The final penalty count in the Heritage Round clash between the traditional rivals was 11-6 in Souths' favour but at one stage in the second half it stood at 8-1. The Rabbitohs, in the meantime, were able to surge to a 20-0 lead there was no way back for a Dragons team out on their feet. Dragons fullback Josh Dugan is brought under control against South Sydney at the SCG. Credit:Getty Images Price said he was also confused by a disallowed try to Dugan in the first half, which he tagged "a big turning point". Dugan, back from a knee injury suffered in the Charity Shield between the two clubs in February, was ruled by video referees Bernard Sutton and Ben Galea not to have grounded the ball properly after collecting a Gareth Widdop chip. Dugan appeared to lose control of the ball but then get a hand to it as it touched the ground and while Price was adamant it was a try the officials were not convinced. He indicated he would speak to the referees' boss about the matter. "When you get your fullback get over the stripe and they say the ball came away from his hands - and it clearly showed he scored that try - it's something I need to take up with Tony Archer," Price said. "It was a big turnaround - they scored the next set and go 14-0 at half-time after all the possession they had at the back end of our field. It's frustrating.

Price believed Souths were not subjected to the same level of scrutiny by on-field refs Gavin Badger and Alan Shortall as his side, saying referees were coaching Rabbitohs players to get straighter when at marker rather than penalise them. His criticism comes a week after Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson blasted referee Ben Cummins over an 11-2 penalty count against the premiers in an 8-0 defeat to Manly. "It was a 7-1 penalty count in that first half...i definitely thought there were parts of our discipline that let us down but I fully couldn't understand a couple of the other penalties especially in that first half," Price said. On his claims of leniency towards Souths defenders he added: "We were up in the box with the Sports Ears and there was over 30 times the second marker got called not square. Penalise him." Dragons captain Ben Creagh at one point of the match told Badger the run of seven penalties in a row was "unbelievable". "It was so frustrating, the variety of penalties that they were giving out," Creagh said. "He told me to go and tell my team to work on discipline. I'm not sure what to work on when there is seven different penalties were given in the first 30 minutes. It was tough. The amount of defence we did in the first half just killed us. We were out on our feet, on the back foot, and backpedalling.

"I felt some of the penalties were warranted and some of them I didn't know what they were for. It's hard too when the captain can't speak to the referees, can't get an explanation at times. I've just got to stand there and wait until a stoppage in play and at times I had to wait until a try was scored." Loading In a rare event both Dragons wingers were placed on report; Brett Morris for a shoulder charge on Jason Clark and Jason Nightingale for a high shot on Souths hooker Apisai Koroisau. Both incidents did not appear likely to result in any further action. "It's been a while since you've seen two wingers on report," Price said.