Barrett wants answers from NRL after lopsided second half
Author Alicia Newton NRL.com Reporter - Sun 20 Jun 2021, 06:31 PM
Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett will seek answers from the NRL on a number of crucial calls that went against his side in their 36-10 loss to Parramatta at Bankwest Stadium.
Barrett took a notebook into his post-match media conference on Sunday to ensure he delivered a message when asked about the side's scoreless second half in greasy conditions.
He referred to an 8-2 six-again tally and a 4-1 penalty count against them in the second half after they took a 10-6 lead into the break.
Barrett believed his pack did enough throughout the match to earn more reward than the lopsided counts.
The Eels ran in five converted tries to rack up a big win.
"There's a few questions that I will be asking this week because we didn't get a chance to get into the game in the second half," Barrett said.
"I was really happy at half-time but the second half we didn't get a chance to get in the game. We had one good-ball set. [We had] an 8-2 six-again [calls] against us, a 4-1 penalty count against us, a sin-bin and a penalty try. Two wingers in the HIA, Herb [Adam Elliott] in the HIA. Luke Thompson goes to the sin bin, they go back and put him in the bin [but] Tui Katoa gets concussed and we don't go back and look at that one."
"No report and no sin bin. We have to fight extremely hard to beat those good teams and need a few things to go our way. It seemed that we worked hard against a big physical team to win some tackles and there was no reward for it."
Barrett believed Thompson's tackle on Dylan Brown was unavoidable after the NRL Bunker intervened a minute later to order referee Matt Cecchin to send the English prop to the bin.
"There was nowhere for him to go, he can't stop," Barrett said. "He didn't try and whack him, it wasn't in the back. It's hard for a big fella, 110 kilos to pull up on a slippery night and disappear. If you're going to rewind it, go back and do it consistently because my poor old winger got knocked out and had to come off."
Barrett otherwise conceded the bottom-placed side had to take the positives out of the match and improving during the bye week before a clash against the Sea Eagles on July 3.
"We've got some work to do," he said. "We were in a position to win that game and we've got to be better in areas. I'm disappointed with those last tries because it blew the score out. The game wasn't indicative of that scoreline."
