PARRAMATTA has apologised for any offence taken over coach Ricky Stuart's post-match outburst but have yet to decide if they'll contest the NRL's subsequent breach notice and $10,000 fine.
Stuart questioned the impartiality of referees in an expletive-laden tirade after his struggling team was hammered 12-4 in the penalty count, including 8-1 in the second half, and gave up a 22-8 lead to lose to Gold Coast on Sunday.
The club issued a statement today saying the club and Stuart "wish to apologise for any offence taken from the language used in the post-match press conference.''
The club said it had 10 days to respond to the breach notice and fine issued by the NRL on Monday and would use that time to review it.
In the outburst, Stuart claimed his side faced unfair adjudicating every week because his Eels are "easy to penalise".
He noted that the referees Adam Gee and Jason Robinson were the same pair who attracted criticism from Wests Tigers coach Mick Potter last week.
The former NSW and Test coach said his side was easy prey because it doesn't have the superstars who could milk penalties.
An exasperated Eels coach Ricky Stuart.
"It's only because they're a very easy team to penalise," Stuart said. "We don't have any of the higher-profile players where you can milk the penalty.
"It's bullshit. I just feel so sorry for the players.
"I really don't know where Daniel Anderson and these referees are taking the game. There are referees there that are interpreting a different game of football to other referees."
Stuart agreed his side did concede fair penalties, he just couldn't fathom the opposition were not guilty of indiscretions.
And he said his captains - Reni Maitua and Jarryd Hayne - were unable to get clear explanations from officials.
"They were actual penalties, I'm not blowing up about that, but there's no way they were that clean," he said.
"It's just wrong. It was unfair tonight and I really feel sorry for the players. That out there tonight was very, very obvious.
"Jarryd and Reni, they go to the referee, they ask for an explanation and they get an explanation in friggen Spanish. There's no explanation to a lot of the actual rulings.
"The game is turning into a surrender, dive on the ground, play the ball, let's go again. It's getting into the Super League era. It's going backwards."
A key argument by Stuart was a Chris Sandow pass to Kelepi Tanginoa being ruled forward early in the second half.
"The pass was too good for the ref," he said. "You talk first-grade standards. Everybody has to get to first-grade standards. We sit here and have to front the media. Well, get those referees in here to talk about their bullshit errors."
NRL General Manager of Football Operations Nathan McGuirk said: "Coaches are allowed to question or criticise decisions but there are some clear boundaries that every club should be aware of."
"We believe that on this occasion those boundaries were breached."
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