‘Blown away’: NRL commentators in disbelief over forward pass bunker call

The NRL refs are in hot water once again after seemingly throwing out the rule book in a moment that had everyone scratching their heads.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 18: Referee Henry Perenara talks to Clint Gutherson of the Eels during the round 19 NRL match between the Parramatta Eels and the Brisbane Broncos at Bankwest Stadium on September 18, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Another day, another baffling referees decision has left the NRL stunned.

With 10 minutes left in the Eels match against the Brisbane Broncos, Parramatta spread the ball wide, with captain Clint Gutherson batting the ball on to Blake Ferguson who seemed to run across the line.

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But referee Henry Perenara incredibly called it a knock on, despite the ball not touching the ground.

Luckily the scoreline was 26-12 so it didn‘t play too much of a part.

But it meant the Eels could challenge the call as a knock on.

An uncertain Fox League commentary team of Andrew Voss and Michael Ennis were baffled by the call.

“So they challenge the knock on, but it‘s a pass isn’t it, it’s a tip on,” Voss said. “Can you call that a knock on, he’s tipped that on deliberately. But he can’t rule it. How can the bunker even describe that as a knock on? The bunker, if they’re following protocol have to throw it back, we can’t rule on that, it’s a pass.”

The moment in question – pass or tip on?

Perenara explained the issue.

“It‘s my mistake,” he said. “I’ve called a knock on, but that’s why it’s was challenged because it was a tip on so we can challenge that because it’s not a pass.

“It‘s not a try because I’ve blown my whistle so it’s my mistake.”

Gutherson blew up saying: “Why are you blowing it?”

Voss said he was in disbelief about it but accepted that it was just a mistake.

But the rugby league world also learned that a tip on is not a pass.

“We are two weeks out from our finals series …” Ennis said.

“So are you telling me from now in a try scoring situation the bunker can rule on a tip on, which we all call a pass,” Voss said. “So they can actually rule on a tip on forward pass if it‘s a tip on, because it’s not a pass. I’m blown away by that.”

"It's my mistake" 🗣 Are you as confused as we are right now?

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Asked about the incident, Eels coach Brad Arthur said it was just a mistake and that the team had accepted Perenara’s apology.

It appears to have the NRL world rethinking the rule book with the bunker unable to rule on a forward pass.

As if the ‘tip on’ isn’t a pass! It’s a skill that few can master, far from a knock on. That looked like a bit of ‘policy on the run’ 😳

— Mark Geyer (@markMGgeyer) September 18, 2020

Henry Perenara having a rough night #NRLEelsBroncos

— Michael Atkinson (@kinson88) September 18, 2020

Henry..... #NRLEelsBroncos

— Simon Brunsdon (@SimonBrunsdon) September 18, 2020

Perenara had already been criticised for a decision to put Junior Paulo on report after an incident that saw David Fifita limp from the field.

Channel 9‘s Andrew Johns blew up over the decision to put Paulo on report, with the Broncos getting the penalty as the star was bent back in the tackle of three Eels as the prop went low around the legs.

“They‘re penalising this?” Johns said. “What?! it was accident in the act of making a tackle. Unfortunately for David Fifita he gets caught under Junior Paulo and he’s on report for that?”

Arthur was blunt in his assessment, flat out disagreeing with Perenara‘s assessment.

“There‘s nothing in that is there?” he said. “It shouldn’t have even been a penalty. From that penalty there we were defending three or four sets on their line. That’s not a penalty, what’s he supposed to do?”

Asked about what the issue of officials looking for acts of illegality, Arthur said “I think they need to stay out of it, just get the ruling right on the tries.”

The result ended up being 26-12 to the Eels, far from convincing for Parramatta but enough to claim the points.