Penrith Panthers head coach Ivan Cleary has admitted the match officials were right to sin bin son Nathan for making contact with the kicker during Sunday afternoon's win over the Sydney Roosters, but suggested a suspension won't be happening.
Late in the first half, Cleary was given his marching orders for running through a kick of Savala, and making contact with his leg.
It has been a point of contention in the game in recent years that players aren't allowed to apply pressure on a kicker, but Cleary's effort was lazy and would have been a penalty for many years.
The halfback himself admitted after the game it was a sin bin, but coach Cleary said there would be nothing to worry about when the NRL's match review committee release their charge sheet on Monday morning.
“God no. Of course not,” Cleary responded when asked during his post-match press conference.
“I thought it (sin bin) was the right decision at the time. He obviously had plenty of time and I probably didn't expect it … I thought it was the right call.
“I mean he's just trying to make a play, so I think he's probably thinking the right thing there but the angle was wrong and under the current rules, it is what it is.
“I don't think Hugo is injured. It's a black and white sort of thing we've brought into the game.
“I must say that the same thing happened to Nathan near the goalposts earlier in the game, so yeah, anyway.
“We did a decent job (while Nathan was out). We managed our way through that period and it was a dogfight.”
Cleary junior has a relatively good judiciary record under NRL rules, but anything other than a Grade 1 charge will earn him a week off, and an absence from the club's preliminary final, which will be played in a fortnight.
There, Penrith will play against either the New Zealand Warriors or Newcastle Knights, who clash in a semi-final at Eden Park in Auckland next Sunday afternoon.
The Panthers will be hoping to have Cleary available, while Isaah Yeo having another fortnight off could allow him to move back in to the starting side, with the only other question being how Ivan Cleary slots Luke Garner back in to the side after Blaize Talagi's impressive performance on Sunday, having been called in to the centres late.
There is also concern around Nathan Cleary's foot, with Ivan Cleary suggesting the club aren't sure what it is yet.
“There's something wrong. I don't I don't know what it is … No one has had a look at it yet,” he said.
