Newcastle coach Wayne Bennett claims Ivan Cleary's inflammatory comments cost Knights prop Kade Snowden an extra week's suspension - and has hit out at the NRL for not taking action against the Penrith mentor.
Bennett accused the NRL of failing to back up its tough talk after coaches had been threatened with fines if they attempted to influence the match review committee.
Snowden on Tuesday accepted a two-week ban after pleading guilty to a grade two dangerous contact charge for running with a raised knee.
At the press conference following Sunday's game, Cleary claimed the incident left his player - back-rower Adam Docker - with a fractured cheekbone.
Docker has since been named to play against Cronulla on Sunday.
Bennett was adamant Cleary's comments had accentuated Snowden's ban, believing he could have got away with a grade one charge.
"I've got a fair bit of concern about it actually, particularly when the NRL talked pretty tough about coaches not commenting on judiciary," Bennett told reporters.
"I've got no doubt at all he got Kade the extra week.
"Kade lifted his knee, I'm not disputing that - Ivan came to the press conference, he was very condemning about the action and he had a player with a broken cheekbone.
"As it will turn out the player's playing this weekend and our player's doing time - he'll do an extra week for it anyway.
"What we all do know is that the NRL is extremely influenced by the media and by coaches and their comments."
Bennett said the reluctance of the NRL to punish Cleary was just one of his grievances with the system, which include the disincentive to challenge charges.
Snowden faced adding an extra week to his ban had he challenged the charge and been unsuccessful at the judiciary.
The Knights can ill-afford to be without their premier prop, with the club walking the finals tight rope with a host of other teams.
They face the high-flying Sydney Roosters on Sunday, Snowden to miss that match and the home game against Brisbane.
"There's a lot of great merits about it (the judiciary system) but it does stop you from your rights contesting it, because you lose it - as we did with Jeremy Smith - and you get an extra two weeks," Bennett said.
"This stage of the year we don't want to lose Kade for any more than we have to."
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