After a low-scoring match in which 24 penalties were blown and the winning team scored two of their three tries in controversial circumstances with defenders impeded, both the Rabbitohs and Titans coaches expressed some confusion over Monday night's refereeing.
The Titans eventually prevailed 14-10 but a 34th-minute try to winger David Mead included some contact in the lead-up close to the play from Mark Minichiello on Souths defender Kyle Turner, then when Williams Zillman scored in the 46th minute Minichiello was again involved, barrelling into Adam Reynolds to help open a gap for Zillman.
Afterwards, South Sydney coach Michael Maguire said he was left frustrated by the calls and by his side's own appalling error count, handing over the ball 17 times in 80 minutes.
"A couple of tries there, obstructions, it comes into play all the time," Maguire said.
"The second one there, Adam Reynolds got knocked clean over and they went straight into the hole there, I'm not quite sure what the ruling of that is but we didn't play well and we have to cop that on the chin."
Rabbitohs skipper John Sutton, who objected to the try ruling at the time, said after the game Minichiello had taken Reynolds out.
"I think both times that created the hole so I definitely thought they were both worth a look," he said.
Titans coach John Cartwright was also left scratching his head after being on the wrong end of a 14-10 penalty count.
"It's hard to comment after without watching the whole game again but there were certainly times there I was scratching my head with some of the decisions that were made," he said.
"You just worry about consistency. When they pull the penalties out and how often they pull them out.
"The toughest one was when William [Zillman] came off for a head [knock] and they didn't give him time to make a change and we had to defend the line with 12 men. I'll have to check the rules but I'm pretty sure they have to give you time to get your man out on the field or at least take his place in the line but they played on pretty much as he was still getting off the field."
