Darius Boyd and Wayne Bennett call for changes to the obstruction rule following controversial no try
WAYNE Bennett and Darius Boyd believe the obstruction rule is being applied too harshly in the NRL with attacking teams restricted by current interpretations.
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DARIUS Boyd says the obstruction rule is being refereed too harshly in the NRL, with attacking teams held to too strict an interpretation.
Boyd and coach Wayne Bennett were nonplussed when Boyd’s 46th-minute try on Sunday was disallowed by video referee Ashley Klein when Bronco Joe Ofahengaue ran into defender Roger Tuivasa-Sheck on the Warriors tryline earlier in the movement.
Ofahengaue ran into contact with Tuivasa-Sheck’s “outside’’ shoulder, which under NRL directives relating to try-scoring plays often leads to an obstruction penalty, no matter how far away the tryscorer gets the ball.
“The refs probably made the right decision based on the rules,’’ Boyd said.
“But when there are three or four blokes, shoulder to shoulder on the goal line, it’s hard for Joe to run through a gap. There’s not really a gap.
“I don’t think that particular rule is right. We didn’t lose because of that, but it’s something that probably needs to be looked at in future.’’
Bennett said such obstructions decisions should not work that way.
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“I thought it was a try simple as that. Everyone at the ground thought it was a try too,’’ Bennett said.
“I don’t know where Joe is supposed to run.’’
The NRL bunker officials were also in the wars with a decision to award Rooster Sean O’Sullivan a try against Gold Coast on Sunday.
Losses during the round for the Dragons and Panthers, two teams ahead of eighth-placed Brisbane, meant the Broncos remain one win and for-and-against out of the top four with seven rounds remaining despite their 26-6 thumping by the Warriors.
Penrith will have two Origin players, Nathan Cleary and Tyrone Peachey, back for their clash with Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night, with a fitness verdict pending on James Maloney (foot).
“I haven’t looked that closely at the tables. We have to play better and do our job because we are not going to do much damage in the finals if we play like that,’’ Boyd said.
“No one played well. We all need to bounce back against Penrith.’’
Bennett said Brisbane’s top-four chances were valid as they are still to play Penrith (home), Cronulla (home), South Sydney (home) and Sydney Roosters (away) in the home-and-away season.
Originally published as Darius Boyd and Wayne Bennett call for changes to the obstruction rule following controversial no try