FOX Sports chief NRL reporter James Hooper has revealed NRL Head of Football Todd Greenberg is “furious” with the NRL’s match review committee for failing to pick up two instances of players touching referees over the first two rounds.

Penrith star Trent Merrin controversially avoided a charge for touching the referee in Penrith’s loss to the Bulldogs — the same match that could cost David Klemmer a two match ban if he fails in his attempt to get off with a not guilty plea at the judiciary on Wednesday night.

However, that hasn’t been the only case missed so far this season, with Fox Sports show NRL Tonight revealing Corey Norman had also escaped charge after touching an official in Parramatta’s round one clash with the Broncos — an incident which was clearly picked up in game vision.

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With the NRL obviously keen to move forward with a hard line stance on the issue, Hooper said Greenberg was “peeling the paint off the wall” at NRL headquarters, with the match review committee on the receiving end of some choice words.

“It’s human error, the match review missed (the Norman incident),” Hooper said on NRL Tonight.

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“The same goes with the Trent Merrin incident.

“I can tell you that NRL Head of Football Todd Greenberg has been peeling the paint off the walls at HQ in at Moore Park because he’s furious that the people who are in these positions and are supposed to pick up these type of incidents have made a mistake.”

Corey Norman grabs the referee by the arm in round one. Source: Supplied

While Merrin and Norman have got off without charge, Klemmer and Norman were both hit with grade one contrary conduct charges for incidents involving match officials in round two.

Roberts entered an early guilty plea, which allowed him to escape suspension, but due to past offences Klemmer will miss two matches if Canterbury’s decision to contest the charge doesn’t come off.

Hooper gives Klemmer little chance of success.

“The Bulldogs might as well not show up because the NRL has made its position clear in relation to these types of issues,” Hooper said.

“It’s hard line, they’re not going to accept it and I believe this is a great way for the game to go in terms of showing the match officials the respect they deserve but it needs to be across the board consistent, not haphazard.”

Hooper continued that the NRL needed to tighten up the process of identifying contrary conduct charges before inconsistencies blight the season.

“It’s a laughing stock, isn’t it and sadly the NRL — you can’t leave yourself open to conjecture like this,” he said.

“If you are going to go down the road of contrary conduct charges for touching match officials, which in my view is the right way to go, then it needs to be right across the board.

“You can’t have some players getting away with it and some players getting charged.”