibility, and it's up to you to take it. He gives you a freedom, and it's up to you to be a good man within that, or a good teammate within that. That's what I respect about him. You look up to Faz.' The ability to instil collective buy-in has been a theme of the tour. Farrell has a natural presence and charisma, not necessarily needing to say much to inspire. Players who haven't featured in the Tests have beamed their pride nonetheless; those not involved have done all they can to help out the side. 'He's been really good at getting everyone closer,' Huw Jones explained. 'I don't really know how he's done it but it's worked. 'He's very calm and relaxed a lot of the time and when he's on, he's pretty intense. He sees everything so he's prepared to call you out in the middle of the session if something's not good enough. He sees it all and he'll then have it clipped up and you'll see it in reviews. There's no hiding place, his standards are so high. He knows exactly what he wants from everyone.' Selection criticism is a natural by-product of a venture like this but much of Farrell's work in that regard looks strong in retrospect. He may reflect that he could have refreshed his pack, particularly, for the affair in Sydney but those involved had earned the chance to go again. Tadhg Beirne, something of a surprise selection for the first Test, was named player of the series; the impact made by a beefed up bench at the MCG was pivotal. The arrival of Owen Farrell, too, added an extra competitive edge and experienced head to a squad that probably needed it - though his third Test showing was not his best outing. Suggestions of an Irish bias do not necessarily stand up to real scrutiny given how strong the men in green have been over the last few years and how many of them stood up in the heat of battle. It is impossible to avoid such an accusation, anyway. The idea of a neutral coach plucked from outside of the coaching staffs of the four unions in a neat one in theory, yet the international and club games are vastly different. Of those currently coaching the unions, Steve Borthwick is tracking well and, like Farrell, has the benefit of a Lions tour as an assistant. A strong next two years and World Cup with England, which looks increasingly within reach, would see him really press his candidacy. But much the same could be said of the man in possession, and right now it would be a surprise if it is not Farrell coaching the Lions in New Zealand. 'Everyone knows what I think about this concept,' he said late on Saturday night. 'I love everything that the Lions is about and I've thoroughly enjoyed the last eight weeks. There's always ups and there's always downs but the inner circle is a special place to be. 'We all know how hard it is to be successful on a Lions tour against a good side like Australia. When we get a bit of time to ourselves we will be unbelievably proud of what we have achieved. Lions tours are tough. The legacy for us is in that changing room. The togetherness of the whole group has been an absolute delight.'
Reuters
35 minutes ago
- Reuters
All Blacks scrumhalf Roigard out of Argentina tests due to stress fracture
Aug 3 (Reuters) - All Blacks scrumhalf Cam Roigard will miss their opening Rugby Championship tests against Argentina this month after suffering a stress fracture in his right foot, New Zealand Rugby said on Sunday. The 24-year-old reported pain following their 3-0 series win over France last month, with scans confirming the fracture. Roigard started the first two tests against the French. "He will not travel to Argentina and his likely return to play will be assessed in two weeks," NZR said in a statement, adding that their Rugby Championship squad would be announced on Monday. The All Blacks play Argentina in Cordoba on August 16 with the second test in Buenos Aires a week later.
South Wales Guardian
37 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Andy Farrell not ruling out leading the Lions for New Zealand tour
The Lions' dream of finishing their tour Down Under with a 100 per cent record ended with a 22-12 defeat in the final Test at a rain lashed Accor Stadium, but they return home having achieved the main objective. A first series triumph since 2013 puts Farrell in pole position to take charge of the next expedition to New Zealand and the Ireland boss admits his passion for the Lions has only grown over the last two months. 'I love everything that the Lions is about and I've thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed the last eight weeks. 'There are always ups and there are always downs, but the inner circle is a special place to be. 'Read into that what you want but I suppose four years, there's a long time between drinks isn't there?' An extraordinary third Test that produced three failed HIAs and saw James Ryan knocked out was paused for 37 minutes early in the second-half after the players left the field because of lightening strikes in the area. Australia then used up the full 10 minutes available to warm-up for the resumption of play, while the Lions only took five minutes. TV footage from the Lions' changing room during the break showed Finn Russell and Tom Curry using their phones. 'We agreed on 10 minutes for the warm-up and through the advice from our experts in that field we only made the call to come out five minutes before so that we would be ready to go,' Farrell said. 'I hope I'm not in a game like that again, actually. Rigor mortis was setting in at one stage there for the lads! I suppose that is what you come to expect with a schedule like the Lions schedule. We have seen it all now haven't we! 'We were trying to work out what the rules were and what was going to happen. At one stage it looked like it was going be 45 minutes then it was pulled back to 30 minutes. A huge thank you to: Australia 🇦🇺Our Support Staff 👨⚕️The Sea of Red 🌊🔴The Players 🏉 …and everyone who helped make the #Lions2025 Tour a truly unforgettable experience 🙏 — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) August 2, 2025 'There were updates constantly coming in but the lads stayed relaxed enough, had five minutes of a warm-up and got the show back on the road. 'What came off the back of that is Australia hit the ground running and thoroughly deserved their win.' Australia boss Joe Schmidt revealed his side had prepared for the incoming bad weather. 'We had been warned that there might be a bit of lightning, so we had a plan and with that plan we made sure that guys kept moving,' Schmidt said. 'We'd four balls in the changing room so guys could throw them around, so that guys could stay connected. 'We had a couple of bikes and different guys were rotating on and off the bikes. The rest of the time, it was just trying to get us organised for the restart.'
