Eels rail against ‘unfair’ suspension of Spencer Leniu

“He’s able to use the World Cup to serve his ban and play in round one for the Knights,” Rush said.

“So they are getting a benefit from the World Cup, and we’re being punished.

“When I say punished, I don’t mean that it’s unjust - what [Leniu] did was wrong. But Angus Crichton got a game and he was able to play.

“It’s frustrating. I’m not having a crack at anyone, it’s a consequence that nobody has looked at, where previously they have been able to serve it [during the pre-season] and now they are not. It’s not malicious or done to see players suffer, but it should have been looked at before, in my opinion.”

Rush’s stance comes as the Eels returned to training and the club took a light-hearted dig at the PNG Chiefs’ for being able to attract recruits with federal government tax-free dollars. Parramatta posted a clip on social media of its players running laps with the caption: “When we get exhausted at work and we want to give up, we remember who we do all this for.” The screen then reverts to a logo for the Australian Taxation Office.