‘Absolutely ridiculous’: Andrew Johns, Phil Gould savage ‘disgusting’ NRL flop

A farcical Bunker call has left Andrew Johns and Phil Gould seeing red after one of the most blatant flops of the NRL season.

Andrew Johns and Phil Gould have been left seeing red after the Panthers’ Brian To’o was stripped of a try in “disgusting” scenes in the side’s 34-12 win over the Rabbitohs.

The Panthers wrapped up a spot in the top four win the win to make the first move as the Roosters and Sharks also chase the second spot on the ladder and a home qualifying final in the opening week of the finals.

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After being challenged by coach Ivan Cleary earlier in the week to chase an unprecedented fourth-straight title in the NRL era, the Panthers were in second gear as they put the Rabbitohs away.

Having led 18-0 after 25 minutes, the Panthers could have been forgiven for putting the cue in the rack but superstar winger Brian To’o went for the kill in the 32nd minute when the Panthers went wide on the third tackle.

To’o raced back on the inside and made the Souths players look like they were standing still before fullback Jye Gray took him down.

But To’o was too strong, staying alive and slamming the ball down.

It was a brilliant individual try, but the Bunker has once again played the party pooper, finding an obstruction in the lead up.

As is always a risk when there’s a bit of a breakdown, Liam Martin and Brad Schneider were in the Souths line as To’o cut through.

And Souths forward Siliva Havili made the most of it, flopping into Martin.

Sure he was going to make the tackle. Photo: Fox Sports

Havili wasn't even attempting to make a play. Photo: Fox Sports

Andrew Johns saw the flop in the background and said “I hope the Bunker doesn’t react as Havili tries to milk a penalty. He was never going to get there.”

Gould, who has long been a vocal opponent of the obstruction rule said: “No the Bunker can have the night off, we don’t need him tonight. You just relax.”

But almost as soon as he said it, referee Peter Gough called time off as Bunker official Chris Butler reviewed the play.

“Looking at Liam Martin and Brad Schneider here in front of the ball, they now deny Siliva Havili a chance to deny Brian To’o, which is an obstruction — we have a decision,” Butler found.

“This is just absolutely ridiculous,” Johns raged. “There’s always people in front of the line, it’s the name of the game. You move ball laterally at different angles coming back. Honestly.”

“He had no intention of getting Brian To’o,” Gould agreed. “It’s way too pedantic — they’ve got tidy all this up before the finals come around.”

Upon watching another replay, Gould added: “He just deliberately runs into him, he doesn’t even try.”

Johns: “He falls over — that is embarrassing. You are rewarding an effort like this. This is what you’re rewarding? Disgusting.”

“Terrible,” Gould said.

Andrew Johns was fuming. Photo by Matt King/Getty Images

Phil Gould unloaded. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

On Fox League, Warren Smith said it was “a good call”, despite Havili throwing his body into Martin.

“Havili played for it big time,” Cooper Cronk added. “But still a penalty.”

Smith added: “He milked it, no doubt about that, and in all probability given the angle we just saw, probably doesn’t stop Brian To’o but unfortunately the players in front of him denied him any chance.”

While the Fox commentators were on the officials’ side, the fans did not like it one bit.

Reactions ranged from calling it “embarrassing”, “ridiculous”, “an Oscar worthy performance” and calls to “ban Havili”, while one called it “literally criminal”.

Souths then rubbed salt into the wounds after making the most of another penalty to send Tyrone Munro over in the corner to make it 18-6 at halftime.

But the Panthers scored twice in the five minutes after the break and cruised to the victory with only a length of the field intercept from Munro the only way the Rabbitohs made any kind of impact on the scoreboard in the second half.

The double from the 19-year-old winger came after the shock death of his mother and uncle.