Sharks angry at ref's snub of biting complaint

Cronulla officials are frustrated that a biting allegation by rising centre Blake Ferguson was ignored by referees during the Sharks' narrow loss to Melbourne at the weekend.

Ferguson was involved in a tackle on Storm second-rower Adam Blair just before winger Luke MacDougall crossed in the corner at Toyota Stadium for a try that was referred to video referee Paul Simpkins.

As the matter went upstairs, Ferguson approached referee Brett Suttor to complain but was waved away.

The incident is similar to that last year involving St George Illawarra five-eighth Jamie Soward and Manly hooker Matt Ballin, with Ballin refusing to make a complaint.

The NRL match review committee yesterday ruled there was insufficient evidence to warrant a charge against Blair. The Sharks also do not intend to take the biting allegation further but are upset at how Ferguson was brushed off on Saturday night.

''Blake Ferguson attempted to raised the issue on field and we're disappointed in the on-field protocol of the referees,'' Cronulla chief executive Richard Fisk said.

''We've raised that with the NRL, we've done everything through the correct channels. We're not pursuing any allegations. But we're disappointed and dissatisfied with the performance of the referees on Saturday night on a number of issues, one which relates to his allegation.''

The Sharks were also furious about the sin-binning of captain Trent Barrett by referees Suttor and Ben Cummins for an alleged grapple tackle, a decision coach Ricky Stuart later said ''cost us the game''.

Referees chief Robert Finch yesterday conceded that Ferguson should have been permitted to air his concerns, at the very least through his captain.

''I think they could have done it better, yes,'' Finch said of the officials' handling of the biting allegation. ''I think also that coming at a ref while he's trying to talk to the video ref is not the best way of doing things.

''I would be critical of the on-field team for not following that complaint up after the video ref decision. If there was an issue there and they knew of it they should have at least called out the captain afterwards.''

While Blair escaped a judiciary charge, Canterbury hooker Michael Ennis could miss Friday night's match against St George Illawarra after being booked for a careless high tackle. Ennis faces a one-match ban whether he takes the early guilty plea or unsuccessfully fights the charge, which stems from a high tackle on Newcastle hooker Matt Hilder early in the Bulldogs' defeat by the Knights on Saturday.

Warriors five-eighth James Maloney and Gold Coast forward Bodene Thompson were charged with making dangerous contact with a kicker. Neither will be suspended if they accept early guilty pleas.

- © Fairfax NZ News