NRL round four: Bunker robbed Roosters via incorrect obstruction call on Manu try

Wayne Bennett has spoken of his concerns about recent obstruction decisions by the bunker as NRL head of Football Graham Annesley admits his team made an error on Thursday night.

Roosters v Panthers at Allianz Stadium. Picture: NRL Photos

Graham Annesley has conceded a controversial obstruction call that cost Roosters star Joey Manu a fair try against the Panthers was wrong.

The NRL head of football has wasted no time conceding that video referee Chris Butler failed to use the necessary level of discretion in incorrectly deeming that Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards was obstructed from defending the no-try due to a collision with Roosters decoy runner Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.

The alleged obstruction from Waerea-Hargreaves on Edwards occurred 20-metres away from where Manu grounded the football.

The no-try call happened in the 22nd minute with the Roosters trailing 12-0 nil.

Instead of waiting until Tuesday’s media briefing to respond to the howler, Annesley stepped forward on Friday morning.

Joseph Manu was controversially denied a try by the bunker. Picture: Getty Images

Annesley moved to differentiate the call between last weekend’s polarising decision to pull back a Manly try due to Jake Trbojevic running an obstruction against Parramatta’s Luca Moretti.

“Last week I supported two obstruction rulings by the Bunker,’’ Annesley said.

“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 Daily Telegraph understands Annesley was comfortable with Butler’s decision to award Sunia Turuva a try for the Panthers even though Liam Martin ran through as the lead runner and interfered with Sitili Tupouniua and Luke Keary as they came across in cover defence.

BENNETT: ‘IT CAN’T BE BLACK AND WHITE’

Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett, one of the game’s most respected voices, said he was concerned about recent obstruction decisions and said discretion must be applied.

“I was concerned last week with one of them and I was concerned with the one I saw last night,” he said.

“It’s a bit of a concern.

“It can’t be black and white,

“If you look at last night’s, the referee probably had as much to do with it as anybody else with the position he found himself in.

“If you look at the vision, the referee certainly had an impact on what happened.

“I’m not blaming him for that, it’s just the position he found himself in.

“We can’t have it black and white, there’s got to be some flexibility there.”

ROBINSON WEIGHS IN ON CONTENTIOUS CALL AS BUNKER BAFFLES AGAIN

The obstruction rule is meant to be black and white, but at the moment it’s 50 shades of grey and has left fans, players and coaches utterly confused after the Roosters were denied a clear try in their 22-16 loss to the Panthers.

The defending premiers were comfortably the better side and would have won by a lot more had the Roosters not struck late with a couple of tries to make the score look a lot more respectable.

But in the end the margin was only six points, with the Roosters denied a try to Joseph Manu which could have changed the complexion of the match.

The former Golden Boot winner danced through the defence and spectacularly put the ball down, only for Bunker official Chris Butler to spot what he thought was an obstruction 20 metres away from the play.

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves had run through the line and stopped, but Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards was no chance of getting to him.

What made it worse was that Sunia Turuva was awarded a try for the Panthers even though Liam Martin ran through as the lead runner and interfered with Sitili Tupouniua and Luke Keary as they came across in cover defence.

“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.”

James Tedesco and the Roosters look on. Picture: NRL Photos

The contentious ruling comes just days after NRL head of football Graham Annesley clarified why Manly’s Jake Trbojevic was penalised for obstruction when he stopped in the line.

That decision split opinions but made sense when Annesley explained it, however there’s no way he can give this decision the seal of approval.

“You look up and a player gets taken out 20 metres away from the ball,” a “surprised” James Tedesco said.

“If I’m in that position as a fullback, it’s pretty hard to get there and I’m not sure I’d make a difference.”

Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has done his best to avoid talking about controversial calls, but he let slip that he has major issues with the obstruction interpretation.

“I’m kind of trying to avoid talking about bunkers and stuff this year. I’m going to keep that going tonight,” he said.

“If you got me at the right time on the right night then I could talk for half an hour, but I’m not going to tonight.

“It is what it is. You win some, you lose some.

“I’ll say one thing – I feel like every time we’ve done a black and white interpretation in rugby league, it’s been a failure.

“I’m not saying that was the case tonight – I’m not saying yes or no – but every time we have, it doesn’t work. That’s just my opinion.”

The call overshadowed a terrific Penrith performance without Nathan Cleary, James Fisher-Harris and Scott Sorensen, with the premiers unlucky to have not won by more given Tupouniua was awarded a dubious try, while Izack Tago could have been given the benefit of the doubt with a potential try of his own.

“I thought that Tago one could have been a try,” skipper Isaah Yeo said.

“I thought they could have looked at the Tupouniua one a little bit more as well, so it goes both ways.

“Over the course of the season it probably evens itself out.”

CLOUD NINE

They say cats have nine lives, but these Panthers have now won nine in a row against the Roosters who seemingly have no answers to their speed, size and skill.

Even without some of their premiership heroes, Penrith’s stars all stood tall with Dylan Edwards leading from the front with a game-high 223 metres and a superb solo try off a grubber kick.

Dylan Edwards was terrific with the footy and from the kicking tee. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

There were nice moments throughout the night with Mavrik Geyer making his NRL debut in front of a bay of friends and family, while Taylan May put a big hit on his brother which forced an error out of Terrell.

HALL OF PAIN

The NRL has already lost some of its biggest stars to long-term injuries, but thankfully Liam Martin hasn’t joined that list after the Panthers back-rower overcame an early shoulder injury to return in the second half.

Liam Martin managed to return to the field after leaving injured early in the first half. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Panthers fans were cheering when winger Sunia Turuva crashed over in the right corner to give them an early 6-0 lead, but they wouldn’t have noticed Martin on the sidelines who came off with a right shoulder injury after he landed heavily in a tackle.

Martin went straight up the Allianz Stadium tunnel, with Penrith already missing premiership stars Nathan Cleary, James Fisher-Harris and Scott Sorensen for the Roosters clash.

But the doctors quickly ruled out anything serious, cut off his jersey, put some extra padding on the AC joint and gave him jersey No. 24, with the rep star returning just after the break.

HOSPITAL PASS

Brad Schneider came in for Cleary and controlled the game beautifully, but he had a moment he’d rather forget when he threw halves partner Jarome Luai under the bus with the mother of all hospital passes.

It’s actually a miracle Luai didn’t end up in the hospital after his ribs were smashed into oblivion by Manu who had all the time in the world to line him up.

Luai dropped the ball and got up smiling, but it wasn’t a laughing matter with the Roosters crossing just before halftime to open their account, with the hosts then scoring twice at the death to set up a grandstand finish.

Originally published as NRL round four: Bunker robbed Roosters via incorrect obstruction call on Manu try