How much time does Allan Langer spend on the field Panthers laugh off trainer accusation

The Panthers have laughed off an official complaint from grand final rivals South Sydney about the amount of time one of their trainers spends on the field, arguing the mind games won’t derail their quest for premiership glory.

Penrith chief executive Brian Fletcher said the issue wouldn’t unsettle the title favourites before the decider, only three weeks after rival coaches Ivan Cleary and Wayne Bennett engaged in a war of words before and after their first finals clash.

On that occasion, Cleary accused the Rabbitohs of using illegal tactics on son Nathan before Bennett blasted the Panthers’ use of blockers to protect the superstar No.7 as he launched aerial raids on South Sydney’s back three.

And after News Corp revealed the Rabbitohs sent an email to NRL head of football Graham Annesley alleging Penrith’s blue shirt trainer Hayden Knowles entered the field of play 13 times during the Panthers’ gripping preliminary final win over Melbourne, Fletcher was quick to stress the issue wouldn’t disrupt Ivan Cleary’s side.

“We’re talking about a bloke in a blue shirt, and we’re worried about winning the prize, not a bloke who is running on the field,” Fletcher said. “We’ve got not interest in it at all. Why is it such a fuss?

“We’ve got our eyes on the big prize and we’ve got to do everything we can to give it our best shot.

Panthers trainer Hayden Knowles on Saturday.Credit:NRL Photos

“[General manager] Matt Cameron has spoken to [Knowles] to make sure he doesn’t break the rules, but he’s an experienced trainer who has done State of Origin. How can you tell what effect he has by being on there? How many times has Allan Langer been on the field? It’s not going to bother us.”

Trainers are allowed to enter the field three times a half when their team has the ball to deliver messages to players. The NRL introduced a system last year whereby the trainer needed to hand a card to an interchange official signalling when they were entering the field for tactical purposes.

There are also other opportunities to enter the field including after tries, for dropouts, to make interchanges and during stoppages made by the referee.

It’s not the first time the Panthers have been embroiled in a drama with trainers this finals series. The club was fined $25,000 for a stoppage of play in the final minutes of their 8-6 elimination final win over Parramatta.

Orange shirt trainer Pete Green was banned from the role for the rest of the season after being accused of asking for play to be stopped before being able to assess Mitch Kenny on the field. Ivan Cleary said the club would defend the breach notice, while Kenny missed the preliminary final win over the Storm with an ankle problem.

Despite carrying a squad known as the walking wounded, the club’s former general manager said their fearsome finals clashes will have them primed on Sunday night.

“They’ve had three in a row to steel themselves for this grand final,” Gould said on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast. “They’ll finish the stronger this week. I think this will be their premiership.

“Having said that, the other team is a great team with a great coach. It’s a side capable of winning. I just can’t help think that Panthers won’t be mentally and physically better for that experience. I think they’ve got a slight edge.”

Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.

Share this post