Bob Fulton bags ‘wrong’ penalty decision following Manly’s controversial loss to St George Illawarra

Sea Eagles Immortal Bob Fulton has ripped into the refereeing he believes cost Manly a shot at victory in their clash with St George Illawarra on Sunday.

WOLLONGONG, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 20: Daly Cherry-Evans of the Sea Eagles shows his frustration as he speaks to referee Dave Munro after the final whistle during the round 6 NRL match between the Dragons and the Sea Eagles at WIN Stadium on April 20, 2019 in Wollongong, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Sea Eagles Immortal Bob Fulton has labelled the controversial decision to deny Manly a late penalty which could have sent Saturday night’s match against St George Illawarra into golden point as “diabolical” and an “illegal play.”

“And even the most diehard Dragons supporters would say what I am saying,” Fulton said.

In the 78th minute and with his side ahead by just two points, Saints centre Tim Lafai gave winger Jordan Pereira an escort that denied Manly winger Reuben Garrick an opportunity leap and catch a Daly Cherry Evans bomb.

Replays clearly show Lafai alter his direction to block Garrick but referee Dave Munro refused to call on NRL bunker.

The NRL last night admitted the decision was wrong. It denied Cherry-Evans a shot at goal which could levelled the scores and pushed the match into extra time.

Fulton has claimed the refereeing standard at times this year had been no better than that in junior rugby league.

“It was just diabolical. It was game-changer. The on-field referees should have referred it to the bunker. That was the automatic thing to do. That one decision at the end of the match determined who won and lost the match,” Fulton told The Daily Telegraph.

“If this happened during the course of the game – and not at the end when full-time was just about to sound - they would have sent it to the bunker.

Lafai appears to block Garrick from getting a clean shot at the ball.

“There were a series of protocols that had to be adhered to. One, was there an escort? Yes there was there. Was it an illegal play by Lafai? Yes it was. If in doubt, send it to the bunker. That’s as simple as it is.

“The way Cherry-Evans has been kicking it would probably have taken it to golden point. Reuben Garrick is six foot, six inches. He might have outleapt that winger. The point is, there should have been a penalty.

“I have watched a lot of junior rep football, the Harold Matthews and SG Ball. I have seen better performances by referees at that level than what we saw on Saturday and what we have seen over the last couple of weeks in relation to multiple forward passes leading to tries and also Wayne Bennett’s beef about slowing down of the play-the-ball.

“Everything isn’t as rosy as what people think.

“Maybe it’s time we look at giving coaches the option of having a challenge, maybe three a game. If unsuccessful, they would lose a challenge.”

Cherry-Evans pleaded his case to Munro at the time. Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images.

NRL head of football, Graham Annesley, conceded Munro’s decision was incorrect.

“I spoke to (NRL referee’s coach) Bernard Sutton after the game and again this morning and we agree it should have been penalised,” Annesley said.

“He has to now to determine why it was missed by his officials but whichever way you look at that decision, we believe it was incorrect.”

An irate Cherry-Evans demanded a penalty on the field and after the game.

“I have to ask the question because that’s black and white, that is an escort, a player taken off the ball,” Cherry Evans told Munro, who responded by declaring: “We’ve ruled on it and ruled that it’s not.”

Cherry Evans continued: “You’re willing to make the hard call when the game wasn’t on the line and unfortunately then that call needed to be made on the field. Chalk and cheese mate.”

Fox Sports commentators immediately criticised the decision.

“That could have easily been a penalty — it should have been,” said Brett Finch.

Former Test star Greg Alexander added: “Daly Cherry Evans had every right to go to the referees and say ‘what the hell is going on?”

Originally published as Bob Fulton bags ‘wrong’ penalty decision following Manly’s controversial loss to St George Illawarra