Corey Bocking, the trainer for the Penrith Panthers, is facing backlash for allegedly denying the Gold Coast Titans a victory in a match against his team due to what has been called ‘pathetic sportsmanship’ on Saturday.

The Titans had achieved an impressive feat, securing five tries within 25 minutes, leading the score at 26-24 late in the game. In a critical moment, Bocking ran in front of the Titans’ kicker, Jayden Campbell, as he prepared for a conversion attempt.

Campbell missed the kick after having to re-set himself. Had he converted, the score would have been 28-24 with just four minutes to play.

Adding to the situation, footage from Fox Sports’ match coverage captured Bocking seemingly smiling as he passed Campbell, disrupting his focus for the goal attempt. 

Afterwards, Titans coach Des Hasler said he didn’t know whether the incident cost his team the game – but fans had no such doubts.

One user on X shared, ‘Titans were robbed. Seeing the Panthers trainer run right in front of Jayden Campbell as he was about to kick is infuriating. That clear interference should nullify the Panthers’ outcome.’

‘Ban the trainer for 12 months, fine Penrith, and dock them the two competition points. Absolutely pathetic sportsmanship and it’s not the first time they’ve done it. Send a clear message that it won’t be tolerated,’ another added.

‘Whatever happens here, the Titans have been absolutely dudded. Fox will wax lyrical about Cleary, but Campbell should have had a conversion attempt from in front,’ a third said.

‘Great kick by Cleary but Penrith trainer running across the conversion line like he did negates anything from this game. He knew what he was doing, no excuses,’ added another.

Asked about the incident after the match, Hasler said, ‘Did it cost us the game? I don’t know.

‘He will get breached. That’s the only thing that’s going to come out of it.’

Penrith coach Ivan Cleary insisted that Bocking’s actions were not deliberate.

‘He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We had a sub and I changed it at the last minute,’ he said.

‘He was trying to communicate with the bench for a late change. It was an honest mistake. He apologised straight away.’

The NRL will review Bocking’s actions on Monday, with a breach notice expected to be sent to the Panthers 

Another Penrith trainer was caught in an underhanded act earlier this year.

Shane Elford was busted wetting the football in Penrith’s 30-all draw with North Queensland in May, in an attempt to make the ball harder to handle for the opposition just before the Panthers kicked off.

A video taken by a fan showed Elford pouring water from a bottle onto the Steeden seconds before Dylan Edwards put boot to ball.

Cowboys coach Todd Payten said his coaching staff had spotted the trainer doing the same thing throughout the contest.

‘He did it before every kick-off,’ Payten said.

The win over the Titans gave the Panthers an eighth consecutive victory to leave the four-time defending premiers on 29 competition points, just one behind the fourth-placed Warriors.

In an ominous omen, Penrith have made the grand final on all five occasions (2003 and 2020-2024) they have previously won eight in a row.

They were cruising at halftime but Gold Coast had other ideas.

Brimson sent centre Brian Kelly in before Campbell intercepted a Cleary pass to race 90m and get the 16th-placed Titans on the board.

Campbell was at it again to step and weave his way through and hooker Sam Verrills dived over from dummy-half. Minutes later Phil Sami finished off a Brimson bust and the lead had been cut to two.

Sami was in again after Penrith muffed a Kieran Foran bomb and Gold Coast led with six minutes to play.

‘I thought they showed a lot of character,’ Hasler said.

‘We got back to 26-24 and it is probably fair to say we deserved to win but great players come up with clutch moments.’