‘Softest penalty ever’: Anthony Seibold, NRL world savage ‘absolute farce’

Manly Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold has been left fuming after a decision all but handed the Broncos a win at Magic Round.

Anthony Seibold has gone off over "one of the softest penalties ever". Photo: Fox Sports

Manly coach Anthony Seibold has blasted the “softest penalty ever” as the Broncos pinched a 13-12 Magic Round thriller on Friday night.

Having fought back from 12-0 down, Manly had set up a grandstand finish by drawing level in the 71st minute after Raymond Vaega try.

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But with five minutes left, controversy erupted after the Broncos spread the ball wide on the fourth tackle.

As it came towards Deine Mariner, the cover defence came across with Tommy Talau falling off but knocking the Broncos winger to the ground, before Jaxson Paulo came into to wrap up the play.

To the surprise of the Sea Eagles and the commentators, referee Todd Smith blew a penalty for a high shot.

Tommy Talau slipped off his tackle. Photo: Fox Sports

Hard to see how this was high. Photo: Fox Sports

It gave the Broncos field position and halfback Jock Madden slotted the field goal to hand Brisbane the two points.

Having seen Manly fight their way back into the match, coach Anthony Seibold blasted the call in his post-match press conference.

“Well we haven’t lost a game this year by more than two scores, so we fought really hard and we have played some really good footy,” Seibold said.

“I thought tonight they scored a try when we had a player in the sin bin.

“I’m not sure when the last time a player was sin-binned for being off-side at marker 40 meters out from the try line.

“It was a really tough call on us particularly when you compare it or contrast it to we go from dummyhalf down the other end of the field and it becomes a six again when they’re off-side from marker.

“So I don’t quite get that. I do not quite get that because it wasn’t a try-scoring situation.

“And I thought the last penalty let’s be fair dinkum it’s one of the softest penalties ever.

“So it’s tackle five the guy was on the floor, potentially a knock-on, I think it was Jackson Paulo who dived on him.

“I mean he stays down as he just looked around there and he wasn’t so it was tough.

“But ultimately they were too good and they were able to take their chance.”

Seibold wasn't happy. Photo: Fox Sports

Daly Cherry-Evans said he didn’t realise until he saw it on the big screen and said “we might have been hard done by”.

“But that’s footy. You get them some weeks, some weeks you don’t get them and they were good enough to ice it at the end,” he added.

And the commentators were on the same wavelength, blasting the decision that ultimately decided the match.

“A really tough play five penalty gave Brisbane an opportunity and what a moment for Jock Madden,” Michael Ennis said on Fox League.

“He stepped up early in the tackle count and positioned himself beautifully and iced it for Brisbane.

“It was a war out there.”

Mal Meninga said it was a brutal call, particularly when Manly deserved the two points..

“That penalty right at the end of the game was a pretty harsh one,” Meninga said.

“And that’s when Jock Madden obviously kicked the field goal off the back of that.

“I actually thought Manly should have won the game.”

The Oracle X account posted: “What an absolute farce. How soft has our game become?

“That IS NOT A PENALTY. You can’t decide a game like that!

“Just rubbish.”

Another fan tweeted: “That was not a penalty! Not a high tackle! Can’t believe they just wrecked this game! Bloody refs bloody bunker bloody stupid high tackle rules absolute bullc**p.”

Payne Haas sent a scare through Suncorp Stadium.

However, there were huge concerns when Broncos enforcer Payne Haas limped off the field late in the game with what looked like a serious leg injury.

Incredibly he returned late in the game, having suffered a toe injury.

Channel 9 also reported his leg “lost power”.

“It’s a little strange is that he’s lost power in his lower leg,” Mason said.

“They are going to strap him up and see how he runs on it to test his fitness.”

Coach Kevin Walters said post-match: “He got a knee to the calf which triggered a nerve problem in his big toe, but he should be OK for next week.”

It had been a tough night for Haas after news broke of his father being arrested in the Philippines over drug trafficking charges.

Originally published as ‘Softest penalty ever’: Anthony Seibold, NRL world savage ‘absolute farce’