Former Warriors coach Frank Endacott is calling for Kiwi fans to stop slandering NRL referees in the wake of more controversial refereeing decisions going against them.
The Warriors were on the wrong end of a number of questionable calls during their 24-22 defeat to the Parramatta Eels at Bankwest Stadium, which led to current coach Stephen Kearney lashing out at the match officials - and not for the first time this season.
The major talking point after the loss was how the Warriors were penalised nine times to the Eels' two in the 10th and 80th minute.
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On top of that, a potential game-winning Warriors try was called off due to a forward pass when captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck sent a one-handed flick pass out to Gerard Beale who raced over the line, only for the referees to bring the play back.
The decision led to an outcry on social media with media and Warriors fans, once again, saying the referees are against the Auckland-based side.
But Endacott disagrees with that entirely and is pleading for fans to stop hating on the match officials.
"I don't think they're biased at all," he told Newshub. "As it stands, I don't see any of the referees as cheats.
"They do make some curious decision, and the Warriors have had a couple in recent weeks, but so have other teams.
"The 9-2 penalty count gives opposition lots more ball and the team that has it more usually wins the game.
"You have to go through each [penalty] one to see if they're justified, and the majority of them were.
"The big thing that lets them down at times is their personal discipline, and I'm sure Stephen Kearney would say the same."
In fairness to the Eels, they're the least penalised team of 2019 with only 5.1 per game, but the Warriors are also fairly disciplined with 5.6 per game.
On top of that, Endacott believes that the forward pass ruling was indeed the correct one, although that wasn't his initial reaction.
"It was a forward pass. I initially thought it wasn't, but after looking at it again, it was definitely forward.
"It is where Tuivasa-Sheck lands that made it look in line but where the ball was taken by the winger, it was definitely a forward pass.
"The referees got it exactly right.
"I sympathise with Stephen, I know where he's coming from because I've been in that position before and when things are not going right, you think the world is against you.
"Watching it live, I was applauding the try, and it wasn't after watching it later, the referee did get it right. I was hoping it wasn't, but it was."
NRL head of football Graham Annesley will front the media on Monday afternoon as a part of his weekly football briefing and no doubt some of the penalties and the forward pass ruling will be a talking point.
The Warriors have been mentioned multiple times during Annesley's briefing throughout the season, most notably after the loss to the Melbourne Storm on ANZAC Day and the win over the Newcastle Knights earlier this month.
With six games remaining this season, the Warriors are two points outside the NRL's top eight, but all their remaining games are against teams above them in the standings, including matches against the Sydney Roosters, South Sydney Rabbitohs are Canberra Raiders who are all inside the top four.
"They have to keep at it," insists Endacott. "They have six games left and if you look, there is isn't an easy game amongst them.
"They're going to find it tough to take the eight, and I think Stephen understands that. They're still good enough to beat these teams, and they just need that rub of the green and give it a shake, but it will be tough."
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