Five key points from NRL Round 8

ROBINSON'S SPRAY WELL OFF THE MARK

Trent Robinson's extraordinary attack on the officials after the Roosters fell agonisingly short against the Dragons on Anzac Day was likely a $10,000 mistake by a man clearly under pressure.

The 20-18 loss kept the Roosters firmly entrenched at the bottom of the NRL ladder at 1-7, and Robinson was not a happy chappy afterwards.

The Dragons were awarded a 50th minute penalty for what was ruled a late tackle on Mitch Rein by Kane Evans - the resulting two points from the penalty goal ultimately proving the difference between the sides.

Robinson was even more upset when Dylan Napa was put on report for a high tackle on Taane Milne in the dying minutes 30 metres out from the Dragons line.

"It was just soft on Anzac Day. We want to play a tough game and they were soft calls coming from the bunker, they were not good enough," Robinson said.

Robinson reckoned his side were denied a fair chance to win the game, but Dragons fans would beg to differ. In actual fact the Roosters were GIVEN a chance because of refereeing decisions.

In the lead up to their first try, Jake Friend threw a pass that travelled well forward.

They then scored their second try from a Ryan Matterson 'kick' that was actually a knock on due to the fact that the ball hit a Dragons player's leg before he got his boot to it.

Robinson was also angered about what he said were the Dragons' tactics of laying down for penalties, but Rein never returned to the field after his incident and Milne was clearly concussed.

TAYLOR'S TIME COMING TO AN END?

Another coach feeling the pressure is Wests Tigers mentor Jason Taylor.

The Tigers were woeful in conceding 60 points against Canberra on Saturday night, and critics are predicting the loss to be the beginning of the end for Taylor.

Stand-in co-captain Chris Lawrence was forced to address fan discontent at their only full on-field training session for the week on Monday, after a petition was started by Tigers fans calling for Taylor's head in the aftermath of a sixth straight loss.

"That performance had nothing do with him as coach," Lawrence said. "That's on us as players and we know that."

The Tigers have just five days to turn things around between Saturday's humiliatingly 60-6 defeat and Thursday's clash with a desperate South Sydney.

REFEREE CONTACT WON'T GO AWAY

The NRL's crackdown on players touching referees has continued with South Sydney halfback Adam Reynolds the latest player stung by the NRL match review committee.

Reynolds was on Monday hit with a grade one contrary conduct charge for placing the back of his hand on referee Jared Maxwell's arm in a bid to get his attention in Friday's loss to Brisbane.

Reynolds becomes the fifth player charged with coming into contact with a match official this year, so why aren't they getting the message?

League legend Brad Fittler reckons the solution is to automatically sin-bin any player who makes contact with an official.

"What the ref should be doing is on the spot saying 'you touch me I'll do something about it' and put him in the sin bin."

The idea is unlikely to be adopted, but it would certainly make the players take notice.

EELS CRY FOUL, BUT WHY?

Speaking of the sin-bin, Parramatta will ask NRL referees boss Tony Archer for a please explain in the wake of Corey Norman being sent for 10 minutes in their 32-16 loss to North Queensland.

Coach Brad Arthur declared that fans had been robbed of an even contest in the wake of his five-eighth's sin-binning for a professional foul on Michael Morgan.

But once again, it's hard to agree.

Norman clearly pulled Morgan off the ball as he was about to ground it for a try. It wasn't enough for the video referees to award a penalty try, but it was an obvious professional foul and the sin-binning call was an easy one.

Arthur bemoaned the lack of consistency from the whistle-blowers, but we saw the exact same circumstances last week when Melbourne's Richie Kennaa was binned for taking Chris Lawrence out and preventing a possible try.

Where's the inconsistency?

ANOTHER TIGHT LOSS FOR THE PANTHERS

Penrith's 20-18 loss against the Sharks was their third two-point loss of the season, continuing an extraordinary run of close matches.

All eight of their games this season have been decided in the final five minutes, yet they've only enjoyed three victories.

Their plight is actually an illustration of the underrated importance of goalkicking, with the Panthers outscoring the Sharks four tries to three but Jamie Soward only managing one goal.

with AAP