Canberra Raiders head coach Ricky Stuart has handed the NRL a serve over inconsistencies in deciding which players are allowed to use representative games as part of a suspension.
The Raiders and Stuart were knocked back over an application to have Sebastian Kris use the NRL All Stars game last weekend as part of the suspension which will start his season for an offence at the end of 2023.
Meanwhile, the NRL has approved South Sydney Rabbitohs' development player Jacob Gagai in his bid to have the game count as part of a suspension picked up at the end of the 2023 NSW Cup season, which will enable him to line up in Round 1 against the Manly Sea Eagles in Las Vegas, with the youngster to replace Tyrone Munro who is out injured.
The Rabbitohs originally slammed the NSWRL's decision to not allow Gagai to use the All Stars match - which was won by the Indigenous team in Townsville on Friday - as part of his suspension.
Stuart has now told News Corp that he wants a proper jusitifcation from the NRL as to why Kris, who is a Top 30 player with representative matches under his belt, is unable to do the same, given he could have played for both teams with Indigenous Australia and Maori descent.
“I just hope I can get a proper justification on the inconsistency and not some feeble response,” Stuart told The Daily Telegraph.
“I have a proud Torres Strait Island boy wanting to know why the All Stars game is not deemed important enough to serve part of his suspension as it has for other individuals.
“He has missed a semi-final and three international games for his country and All Stars game, which he was desperately keen to play in.
“We will go through the right channels on Monday with the NRL to ask where the consistency is.”
There is precedent to have the decision overturned given Gagai's was overruled on complaint by South Sydney, although it's unclear what, if any, chance the Raiders are of having the call overturned.
The Roosters are also reportedly frustrated given Jared Waerea-Hargreaves wasn't allowed to have the All Stars game count towards his long suspension at the start of the 2023 season.