NRL admits blunder that cost Wests Tigers victory over Cowboys but refuses to apologise

The NRL has spoken out after the Wests Tigers’ controversial last-gasp loss to the Cowboys and it’s a final kick in the guts for Tigers fans.

The NRL has admitted video referee Ashley Klein blundered in Sunday’s match-changing decision against Wests Tigers – but the governing body has refused to apologise.

NRL head of football elite competitions, Graham Annesley, conceded Klein’s ruling which allowed North Queensland a match-winning penalty was “wrong.”

Annesley wouldn’t reveal whether Klein would be dumped when match officials for round 20 are announced on Tuesday afternoon.

“We are just not satisfied that there was enough in that incident to warrant the decision of the bunker to award a penalty kick,” Annesley said.

“On review we believe that the on-field challenge at that point should have been dismissed by the bunker as an unsuccessful challenge.

“I’m the first to acknowledge that we believe that they got the decision wrong.”

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Ken Maumalo and the Tigers walk of dejected after a controversial loss. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty

Leading 26-25 with one second remaining, Tigers winger Asu Kepaoa was penalised for obstructing the Cowboys’ Kyle Feldt from the kick restart, leading to a penalty that North Queensland centre Valentine Holmes slotted to secure the win.

Annsesley explained how Klein’s interpretation of Kepaoa’s movement varied from NRL rules.

“If we examine the escort or under the laws of the game it is called an obstruction,” Annesley said.

“We have examined it carefully this morning and looked at all the available footage. Yes there was a collision, but we believe the Tigers player involved was heading towards the ball.

“He didn’t look over his shoulder to see who was coming behind him. Yes, he ran a slightly strange line to head towards the ball, but he was heading towards the ball.

“These are matters of judgment from the officials.”

Despite conceding an error cost the Tigers victory, Annesley said there would be no apology.

Valentine Holmes celebrates kicking the winning penalty goal. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty

“I often see I reported that the NRL has apologised for refereeing errors but I have never stood here in four years (at the NRL) and apologised because I can’t apologise for people just making errors,” he said.

“They don’t do it deliberately. If someone did something deliberately then I’d be standing here apologising. My job is to try and explain it and give our verdict on whether we think it’s right or wrong and how we can try and avoid those situations happening again.

“I’ve never stood here and said I apologise to a club. It’s not because I’m insensitive to it but people don’t mean to make errors.”

Annesley was adamant the referee was correct in allowing the Cowboys to challenge the decision “for a number of reasons”, despite there being no clear break in play.

“The rules around a captain’s challenge is about whether you can challenge any decision by the referee to stop the game,” Annesley said.

“You won’t find any specific rule that is black and white about whether you can make a challenge if time has expired on the last tackle of the game.

“But in this particular case the referee blows the whistle after he has been told by the timekeeper that time has expired. He blows the whistle to stop play.

“That is obviously so the player in possession can’t just get up and play the ball and we continue on with another tackle.

“So he blows the whistle to stop play, but that is not the end of the game. That first whistle is not the full-time whistle. That is a whistle to stop play.

“We are comfortable that the captain’s challenge was allowable in these circumstances.”

‘Cost us victory’: Tigers lodge official complaint

Furious Wests Tigers officials have lodged an official complaint to the NRL, demanding answers over the bunker decision that cost them a win over North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville on Sunday.

The Cowboys were awarded a penalty with one second remaining on the clock after Tigers centre Asu Kepaoa was ruled to have committed an ‘escort infringement’ by bunker official Ashley Klein.

Cowboys centre Valentine Holmes kicked the penalty goal to win the game, prompting a bitter backlash from commentators and Tigers fans. Tigers officials have threatened legal action and on Monday morning they released a statement demanding answers from head office.

“We believe the officials got it wrong, plain and simple,” said chief executive Justin Pascoe.

“That decision has cost us victory and we want answers. Our players worked their backsides off all night to celebrate Jimmy’s (Tamou’s) 300th game, and they are to be applauded for their efforts.

The Tigers dejected after losing against the Cowboys (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

“I know officials also work hard to get it right, but this in our opinion was just so wrong. I have spoken to a number of very experienced players, former players, media commentators, and our own coaching staff, and everyone agrees it was the wrong call.

“I’m not here to bash officials, I know they are doing their best, but the bunker is there to avoid ‘howlers’.

“We would like an explanation from the NRL, and our members and fans deserve that.”

Tigers explore legal action

The Wests Tigers are exploring if they have legal grounds to dispute a disgraceful decision from video referee Ashley Klein that cost them a shock victory over North Queensland.

It was among the worst decisions from any match official this season and left Wests Tigers shattered.

The Tigers had scored twice inside the final five minutes to miraculously lead 26-25 when the match clock stopped at 79.55 after a Starford To’a try.

Check out every team’s Captains Challenge stats

A short Cowboys kick-off with just one second remaining was caught by Wests Tigers fullback Daine Laurie, his teammates celebrating the upset of the season.

Yet in a dramatic and heartbreaking moment, Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt chased the kick-off and ran into the back of Wests Tigers player Asu Kepaoa.

Kepaoa was running toward the ball and only watching the Steeden.

The Cowboys sought a captain’s challenge from referee Chris Butler which was granted, even though play had not stopped.

Klein unbelievably penalised Kepaoa for an escort, with Valentine Holmes kicking the penalty goal after the siren for a 27-26 win.

Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis was furious.

“I have spoken to Andrew Abdo and Peter V’landys and have informed them that we are reserving our position and that we will be considering all options available to us,” Hagipantelis told The Daily Telegraph.

“I voiced my objection and concerns with respect to what happened in the strongest possible terms.

“We owe it to our fans and members, but more importantly we owe it to our boys, who put in an incredible effort today and were denied their just rewards.

“They (NRL) acknowledged our position.”

Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe added: “It shouldn’t have happened. I’m confident that I speak for every Tigers fan and member, the fact that there was no decision to be challenged and then the decision itself, it is beyond comprehension.”

James Tamou speaks to the referee. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty

An NRL spokesperson said the Captains Challenge was permissible in these circumstances.

“The captain can challenge decisions by the referee to stop the play,” the spokesman said.

“Although the referee had blown his whistle to stop the game after the last tackle was completed as time had expired, he had not yet called full-time. “The whole concept of the Captains Challenge is to make sure any decision by the referee that stops the game can be reviewed. To not do so would effectively deny a team the right to have an officiating error corrected on the last play of a game just because time had expired.

“There are multiple examples of games continuing after time has expired following an infringement. These include incidences of foul play or other penalisable rule breaches.

“The obstruction decision itself will be reviewed as a matter of course on Monday.”

Commentators were stunned by the decision.

“Oh my god... are you serious?” fumed Fox Sports’ Greg Alexander. “He’s had a shocker in the box today, Ashley Klein, an absolute shocker.

If Annesley comes out and confirms the Cowboys had no right to challenge and the game was over. Is there grounds for a legal complaint to reverse the decision? I can’t see how it can stand, if it’s confirmed game was officially dead. #NRL

— Freddie Faraj (@FreddieFaraj) July 24, 2022

I don't support either of those teams but the @WestsTigers were robbed cold blooded. @NRL, WTF are you guys doing? You have all the damn technology to make the right calls but I guess you all lack in common sense. Absolutely bullshit#NRL#NRLCowboysTigers

— Brown Panda (@itsyourguybp) July 24, 2022

Thanks @NRL but I’m done. Might as well ask teams in the bottom half of the comp not to turn up it’s that obvious you don’t want us to beat top 8 teams 🤦‍♂️🙄#NRL#NRLCowboysTigers

— Alex Chisholm (@Chiso16) July 24, 2022

The @NRL needs to make sure that what happened tonight is a watershed moment for change in the way the sport is officiated just like other sports have done after similar moments of blown calls by officials. Need to make sure that something like this can never happen again. #NRL

— Yosef Mordechai Coleman (@yosecakes) July 24, 2022

“Was he saying Kepaoa went sideways? That is garbage. Did the referee stop play? Kepaoa is running toward the ball, he has no eyes for Kyle Feldt. I don’t think you can award a penalty. I want to hear them talk their way out of this one.”

Former Parramatta star Nathan Hindmarsh, added: “The Tigers have been robbed.”

Feldt was laughing on-field at his side’s miracle escape. Wests Tigers lock Jason Hastings was shaking his head in utter disbelief.

This should have been Wests Tigers’ greatest moment this season but officiating turned their moment of triumph into a nightmare.

“It’s a bad decision,” Fox Sports’ Matty Johns said.

Alexander added: “I haven’t seen anything like it. The team kicking-off with one second remaining to win the game.”

NRL great James Graham was stunned.

Poor Wests Tigers jumped the gun.

“That is a disgrace,” he said repeatedly on Triple M.

“That is a shocker. What are they challenging? The full-time whistle? They’re challenging the fact the full-time siren went.

“There is no decision to challenge. It’s just a tackle.

“That is a robbery – a balaclava, a sawn-off shotgun, and someone has gone up to Townsville and robbed the Tigers of two points.”

Interim Tigers coach Ben Gardiner said: “It’s not the decision I would have made. It was a moment of deflation. You can get upset and complain but it doesn’t change anything.”

An NRL spokesman said the decision to give North Queensland a captain’s challenge was correct.

Butler blew a “short whistle” to stop the game but fulltime hadn’t been called at that point. That, claim the NRL, was why the challenge was permitted. NRL head of elite competitions Graham Annelsey will review the actual decision to penalise Wests Tigers on Monday.

A Holmes field goal in the 73rd minute pushed North Queensland to a 25-18 lead before late tries to Tigers players Brent Naden, his second, and To’a seemingly gave the 16th-placed Tigers a stirring win over the second-placed Cowboys.

Even Wests Tigers’ social media team posted a 26-25 win on Twitter.

Gardiner, standing in for interim coach Brett Kimmorley, who has Covid, refused to blow up.

Wests Tigers winger Ken Maumalo was sin-binned and placed on report for a second-half shoulder charge and high contact on North Queensland half Tom Dearden.

There was controversy in the 63rd minute when a finger of Dearden went into the eye of To’a, whose eye immediately turned red. The incident will be scrutinised by the NRL match review committee.

It was heartbreak for Wests Tigers skipper James Tamou – professional, committed and well-liked – who was playing his 300th NRL game.

First-half tries to Naden, Kepaoa and Fa’amanu Brown gave Wests Tigers a 16-6 lead at halftime.

Luke Brooks threw two sublime passes which resulted in the tries to Kepaoa and Naden.

Originally published as NRL admits blunder that cost Wests Tigers victory over Cowboys but refuses to apologise