NRL 2020: Addin Fonua-Blake calls referee a ‘f***ing retard’ in Manly thriller

The fallout from the wild finish between the Sea Eagles and Knights has seen Addin Fonua-Blake apologise for his send off for dissent.

Newcastle celebrate.

The Newcastle Knights have survived a last second scare against the Manly Sea Eagles but the game has exploded with forward Addin Fonua-Blake sent off.

With the score at 14-12, the Sea Eagles had one last set to score to snatch the win and the side went wide on the siren.

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As winger Tevita Funa ran down the sideline, he was quickly running out of room with the speedster dropping the ball onto his foot before being pushed in the back by Newcastle centre Bradman Best into a collision, taking him out of the play.

With no other Sea Eagles around, the ball was picked up by Knights hooker Andrew McCullough and iced.

But it was where the drama just began.

Sent upstairs as a potential penalty try, bunker official Jared Maxwell said there was no issues in the lead up and effectively ended the game.

While it would have been a bold call to give it a penalty try, it could have been a penalty and given the Sea Eagles the chance to even up the match.

WATCH IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE

The Sea Eagles were not happy with Daly Cherry-Evans going straight up to referee Grant Atkins, but so did his teammates.

Fonua-Blake was reportedly sent off for calling Atkins a “f***ing r****d”.

“He pushed him in the f***ing back, you f***ing r****d. F***ing hell mate, f*** off,” Fox League reported him as saying with Atkins sending him off immediately.

Fonua-Blake has since apologised for the comments.

Manly's Daly Cherry-Evans with referee Grant Atkins at full time.

Jake Trbojevic was also believed to have been sent off according to the NRL website live results but was later removed, a sign of the confusion in the chaotic scenes.

Later Fonua-Blake released a statement to apologise for his actions seeking out Atkins to personally apologise.

“Referees have a very tough job and we all need to respect their decisions even when we may not agree with them,’’ Fonua-Blake said. “I should not have let my emotions get the better of me and I am very sorry for the comments I made.

“I‘d also like to offer my sincere apology to anyone offended by the regrettable language that I used. I let myself and my club down. That is not who I am or want this club stands for.”

Sea Eagles skipper Daly Cherry-Evans was magnanimous after the game.

“It’s frustrating not because of the call. We just left it too late,” he said. “We’ve got no one to blame there.

“I don’t think we deserved a penalty try. I believe if they’d called a penalty there, that’s probably fair game. But that’s just not the case.”

It was all the journos on hand wanted to ask Manly coach Des Hasler after the game and he said he’d look into any charges that come out of the incident.

He also said he’d have to discuss with NRL head of football about the rule as to why it wasn’t a penalty.

Knights captain Mitchell Pearce defended his player and said he thought it was fair game.

“No really, I think it was in the run of play while he was kicking the ball,” Pearce said. “Different calls go your way, sometimes they don’t. I thought we earned our win for our goal line defence.”

The debate quickly shifted to whether it was the right call and not many people appeared to be on behind the Bunker’s decision.

The Fox League commentators were in agreement that it was at least worth a penalty.
“A very controversial call there,” Anasta said. “The Manly Sea Eagles are absolutely filthy, they’re blowing up.

“He gets pushed in the back after he kicks it. Now that’s a penalty every day of the week.”

A frustrated Manly after the loss.

Corey Parker added: “ “It’s a definite push in the back, you can’t get any more clear than what we see there.

“How did they get that wrong? How did they get that wrong?

“If you push a player in the back after you kick the ball, that’s a penalty. We all believe that it should have been a penalty. That’s just a blatant late push from Best.”

Nathan Hindmarsh was also incredulous saying “It was a definite push in the back … it was a penalty — I just don’t understand.”

Anasta took another shot after the game as he couldn’t believe it wasn’t called.

“I still believe it’s a penalty, Funa in the last play of the game gets pushed in the back from Best,” said Braith Anasta.

“It’s a straight up penalty, they would’ve had an opportunity to level the score after the siren to go into golden point. It’s a clear miss from the bunker and they’ve stuffed it up in my eyes.”

On Channel 9, the mood was the opposite with Andrew Johns believing Best couldn’t see the kick from Funa, while Peter Sterling pointed out that McCullough was the closest to the ball and it was never going to be a penalty try.

Social media also erupted.

How is that not a penalty? Deffs not a penalty try but that is a penalty for a push in the back! Robbed again.

— Wilson Smith (@wilson_smith93) July 5, 2020

I thought it was 50/50 but not sure it was a penalty. Thoughts?

— Jamie Soward (@sowwowofficial6) July 5, 2020

Onya Horse. That was a penalty every day of the week. #NRLManlyKnights

— BUZZ ROTHFIELD (@BuzzRothfield) July 5, 2020

How can that not at least be a penalty after the ref asked to. check on a penalty when Clearly he was pushed in back. #NRL #NRLManlyKnights

— Bernie Coen (@berniecoen) July 5, 2020

Not pretty, bloody gritty. #NRL #NRLManlyKnights

— Caden Helmers (@cadenhelmers) July 5, 2020

Less than 24 hours after many boldly decalared the send off is DEAD, folks, I’m here to tell you it’s very much alive and well #NRLManlyKnights

— Adrian McMurray (@adrianmcmurray) July 5, 2020