The National Rugby League (NRL) has issued a caution to Mitchell Moses, the captain of the Parramatta Eels, regarding his conduct towards referee Peter Gough during the recent match against the Wests Tigers. This warning serves as a reminder for Moses to maintain a level of respect when interacting with match officials.

During the contest, Moses made mild, non-aggressive contact with Gough on multiple occasions while discussing various officiating choices. Despite acknowledging that the referees were not to blame for the Eels’ narrow 22-20 loss in the heated golden-point finish on Easter Monday, Moses received a formal notification from the league the following morning.

This notification is a formal reprimand intended to encourage Moses to communicate respectfully with officials, but it does not include any penalties such as fines or suspensions. Throughout the match, Moses exhibited frustration with the officiating, particularly in the first half.

In a concerning incident, Eels center Sean Russell sustained a concussion after colliding heads with Heamasi Makasini. He was subsequently penalized and reported for his actions in rushing out of the defensive line. The Tigers capitalized on this unusual series of events, scoring their first try when Adam Doueihi received a flick pass from Kai Pearce-Paul.

Before the Tigers’ next try, Pearce-Paul appeared to illegally strip the ball from Brian Kelly during a three-man tackle. As the Eels were trailing 12-10, they sought to regain the lead just before halftime, with makeshift center Jack Williams charging down the right flank. He was brought down by Doueihi mere inches from the try line and was ultimately ruled to have knocked on, despite potential interference from Tigers hooker Api Koroisau.

Referee Gough advised Moses against using his captain’s challenge to dispute this incident, as he had not called for the tackle to be held prior to Williams dropping the ball. “There was no point in me challenging it because I was never going to win it,” Moses explained. “He pretty much told me not to challenge it because he said he didn’t call held. The refereeing is not why we lost… it has nothing to do with the ref.”

Coach Jason Ryles supported Moses’ perspective after the Eels squandered a 10-0 lead to lose in extra time. “The referees have a tough job; they are often placed in high-pressure situations,” he remarked. “If we had managed the end of our first half better, we wouldn’t have needed to worry about the referees.”