Bunker call ruins Dragons with 18-point turnaround against Sharks

The St George Illawarra Dragons looked to pull off a famous comeback, but a four minute, 18 point swing has left them shattered.

St George Illawarra joy has quickly turned to misery with a chaotic sequence causing a 12-point swing that has seen the Cronulla Sharks claim a round one win.

Leading 14-12 with 18 minutes to go, new skipper Ben Hunt put up a low bomb, that saw the ball roll to Sharks winger Sione Katoa.

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But new Dragons recruit Jack Bird flew through, knocking the bobbling ball from the clutches of Katoa, with Cody Ramsey seemingly scoring the try.

It would have given the Dragons the lead for the first time in the match after a scoreless first half.

The bad news started when Ramsey struggled to his feet, seemingly with an ankle injury.

He was then helped from the field by trainers.

The news got worse as the bunker found a knock on in the run as it brushed Bird’s arm.

Fox League commentator Steve Roach said “I do reckon it came off his arms but that it went backwards towards his own goal line”.

The ball brushed Jack Bird's arm on the way down.

Cody Ramsey reportedly has an ankle injury.

But the bunker said he believed it was a knock on.

Warren Smith said “it was a tight call” as the referee was overturned by the bunker.

What was that bunker call... #NRLDragonsSharks

— Isaac McIntyre (@isaac_mcintyre6) March 14, 2021

Bird was just making a tackle, but ruled knock on, then Sharks ball despite the loose carry that forced the situation to begin with?

Get rid of this background bunker.

— Isaac McIntyre (@isaac_mcintyre6) March 14, 2021

The bunker 🙄

— Peter Yagmoor (@Pete_Yaggz38) March 14, 2021

Enter the bunker ...

— Phil Gould (@PhilGould15) March 14, 2021

Gould added in a tweet reply “It was not a CLEAR no try. No one (commentator, referee, linesman, or player from either side) questioned the try at the time. Player asked referee “What are they looking at?” Ref shrugged his shoulders. SEVERAL replays later, they find what the naked eye did not see.”

Bird erupted as he ran over to the referee to plead his case.

The Sharks were awarded the scrum 10m out and made the Dragons pay.

On the last tackle, Chad Townsend put up a rushed bomb, with Wade Graham knocking the ball back to Matt Moylan, who kicked over the top for winger Ronaldo Mulitalo to score.

It was a great try but brutal for the Dragons who had battled their way back into the match.

The Dragons were frustrated but it was awarded a try.

“That’s a 12-point turnaround,” Smith said. “The Dragons denied a try at the other end by the bunker and the Sharks come down and score their own to edge away again to a 12-point lead.”

But minutes later, it got much worse for the Dragons as the Sharks scored again to make it 26-12.

Will Kennedy’s try made it 26-12.

Within four minutes, an 18-point swing ruined the Dragons after a decent fight back.

A try each in the last 10 minutes bumped up the match aggregate but the Sharks claimed the derby win.

It’s the first time since 2013 the Sharks have won in the first round.

It was a spiteful clash with an all-in brawl in the first half showing how much feeling there was in the local derby clash.