‘Never been more shocked’: NRL up in arms over ‘ridiculous’ penalty try

Rugby league fans were left stunned and furious at a rare and controversial penalty try call in the last game of NRL’s Round 1.

The Cowboys were gifted a penalty try.

The Bunker is back with a bang in 2024, coming up with an eyebrow-raising decision in North Queensland’s dominant 43-18 win over the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon.

In the final game of Round 1, the two Queensland sides battled it out in the early stages at Suncorp Stadium before the Cowboys blew the game open on either side of halftime.

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The Cowboys had the win in the bag but were gifted a seventh try by the Bunker in bewildering fashion the 67th minute.

North Queensland halfback Chad Townsend put a grubber kick into the Dolphins in-goal, and the ball went dead as teammates Jeremiah Nanai and Zac Laybutt couldn’t decide who would grab the ball and plant it down for a try.

It looked like a simple case of a 20m restart after the ball going dead, but the Bunker ruled it was a penalty try to Laybutt.

The Bunker ruled the Dolphins’ Jack Bostock had pushed Laybutt off the ball at the last moment.

Referee Chris Butler explained the decision: “Jack has pushed him off the ball in a live ball situation … it would have been scored if he wasn’t. At the end of the day it was an opinion and that’s what our opinion was - that the try would have been scored.”

The Dolphins’ Jack Bostock was ruled to have impeded North Queensland’s Zac Laybutt. Photo: Fox League.

A surprised Cooper Cronk said on Fox League: “Nanai and Laybutt had an opportunity to dive on it and no one got it.”

Warren Smith said: “Was he going to get to the ball though?

“That’s a very generous interpretation of a penalty try for mine. That’s a very generous call for the Cowboys.

“The bounce of the ball had beaten Zac Laybutt, he was beyond the dead ball line,” Smith said.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more shocked to see a referee point to the ground and award a try because I didn’t think for a moment they were looking at a penalty try.”

Cronk said: “I don’t think the try was going to be scored. I see there’s contact but it’s not enough to say it’s a penalty try.”

The Cowboys were way too good for the Dolphins. Picture: SCOTT DAVIS / NRL IMAGERY

Cowboys legend Johnathan Thurston said on Nine: “They’ve gotten away with one there the Cowboys. That is a gee up.”.

Viewers were flummoxed by the rare and controversial penalty try call.

Phil Gould tweeted: “No no no no no …”

CODE Sports’ Lachlan McKirdy said: “That’s a ridiculous penalty try.”

AAP’s Scott Bailey added: “Very, very lucky for the bunker this game is done and dusted. That’s never been a penalty try in 116 years of rugby league in Australia.”

Dolphins’ new recruit Thomas Flegler and fellow forward Josh Kerr put up some resistance with tries a piece, but it wasn’t enough as Cowboys walked away with a 43-18 victory.

Cowboys forward Nanai returned to his best form, making strong tackles and finishing off his hard work with a try early in the first half, after good service from dummy half Reece Robson.

Nanai had scored six tries in three matches at Suncorp Stadium and continued his love affair with the Brisbane venue.

Heilum Luki passed the HIA after a head clash and came back on in the second half to nail a crucial try while Valentine Holmes was perfect in conversions, nailing 7/7.

— With NCA Newswire

Originally published as ‘Never been more shocked’: NRL up in arms over ‘ridiculous’ penalty try