ROOSTERS back-rower Anthony Tupou last night insisted he was not with NSW teammate Greg Bird when police handcuffed the Blues five-eighth and placed him in the back of a police car in the wild aftermath to Origin II.

It is understood reports of Tupou's drinking with Bird at the Uber bar in the Brisbane suburb of West End until 4.30am on Thursday privately angered some Roosters officials.

But after starring in his side's 32-12 win against Penrith - his 100th match for the club - all seemed forgiven, with coach Brad Fittler telling Tupou beforehand: "If you have a big game, everything's sweet."

"I was drinking - but I was sweet," Tupou told the Herald. "I was out for a long time, although I probably shouldn't have been. I didn't drink that much, though. I had a couple of beers because there was an Origin function after."

It had been widely believed that Tupou was with Bird when he was handcuffed as part of a "practical joke" by police following a brawl that led to three arrests at the nightclub and has Bird in dispute with Queensland Justice Minister Judy Spence. "I didn't see what happened [with Bird]," Tupou said. "I was at the same club but didn't see it. I heard what had happened. There was no fight in the nightclub. Not when I was there. I didn't see anything like that."

Just as he had fired against Canberra in round nine less than a day after a long drinking session with Kangaroos and Roosters teammate Willie Mason following the Centenary Test, Tupou played a leading hand against the Panthers. His no-look pass in the 37th minute to send fullback Anthony Minichiello over the line was pure class.

"I said to him, 'If you have a big go I'm not going to ask any questions'," Fittler said, smiling. "He had a big go, so I'm not going to ask any questions. I still don't know if he was drinking. You'd want to find that out. But, like I said, he was with NSW and under the NSW policy. As long as they come back good the next day."

Penrith coach Matt Elliott refused to blame contentious refereeing - as well as a horrendous injury toll that will leave Josh Bateman's season in tatters and could also wreck Luke Priddis's - for the defeat last night. His sights were aimed squarely at the players, admitting "dumb decisions" had hampered them.

"I'm proud of the guys and I think they need to be proud of the courage they showed, but equally, I don't want a team that's admired for their courage as we slip down the competition ladder," Elliott said. "We're a smarter team than what we showed.

"We're just putting ourselves under far too much pressure, and it's got to come back to some personal accountability."

Back-rower Trent Waterhouse added: "We just lost the plot."

But they did lose four players through injury. Lock Bateman ruptured his pectoral muscle, ruling him out for the season, while hooker Priddis was "hopeful" he had not torn his anterior cruciate ligament, an injury that would rule him out for the season and potentially end the 31-year-old's career.

Elliott said he had more likely suffered medial ligament damage, with a two-month break the likely result, although he could not rule out the worst-case scenario. Centre Michael Jennings is also likely to be sidelined for more than a month with an ankle injury.

Still, Elliott said: "Under those circumstances, it is possible not to make dumb decisions in attack.

"[And] some of the penalties we gave away were Penrith of 2007 tonight. We gave the ref no choice. We can't do that."