Is it even an NRL grand final without some sort of refereeing controversy?
Last year, Canberra felt justifiably cruelled by the infamous phantom “six-again” call, when Ben Cummins appeared to call gesture for a six-again call, only for the call — if it was ever made — to be changed.
This year, the most controversial call did not impact the result as Melbourne Storm beat the Penrith Panthers 26-20 — although it came mighty close to sparking the greatest grand final comeback of all time and had an enormous impact on the score.
So what did the Bunker get wrong. And what did it get right?
Should the Storm have been awarded a penalty try?
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.WatchDuration: 2 minutes 51 seconds2m 51sTyrone May was judged to have kicked the ball out of Justin Olam’s hands
The first incident in the match that required scrutiny was the decision to award the Storm a penalty try after just three minutes.
The Storm were awarded the try by the Bunker after it was adjudged that Tyrone May kicked the ball out of Justin Olam’s hands.
So what does the NRL ruling say?
The Referee (or Review Officials) may award a penalty try if, in his opinion, a try would have been scored but for the unfair play of the defending team.
So, essentially, if the Bunker referee, Steve Chiddy, felt that May was guilty of unfair play, the penalty try was justified.
“Tyrone May has used the foot to kick the ball out of the possession of Justin Olam,” Chiddy said.
“In our opinion, we believe a try would have been scored.”
In previous instances where players have kicked the ball out of a player’s hand, it has been deemed an “unfair play”.
The on-field referee Gerard Sutton told Panthers captain James Tamou that May was not allowed to aim a kick at the ball.
As a result, the Storm were awarded the first penalty try in a grand final since 2013.
Should Josh Mansour’s disallowed try have stood?
Shortly after that first decision, Josh Mansour looked like he had hit back immediately for the Panthers.
Mansour dived over dramatically in the corner in the 8th minute of the contest after the Panthers worked the ball to the left sideline.
Josh Mansour thought he had scored for Penrith, but was denied due to obstruction.(AAP: Dan Himbrechts)
However, Sutton immediately called upon the Bunker to check for an obstruction by Stephen Crichton.
What does the NRL rule guide say about obstruction?
There are grey areas here, but these are the five reasons listed in the 2020 NRL rules interpretations.
(a) ‘Block’ or ‘Flat’ runner[s] (who do not receive the ball) must not stop in the middle of the defensive line
(b) ‘Block’ or ‘Flat’ runner[s] (who do not receive the ball) must not run at (chest or outside shoulder of) defender[s] and initiate contact
(c) The Referee or Review Officials can determine the significance of contact initiated by the ‘Block’ or ‘Flat’ runner[s] (who does not receive the ball) in impeding a defender’s involvement in a try scoring play.
In this instance, Crichton ran into the line, hitting Storm centre Brenko Lee on his outside shoulder.
The referees said Crichton denied Lee the opportunity to close down Viliame Kikau, who passed to Mansour, who scored.
In the Bunker, Chiddy said that he was, “happy that the ball was caught outside the lead runner,” satisfying one of the criteria for playing on.
However, he then said that the try should not be awarded, saying: “Stephen Crichton has run past the outside shoulder of Brenko Lee and affected his ability to defend the play.”
So, Chiddy ruled that Crichton initiated contact with the defender (Lee), stopping him from attempting to make a tackle to stop the try.
Was there obstruction in the Panthers first try?
At 26-0 down early in the second half, the Panthers seemed down and out of the contest.
However, in the 52nd minute, Penrith were to receive a welcome shot in the arm.
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.WatchDuration: 2 minutes 53 seconds2m 53s
Brian To’o’s controversial try sparked the Panthers’ revival
Brian To’o dotted down in the corner after Isaah Yeo stabbed a kick in behind the Melbourne defence.
Cameron Munster instantly held his arms out, appealing for the obstruction, an appeal that seemed reasonable based on the replays.
Referee Sutton said “no try” and asked for the Bunker to check whether the defence had been disadvantaged by the inside runner.
On Fox Sports coverage, Braith Anasta described the move as “an old-fashioned shepherd”.
“Although no player is taken out, you can’t do it, “Ansata said. “He runs behind his own player.”
However, in the Bunker, Chiddy shocked pundits by saying: “Isaah Yeo is kicking the ball, not clearly on the outside of the, sorry on the inside of the defender and has not disadvantaged the defender.”
On Channel 9’s coverage, Andrew Johns was scathing.
“If they award a try here, they don’t know the rules,” Johns said.
Phil Gould agreed, “They’ve got the rules wrong. The bunker’s wrong. Yeo has clearly run behind Capewell.”
So what does the rule actually say?
Ball Carriers must not run behind an active ‘Block’ or ‘Flat’ runner[s] and disadvantage the defensive line.
So although the pundits were right in saying that Yeo, the ball carrier, ran behind Capewell, the block runner, Chiddy felt that the defensive line was not put at a disadvantage.
He may have felt that Yeo had got rid of the ball before the defender, Kenneath Bromwich could have got to him.
The pundits, however, were not impressed.
“Everyone who knows the game knows that that is not a try. You cannot do that,” Johns said.
On Fox, Anasta was also of the opinion that the try should not have been awarded.
“It’s a great finish, but Isaah Yeo goes behind Capewell, which therefore affects the outside decisions of Olam and Addo-Carr to come up past the footy.
“I’m perplexed by that decision.”
That gift from the Bunker helped get the Panthers started on mounting an extraordinary comeback.
It made for a dramatic finale to a tense grand final, but upon reflection, the officials might be thankful that the Panthers did fall just short.
Source:: ABC News
