Sydney Roosters captain James Tedesco is facing scrutiny over his interactions with referees during the team’s 32-14 loss to the New Zealand Warriors on Friday night, a game where the Roosters conceded 11 penalties to the Warriors’ four. The scrutiny comes as the National Rugby League (NRL) reiterated its expectations for player conduct towards officials, and clarified areas of focus for referees in the opening rounds of the 2026 season.
According to a memo distributed to clubs by NRL Head of Football, Bernard Fairleigh, referees have been instructed to pay closer attention to players failing to clear the play-the-ball area, resulting in set restarts. The memo detailed that reviews of recent games showed defenders were not adequately clearing the area, an infraction that should have resulted in more set restarts being awarded.
Tedesco’s repeated questioning of referee Wyatt Raymond during the match has been highlighted as an example of inappropriate player-official interaction. Fairleigh’s memo stated that while captains are permitted to seek clarification on decisions, they should not repeatedly dispute calls. “There is an appropriate time for the Captain to speak with the referee. Please ensure that when the Captain speaks with the referee, it is to clarify the decision, not to dispute it,” the memo read.
The increased focus on referee interaction follows a round one that saw a significant rise in penalties and set restarts. Across the opening eight games of the 2026 Premiership Season, an average of eight set restarts, and 11.5 penalties were awarded per game, a substantial increase from the 2025 average of 5.9 set restarts and 10.7 penalties. A new rule applying “six agains” from the 20-metre line for ruck breaches has contributed to the increase, with round one seeing a 35 percent jump in set restarts.
The influx of set restarts has drawn criticism from rugby league greats, including Andrew Johns, Laurie Daley, and Brad Fittler, who questioned the impact on game flow. Queensland Origin coach Billy Slater acknowledged the teething issues with the new interpretations but emphasized the require for clubs to adapt. “Some teams, they practice a certain way the whole off-season, then they get to round one and those interpretations are different to what they’d been practicing,” Slater said on The Sunday Footy Show. “They’ve got to move to the standard of the game… If you’re holding [ball carriers] down longer than that, it’s easy to supply a six again against you… I watched all those infringements and they’re all warranted.”
Beyond player-referee interactions and set restarts, the NRL memo also flagged contact on players after they have passed the ball as an area of increased scrutiny. Fairleigh’s message indicated that several instances in round one where a halfback was contacted late after passing should have resulted in penalties, but did not. The NRL has indicated this will be a key focus moving forward.
The Roosters are scheduled to play the Rabbitohs on March 13th, and the team will be under pressure to demonstrate improved discipline following the weekend’s penalty count and the subsequent scrutiny of their captain’s conduct.
