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After conceding a 89th minute goal to substitute Kwame Yeboah which saw the Mariners suffer the first loss of their title defence Arnold blasted the 'double-standard' in the A-League scheduling and said referee Ben Williams 'bullied' a linesman who had flagged for a penalty in the 13th minute in favour of the Mariners.

A clearly displeased Arnold was scathing in his assessment of Williams after he waved away assistant referee Greg Taylor's call for a handball against Brisbane defender James Donachie.

"It was a young linesman and if you are going to bully a young linesman and not listen to him then there is no use having him out there," an irate Arnold said.

"The young linesman flagged for a penalty.

"He waved the flag, he was trying to get the referee's attention and then he (Taylor) put it down.

"Everyone said it, even Fox Sports said it to me 'the linesman flagged for a penalty' but Ben Williams didn't want to see it.

"But they could have had one as well."

A livid Arnold had approached Williams at the break as the sides were heading to the sheds to question the decision.

For his part Roar boss Mike Mulvey said of the penalties: "The one that he (Arnold) thought he should have had I didn't think he should have had and the one I thought we should have had he didn't think we should have had."

"Both 50/50's, I don't think James played at the ball with the arm and I don't think Henrique was deliberating ankle-tapped.

"You've seen them given."

In addition to his criticism of the no penalty call, Arnold took the opportunity to query as to why his side was not playing next weekend.

The Mariners' round six fixture has been moved to mid-December due to the All Whites facing a two-legged playoff for a World Cup spot against Mexico starting at the Azteca Stadium on Thursday morning (AEDT) followed by the return leg in Wellington the week after.

"Wellington played in round one with six (All Whites) out," Arnold said.

"I don't know why it's good for one (international fixture) but not good all the time.

"It's the double standards that I don't understand.

"There are no FIFA dates in the A-League…but now we have got a FIFA date for Wellington."

Arnold wants the best for his Kiwi representatives and the All Whites side adding: "I really hope they qualify for our boys (Michael McGlinchey and Storm Roux who are in the NZ side), for Ricki Herbert and New Zealand football but in the A-League there is no FIFA dates so why have the FFA called our game off next weekend?"

Arnold also pointed out the domestic-based Socceroos are required to back up following their own mid-week fixture against Costa Rica.

Blasting the reasoning of not having a consistent policy for use of FIFA dates Arnold offered the following.

"No one has explained it to me... it might be a nice question that you journalists can ask the FFA because we don't get any answers," he said.

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