Australian and NSW lock Trent Merrin has leapt to the defence of his banned Panthers teammate Sam McKendry, lashing the NRL's match review committee over double standards in the referee touching furore involving the Penrith prop and "the best player in the world".
Merrin singled out McKendry as being made "an example" of after he was handed a one-match ban for touching referee Jared Maxwell in the Panthers' narrow win over the Roosters on Monday night.
It came as images emerged of premiership winner Johnathan Thurston making contact with Ashley Klein a week earlier when the Cowboys rallied late to beat Penrith at Pepper Stadium.
The Thurston incident went unpunished by the match review committee.
"There's deadset been a few [players] in the last few weeks that have done the exact same thing and have been let off," Merrin said of the McKendry incident.
"I think they had to make an example sooner or later and they've done it with Sammy.
"They've just got to be consistent with what they do. You've got the best player in the world that touched the ref and doesn't get nothing, [but] someone else does it and they cop a week. I think there's a bit of inconsistency with that call. It just goes to explain my point."
Merrin, himself, was one of a number of players earlier in the season who avoided punishment for making contact with a referee during the NRL crackdown – even after Bulldogs prop David Klemmer was cited for a similar act only moments earlier in Canterbury's after-the-siren win against Penrith in round two.
McKendry's ban should pave the way for fringe forwards Elijah Taylor or Jeremy Latimore to be elevated onto the Panthers bench for their clash with the red-hot Sharks at Southern Cross Group Stadium on Sunday.
Ironically, it will be one of Merrin's last chances to retain his Australian jumper and line-up alongside Thurston for the Anzac Test with Cronulla skipper Paul Gallen, Merrin's NSW leader, eyeing a return to the Kangaroos squad.
Merrin was more comfortable though talking up the representative prospects of his baby Panthers teammates, who had no less than five stars part of the City Origin set-up under one of the club's favourite sons Brad Fittler last year.
"They've got a lot of character about them," Merrin said. "There's no egos ... they're level-headed guys. They all want to do well. It's great to have that vibe around the club.
"Not being cocky, but we've got a lot of young players here who will put on one of those [representative jerseys] in the future. They're willing to learn and they're learning quick. It can only get better with experience and age and if not this year, you'll see them wear a rep jersey in the years to come."
Merrin challenged Penrith, whose biggest margin in either victory or defeat has been just eight points through the opening seven rounds, to topple the Sharks at their own scrappy game as they plan to stay in the Shire the night before the clash.
"We're building a great grinding culture of playing tough footy," Merrin said. "If we can bring that on Sunday ... I don't think a team has really challenged Cronulla like that and put them into a really grinding game [this year]."
