Gold Coast Titans coach Josh Hannay has revealed he chose not to escalate his concerns over last week's controversial officiating decisions, admitting reviewing the match only made the frustration worse.
The Titans were left questioning several calls following their 22-18 loss to the Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park, with a forward pass ruling denying them a potential try-scoring opportunity and a late first-half Storm try awarded despite Hannay believing it involved a double movement.
Following the match, Hannay voiced his frustration with the decisions.
“That Jayden Campbell pass to start the game. Not forward,” Hannay said in the post-match press conference.
“I expected it (the Howarth try) to go the way it went just because of who they are and who we are.”
However, despite his concerns, Hannay confirmed on Friday morning he did not take the matter further with the NRL.
“As I said, I spared myself that pain and waste of time,” Hannay shared.
“Just watching the game, it was even worse than it was live. But yeah, as I said, we just move on.”
Instead of dwelling on the decisions, Hannay praised the way his side competed against one of the competition's heavyweights, with the Titans now shifting their focus towards a crucial clash against Manly.
“I feel like our guys didn't do a lot wrong; they went after the game with a fearless approach, played strong and got themselves in a position to win,” he said.
“If I were to be slightly critical, it might just be closing out the game, what we were able to do against Penrith. Maybe we didn't quite get that right, but that would be it if I were nitpicking.”
The Titans enter the weekend sitting second-last on the NRL ladder, four points clear of the Dragons, making every remaining match vital as they look to avoid the wooden spoon.
Standing in their way is a Manly side fighting to keep their own finals hopes alive, but Hannay believes his players are embracing the challenge despite recent results not going their way.
“The players seem to have a higher spirit than they have had at any point,” he said.
“I feel like they are really clear on how far they have come. They are throwing down with some really quality teams at the moment, some with the result and some not, and on the road.
“I feel like they are getting a real kick out of that, and I don't feel like I have had to at any point lift their spirits, so to speak. I think they are really enjoying what they are doing.”
The Titans coach said the message remains unchanged heading into their clash with Manly, with a focus on controlling what they can and starting the match with intensity.
“Figuratively and literally, Olakau'atu on the right edge is a big threat. That's no surprise; he is a focal point of their football,” Hannay said.
“They are a good footy side, and they play a certain style of football. When you allow that they are dangerous, when you don't allow that, things become difficult.
“So we will be working hard to nullify their strengths.”
The Titans have also welcomed coaches from rugby union into their camp on Friday, with Hannay revealing the club has shared ideas with coaches who have previously worked with the Wallabies.
“It's always good to share ideas with people from other codes. We've got a couple of Rugby coaches here today who have had experience with the Wallabies and are now in Japan,” he said.
“They have come to see how we do things and share some knowledge.”
