NRL Nines 2020: How Penrith Panthers got dudded by referees
The Penrith Panthers are understandably furious after an incorrect decision to award a try to young gun Cody Ramsey ended their Nines finals hopes.
NRL
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Penrith star Nathan Cleary has questioned how three NRL officials combined for a baffling try-scoring howler that punted his side from the NRL Nines, saying: “I don’t think anybody saw what happened”.
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Panthers players were left filthy on Sunday when, with only seconds to play in their quarter-final match against St George Illawarra, Dragons rookie Cody Ramsey was awarded a match-wining try at the death after clearly placing the ball over the sideline.
Replays which aired only seconds after referee Ben Cummins awarded the try showed Penrith centre Dean Whare had not only tackled Ramsey over the sideline, but that the Dragons young gun had also placed the ball into touch.
Out so far, in fact, the Steeden wasn’t even touching the white sideline.
Yet despite Ramswey placing the ball halfway to Cottesloe Beach, all three officials had a quick meeting before confirming the try in the left corner on the stroke of full-time.
Understandably, the NRL Bunker is not used for Nines tournaments.
Yet furious Panthers players were afterwards questioning how such a clanger could be made given referee Cummins, touch judge Belinda Sleeman and an in-goal touchie were all right on the action.
“It sucks,” Cleary told the Sunday Telegraph.
“I was right there and saw it perfectly. I was actually going in to high five Dean Whare because he made the tackle and saved us the game.
“It was so obvious.
“But (of the three officials), I don’t think anybody saw what happened.”
Asked about the try, Ramsey said: “I thought I got it in, but that’s the refs call and I can’t do anything about it – it’s not up to me.
“The coaches just said: ‘play your own football … we’ve been watching you at training and you’ve been going good’.
“They just told me to try hard and I’ve just been in the right position at the right time. In Nines, I get a bit more space to run and a bit more freedom to use my pace. ”
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The NRL were quick to respond to the dramatic incident, with Head of Football Graham Annesley confirming the decision to award the try was incorrect.
“You only had to see a replay to know it wasn’t a try,” Annesley said.
“There’s three of them out there, and between the three of them they need to make the right decision.
“They got the decision wrong, they should have gotten it right.
“This is why we have video referees in the premiership proper.
“There is no avenue to protest refereeing decisions. Hopefully we won’t see those in the later games, but there is no avenue for a protest for a mistake.
“We’ve got as much support as we possibly can around officials. All those things are designed to try and get big decisions right.”