‘They can’t do this’: NRL has ‘officially lost the plot’ after controversial penalty

Mitchell Moses was incensed and let his feelings show after a controversial moment that had TV commentators speaking up on his behalf.

Eels halfback Mitchell Moses was incensed after winger Bailey Simonsson was controversially penalised while contesting a bomb against Ronaldo Mulitalo in Cronulla’s win on Friday.

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The incident in question came with the game still well and truly in the balance, although fortunately the Sharks were unable to capitalise on the penalty and turn it into points.

Regardless, Moses was left visibly frustrated and had plenty of support in the commentary box after Simonsson looked to initially be contesting the ball before grabbing at the jersey of Mulitalo as he came down with the ball.

Mitchell Moses couldn't believe it.

“Oh my God come on now,” former Sharks and Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson said.

“They can’t do this. This happens so fast. Stop watching it in slow-mo.

“This is a contest for the ball,” added Andrew Voss.

“Our game is not there is it?

“We are not going penalty try are we?”

They weren’t, with the Bunker ruling out the possibility of a penalty try given Mulitalo had “too much to do to get the ball to the ground”.

But that explanation left Johnson even more confused.

“My question is if it is a penalty in the air, how can you not consider a penalty try?” he said.

Referee Peter Gough said the Bunker ruled Simonsson “grabbed the arm” and deemed it a “tackle in the air”, leaving Moses fuming.

“What do you want him to do but he has got his back to him?” the Eels halfback asked.

“I understand you don’t agree, but that’s the decision and I’m just letting you know,” Gough replied.

“But where do you want him to go?” Moses continued.

“What do you want him to do?”

“I can’t answer that question right now,” Gough said.

“You can’t answer it, so it should not be a penalty,” Moses concluded.

I’m actually lost for words. How can every single person watching that moment view it as a knock on which was the right call, but the bloke that gets paid to make the right decisions in the bunker think it was a penalty!?

— Josh Mansour (@Josh_Mansour) May 2, 2025

We have officially lost the plot #NRL

— Jamie Soward (@sowwowofficial6) May 2, 2025

Originally published as ‘They can’t do this’: NRL has ‘officially lost the plot’ after controversial penalty