North Queensland head coach Todd Payten could well take a hip pocket hit this week after taking aim at referee Gerard Sutton in the wake of the Cowboys' 28-4 defeat to the Sydney Roosters.
After three members of his squad were sent to the bin across the course of a disastrous night in the Far North, the 43-year-old was willing to concede that his charges lacked discipline.
However, Payten also held the view that an array of Sutton's adjudications should also come into question.
Throughout the comprehensive loss to the Chooks, members of Payten's saunter in Thomas Gilbert and Griffin Neame were sent to the sidelines on either side of half-time for obstructing opposition halves in Luke Keary and Sam Walker.
Yet, it was Neame's binning that had the ex-Rooster hot under the collar.
“I know what they’re trying to do, as a game we’re trying to protect our halves but they were trying to stamp out that out when halfbacks take it in the line and they’re not looking with their back turned,” Payten of Neame's shot on Walker.
“I know Griff was in no position to pull out of that because he’d gone deep in the line, I thought he ducked. I think they’ve got that wrong.”
Fellow playmaker Chad Townsend rounded out the trifecta that spent time from the field after his own shot on rival forward Lindsay Collins went astray.
Still, Payten offered support for his co-captain whilst simultaneously firing off at Sutton once more.
The former Warriors interim coach also aligned himself with incumbent Gold Coast boss Justin Holbrook in suggesting that there remained a perceived bias by the competition's whistleblowers against the league's 'also rans'.
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“There were some 50-50 calls tonight that went against us and the Titans head coach a couple of weeks ago made a comment and I agree with him,” Payten added.
“Teams that have been up the pointy end of the competition for a while now or have higher profile players get the benefit of the doubt too often and that’s frustrating.
“That’s my opinion over watching footy for a long time.”
Following the Titans' narrow Round 1 loss to the Eels, Holbrook sounded off against those in fluro, suggesting that his side's status saw them miss out on favourable decisions on match-day.
While the 46-year-old eventually held his hands up once the dust had settled on the CommBank Stadium clash, it is yet to be seen whether a notoriously hardline Payten will follow suit.
With Payten almost certain to receive some form of 'please explain' from the powers that be at NRL HQ, it is yet to be seen whether Sutton himself will be called into question after architecting a 10-8 penalty count in favour of the tri-colours.
Either way, Payten will be afforded little time to cool off before facing another of his former sides in the Warriors next Friday night.
