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North Queensland NRL coach Paul Green says his battling club needs some calls to go their way after a third successive single-digit loss.
He was told to zip his mouth by opposing coach Paul McGregor, but North Queensland's Paul Green is continuing to question calls against his struggling NRL club.
Green was adamant a 45th-minute tackle on Michael Morgan from the Dragons' Tariq Sims, which led to to the Cowboys' captain missing the rest of Friday's match in Wollongong, was both late and high.
"They threw it up in the NRL about protecting ball players after they play, but they see it a different way there tonight," Green said
No penalty was awarded and McGregor said he was comfortable with the tackle and that Green "blows up about a fair bit" and has a "lot to say."
Friday's 22-14 loss in Wollongong was the Cowboys' third straight close defeat and Green also took issue with a try disallowed with just over a minute left.
"Again we get a try taken off for us for a forward pass which I'm a bit bemused by, I can't see how that was a forward pass from where I was sitting, but they seem to find them against us so that's frustrating," Green said.
"Given the closeness of the competition, for us in particular with the injuries we've got, we need a couple of those calls to start going our way.
"I think the bye is a good time for us to have a break and hopefully get a couple of players back after that."
The Cowboys' attack lacked direction and penetration once they lost Morgan, who was instrumental in setting up their two first-half tries.
"Through that middle period when the game was ebbing and flowing, I thought we just needed to play a bit more footy," Green said.
"Our forwards aimed up but losing Morgo obviously made a huge difference to that and we just needed to probably find a pass there, ask a few questions just to break the game up a little bit."
Green was encouraged by the effort of new fullback Scott Drinkwater, who showed plenty of speed in scoring a good try in his first match since moving across from Melbourne Storm.
"He only had three sessions with us this week, there was some really good touches from him and he'll be better for it." Green said.