Payten raised multiple referee decisions in his post-match press conference, taking specific issue with Cowboys winger Murray Taulagi being penalised for a high shot on Liam Henry, who slipped into the contact.

The Panthers scored from the set that followed.

Payten was incensed that Cowboys centre Viliami Vailea was not awarded a penalty minutes later after being flattened by Tom Jenkins in cover defence.

The collision left Vailea in pain on the ground.

“Murray Taulagi got a penalty where a bloke fell into his chest and then Viliami Vailea, less than five minutes later, got his head taken off,” Payten said.

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“It was right in front of the touch judge, and there was no call there. That was wrong. There was also a flop … on the 40-metre line. Any later and it would’ve been tomorrow.”

The Cowboys coach will formally complain to the NRL this week, but claimed on Saturday night that he’d never allow a player to get away with as many mistakes as he feels the referees make.

“It’s so frustrating, we want consistency, and we’re not getting it. I’m confused what’s a high shot and what’s not. I’m sure everyone else is,” he said.

“I’ll talk to the NRL through the week, go through the right channels, but it’s just white noise. ‘Yeah, we got that wrong’. But no one’s held accountable for it.

“If it’s my player making error after error or a couple of howlers, then there’s a fair chance he’s not in the team.”

Payten also intimated that Penrith five-eighth Blaize Talagi threw a forward pass to Isaiah Papali’i ahead of the visitors’ first try.

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