The NRL’s head of football Graham Annesley has confirmed the decision to overrule a try for the Sydney Roosters on Thursday was incorrect.
The first half play saw Joseph Manu seemingly score the Roosters’ first try of the game having already watched the Panthers get out to a fast start with a pair of early tries.
But the bunker would eventually overrule the on-field decision for an obstruction.
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, running as a decoy, had cleared the defensive line, but eventually was deemed to have impeded Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards as he moved to make a covering and potentially try-saving tackle.
Commentators were left confused by the decision with Edwards being well away from the play and not in the defensive line at the point of contact with the Roosters’ forward.
Annesley, speaking to News Corp on Friday morning, wasted no time in confirming the decision from the bunker had been the incorrect one.
“Last week I supported two obstruction rulings by the Bunker,” Annesley told the publication.
“I talked about the need for the lead runner to continue through the defensive line, and for the play not to be turned back through the gap created by a collision with a defender.
“Neither of these factors were present in last night’s decision (for the Manu no-try).
“In the circumstances, the Bunker does have discretion to consider whether a defender could have prevented the try.
“In my opinion, the try would have been scored regardless and the on-field decision should not have been overturned”.
The obstruction rule has long been a grey area for the NRL, with the competition often struggling for consistency on rulings from week to week.
Video referee Chris Butler had awarded a try for Sunia Turuva just minutes earlier despite Liam Martin interfering with Sitili Tupouniua on his lead run, and Roosters’ coach Trent Robinson had plenty to say about it in the post-game press conference.
“Sitili got knocked over in our one, and was he going to save the try? No, he wasn’t. I don’t think he (Edwards) would have got there either on Joey Manu,” Roosters coach Trent Robinson said.
“I feel like there were two different rulings in that case.
“I don’t want to blow it out of proportion too much, but sometimes they’re black and white with their decision, and then sometimes they’ve got the decision-making component and it varies on when they apply it. That’s probably what happened.
“They were black and white with the obstruction because Edwards changes his line as well, and so they were black and white with the call. But on the one where there was an obstruction, they leave it to interpretation.
“I don’t think we get it that wrong, to be honest. There are highlights because we scrutinise them well. It didn’t fall in our favour tonight, and it might at some point.”
Annesley had confirmed he was happy with Turuva’s try being awarded.
The scoreline wound up 22-16 in favour of the Panthers, with the two decisions proving contentious points out of the game.
