Reporter Brent Read has lamented the “damage” that diving is doing to the NRL in a heated debate with Phil Rothfield on NRL 360 on Monday night.
Rothfield revealed he had spoken to one of the NRL’s top coaches about diving in the game.
The veteran reporter didn’t name the coach.
“One of the top coaches in the game told me on Saturday that a coach is derelict in his duties if he does not tell his players to lie down,” Rothfield said.
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Read was taken aback.
“Well he needs to take a good hard look at himself in the mirror,” Read responded.
“Look at the damage it’s doing to the game, that stuff.
“Look at the damage it’s doing to fans.
“That bloke, he’s lost the plot.
“I reckon it’s embarrassing that a coach would say that.
“That’s embarrassing.”
Rothfield explained that the coach didn’t like diving in the game, but felt he had no choice but to give his players that instruction.
“The coach said it to me, Ready, because he hates it as much as anyone else, but the bottom line is, he has to win football games, Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday,” Rothfield added.
Read interjected.
“If he hates it, he can help stop it,” Read said.
“I guarantee you all the other coaches do the same thing,” Rothfield replied.
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It comes after Storm captain Harry Grant was accused of diving at a crucial stage in Melbourne’s thrilling 22-18 win over the Panthers on Thursday night.
With scores locked at 18-all with just under three minutes remaining in regular time, Panthers skipper Nathan Cleary had a potentially match winning field goal disallowed.
Referee Ashley Klein penalised the Panthers because he believed Moses Leota was blocking Grant from getting to Cleary.
To rub salt into the wound for the Panthers, Grant scored the match sealing try in golden point extra time.
