Irate Manly coach Des Hasler asked if the NRL was turning into American football after two forward passes were allowed to go unchecked as Parramatta pulled off a Jarryd Hayne-inspired 24-20 comeback win over the Sea Eagles.
Down 20-0 early in the second half, the lethargic Eels suddenly burst into life to score 24 unanswered points to steal an amazing game at Parramatta Stadium.
It's the second week in a row Manly has given up a big lead in surrendering a game, going down 26-22 to Wests Tigers in Round 1 after leading 20-4 just on the hour.
While Hasler stomached that loss, he was in no mood to forgive match officials for overlooking two blatant forward passes which led to Parramatta's penultimate try to Joel Reddy six minutes from the end.
The Sea Eagles mentor was also upset that his side failed to earn a penalty just before the try after fullback Ben Farrar was challenged by Hayne under a high kick, sarcastically offering to pay for the two touch judges to visit an optometrist.
"I'll personally pay for those two touchies to visit OPSM and get a check-up because I didn't know we'd reverted to gridiron - not once, but twice - at a pretty critical part of the game," Hasler said.
"In my eyes it's a turnover for a forward pass and a penalty going the other way."
Hasler's fury over the standard of refereeing in general over the first two rounds is shared by many of his coaching contemporaries.
Tough policing of the play-the-ball area is causing particular consternation, with many criticising referees for their lack of 'feel' for a game.
"I'm a coach, that's for our leadership group - that's for (NRL chief executive) David Gallop to have a look at," Hasler replied when asked if refereeing standards were a major problem.
"That's what he's there for. There's no point asking me."
But the winless and bottom-of-the-table Sea Eagles only have themselves to blame for blowing a certain two points for the second week running.
Hayne was simply brilliant, instigating one of Parra's four tries from his own in-goal, and throwing the final pass for Eric Grothe's match-sealer three minutes from the end
"Its just momentum really and some crucial decisions that went against us," Hasler said.
"They (the players) know the score. We have to win next week (against Newcastle)."
Parramatta coach Daniel Anderson forgot the old mantra about it being a team game to hail Hayne's majestic performance.
"Phenomenal, just unbelievable. He (Hayne) just single-handedly turned the game in my opinion," Anderson said.
"He basically wrestled the game out of Manly and into his own possession and we went with him. We've had some really big contributors, but Jarryd has been the main man."
"It's hard to say what Jarryd does in words."