Commentators baffled by ’criminal’ NRL obstruction debacle

Obstruction calls have come to the fore in the opening matches of the 2022 season as the Roosters lost a perfect way to open the season.

It was a tough call that made it a tough day. Photo: Fox Sports and Getty Images

The Newcastle Knights fell just four minutes from inflicting an 88-year low on the Sydney Roosters, pulling off a near unthinkable 20-6 victory in round one.

The Knights were rank outsiders in the match but stunned one of the favourites for the premiership in a dominant performance.

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The Roosters have traditionally not started strong and have won just three of their last 10 season openers, a record Fox League commentator Andrew Voss said is “getting a little embarrassing”.

The Roosters only scored through Paul Momirovski in the 76th minute, otherwise it would have been the Roosters’ lowest score in a first-round match since a 3-0 loss to South Sydney in 1934.

But it could have looked much different as the Roosters had appeared to score a brilliant try early, only for the bunker to overturn the decision in controversial circumstances.

Just 10 minutes into the match, the Roosters were 30 out from their own line when Sam Walker went into dummy half, linking with Daniel Tupou who appeared to slice through the Knights line.

Coming to Kalyn Ponga in defence, Tupou passed to the returning Luke Keary who lofted the ball over the top for James Tedesco to score a scintillating try that everyone was expecting from the Roosters.

Having battled away with plenty of players out through much of last season, it looked like the Roosters were back — until the Bunker intervened.

“This is superb rugby league,” Voss said.

“What a try to open proceedings here.”

But the Bunker was quick to spoil the party pointing to the gap Tupou ran through as Roosters hooker Connor Watson was deemed to have obstructed Knights prop David Klemmer, despite having a lot of ground left to cover to even make an attempt at a tackle.

Bunker official Alan Shortall said: “As Daniel Tupou runs past, Connor Watson is in front of the ball and obstructing David Klemmer from getting to make a tackle”.

If Klemmer didn't get Tupou from there – he never was. Photo: Fox Sports

Immediately, the commentators didn’t like what they had heard.

“David Klemmer was going to get to Daniel Tupou?” Voss asked.

Steve Roach said: “You’ve got to ask the question would he have made that tackle, but if you go right down to the rules, it’d be no try. Had David Klemmer the pace to get across to make the tackle, I don’t doubt it.”

Tedesco questioned the call to referee Gerard Sutton who said by being off-side, Watson had obstructed the line, to which Voss said: “That’s fair enough. They’ve applied the rules.”

But after watching the replay again, Voss appeared to have convinced himself that Klemmer was no chance at making the tackle.

“Watson isn’t obstructing David Klemmer because Tupou’s running at a rate of knots, Klemmer’s running a different line to running toward Connor Watson. He’s gone before Klemmer has a chance to ready himself to make a tackle.”

Social media appeared to believe it was a stiff decision.

The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield tweeted: “People in the bunker trying to justify their jobs. Nitpicking. Let the friggen game flow” and “Bunker really giving me the s**ts”.

High-profile Sydney Lawyer Adam Houda added: “Unbelievable. Criminal to deny that try by Tedesco.”

Unsurprisingly, Tedesco said he felt it should have been a four-pointer.

“I asked the ref – I don’t know where Connor’s supposed to go or what he’s supposed to do there,” Tedesco said after the match.

“So, I didn’t think he impacted the play. There are deliberate sleepers, and you can tell that when they stop in the line. But Connor was behind the line. He wasn’t involved in the play, so I thought that was a try.”

The Roosters were completely outplayed. Photo by Matt King/Getty Images

The obstruction ruling comes after a controversial moment in Thursday’s season-opener between the Panthers and Sea Eagles where Penrith had a controversial try disallowed.

The Roosters also bumped against the bunker when Victor Radley was ordered from the field upon review from the bunker.

After coming out of a tackle worse for wear, Radley passed an on-field HIA test from his team doctor but was ordered from the field by the independent doctor in the bunker. He ultimately failed the test.

The independent doctor in the bunker is a new rule in 2022, where Fox Sports commentator Braith Anasta said “I do find it hard too for the bunker overrule anyone who’s at the ground”.

Post match, Roosters coach Trent Robinson said Radley’s injury was more about his neck.

“He went straight to his neck, he had no concussion … for them to go category one instead of category two I thought it was tough for us,” Robinson said. “You’ve got to give some faith to the doctors to look at it as well. They don’t have any symptoms at all but I think the process is right what they’re trying to put in, but they've just got to be careful.”

This picture is everything you need to know about this game. Photo by Matt King/Getty Images

However, after dodging the early bullet Knights made the Roosters pay for their poor handling as the side had 12 errors in the match.

The Knights were dominant and deserved to run away with the win while social media slammed the Roosters’ performance.

ANOTHER @sydneyroosters error.. that try to @NRLKnights sums up the game. Have seen the Roosters drop this much basic ball in one game for years. #NRLRoostersKnights#NRL

— Bernie Coen (@berniecoen) March 12, 2022

Terrible by Roosters today. Shocking defence. Congrats Knights #NRLRoostersKnights

— Rob Sutherland (@rob_sutherland3) March 12, 2022

Well. This is quite the abysmal start. Someone needs to tell the Roosters the off-season is over please #NRLRoostersKnights

— Sam Clench (@SamClench) March 12, 2022