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Panthers Trainer Banned for Interfering with Titans Kick Attempt
4 Aug
Summary
- Penrith Panthers trainer interfered with Titans player's goal kick
- NRL issued $50,000 fine and 5-match ban for the trainer
- Incident occurred during a close match between Panthers and Titans
On August 4, 2025, the Penrith Panthers were penalized by the NRL for a controversial incident involving one of their trainers during a match against the Gold Coast Titans. The NRL issued a breach notice, handing the Panthers a $50,000 fine and a 5-match ban for the trainer at the center of the incident.
According to the NRL, the Panthers trainer, Corey Bocking, "unnecessarily interfered with and distracted" Titans player Jayden Campbell as he was attempting a crucial conversion kick. This breach of the NRL Operations Manual and Code of Conduct proved costly, as Campbell ended up missing the kick that would have given the Titans a 28-24 lead late in the game.
The match ultimately went to golden point, with the Panthers prevailing 30-26 thanks to a clutch 42-meter field goal from Nathan Cleary. However, the NRL deemed the trainer's actions a serious infraction, citing previous incidents involving Panthers staff as a factor in the harsh penalty.
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Panthers officials have acknowledged the mistake, calling it an "honest" case of "in-the-moment confusion." They have five working days to respond to the breach notice and are conducting an internal review of the incident. The NRL hopes this penalty will serve as a strong deterrent against any future on-field interference from trainers that could impact the integrity of matches.
