NRL 2020: Referee error costs Manly Sea Eagles for third time in nine games
They’re the team that everyone loves to hate, but Manly’s wretched run with match-defining decisions has rival fans feeling sorry for the Sea Eagles after yet another referee blunder.
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We have long been told to hate Manly – but this is becoming ridiculous.
Rival fans could be forgiven for doing the unthinkable, and that’s feel sorry for the historically disliked Sea Eagles, who have now been dudded by match-defining blunders three times in the past nine games.
NRL head of football Graham Annesley has conceded Manly should have received a crucial penalty on full-time in Sunday’s 14-12 loss to Newcastle which would have given the Sea Eagles a chance to kick a match-levelling goal.
Annesley’s admission has continued a wretched run for Manly, who were robbed in an elimination semi-final against South Sydney last year and then again in round four against Parramatta this season.
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The Eels result alone should have the Sea Eagles in seventh position, instead of languishing in 10th and missing their No.1 go-forward prop in Addin Fonua-Blake.
Had they been awarded, and made, the penalty goal against the Knights, the Sea Eagles could have soared into the top four with an extra-time victory.
“Everyone knows that you will get some good calls and some bad calls. That‘s always been the case and we accept that,” Manly chief executive Stephen Humphreys said.
“They say that bad luck comes in threes and wise heads say that the good and bad calls even themselves out over the course of a season. If that‘s the case then we have a lot to look forward to.”
Furious at the decision to deny his side a late penalty, Fonua-Blake was sent off for calling referee Grant Atkins a “f***ing r**ard” – even though video referee Jared Maxwell made the decision.
Fonua-Blake is expected to plead guilty to a grade three contrary conduct charge and serve a two-game suspension, although Manly could opt to challenge the grading. Should he fight and lose at an NRL judiciary hearing, Fonua-Blake will be banned for three games.
Manly’s horror recent luck dates back to Jake Trbojevic’s highly contentious sin-binning in last year’s semi-final to Souths, when the Rabbitohs scored twice in his absence to reverse a 26-20 deficit and win 34-26.
At the time, Manly coach Des Hasler said: “Do I think we were dudded? Yep, I think we were dudded.”
The Sea Eagles were denied a matchwinning try against Parramatta in round four this year when a legitimate Tom Trbojevic pass to winger Ruben Garrick was wrongly declared forward.
At the time, Annesley said: “The forward pass call was incorrect.”
And on Sunday against Newcastle, Sea Eagles winger Tevita Funu kicked ahead inside the final minute before being illegitimately pushed over in what should have resulted in a penalty and allowed Manly a chance to level the scores 14-all.
“Having reviewed the footage in great detail, in my opinion, Manly should have been awarded a penalty,” Annesley said on Monday.
“The video referee, in his judgment, determined that (Newcastle centre) Bradman Best was already committed to the tackle when the ball was kicked.
“But, in my view, there was sufficient time for Best to adjust even though the whole incident took place within a split second. In my judgment, I think the penalty was warranted.”
Fonua-Blake issued a public apology to Atkins after the game for his language in a foul-mouthed tirade.
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“Addin has apologised to the referees and spoke about the respect we all need to have for referees and their decisions,” Humphreys said.
“He has also apologised for the specific language he used which was clearly inappropriate and regrettable. Addin has been charged by the NRL and he has copped that.”
Despite the error, Maxwell is expected to retain his video refereeing role for this weekend when the appointments are announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Replays showed it was less than half a second between Funa’s kick and Best’s tackle.
Fonua-Blake, Daly Cherry-Evans and Jake Trbojevic protested to Atkins on field before the 118kg was prop marched for dissent.
The NRL did, however, support Atkins’ decision to sin bin Cherry-Evans during the first half.