There has been drama at the NRL Grand Final with Ricky Stuart snubbing an official after the NRL's staggering response to controversy.
The Sydney Roosters have become the first team in 26 years to win back to back NRL Grand Finals after one of the most controversial deciders in recent memory.
The Roosters appeared on the ropes in the final 10 minutes before a hugely controversial referee backflip saw the Raiders denied possession inside the Roosters' red zone in an apparent blunder that turned the contest on its head.
With scores locked at 8-8 in the 72nd minute, the Raiders were forced to hand the ball over to the Roosters when referee Ben Cummins cancelled his initial declaration to award them six more tackles because of a Roosters player touching the ball when a bomb came down in a crowded pack.
In the next set, the Roosters went 60m to score a sizzling try to put them ahead 14-8 with seven minutes to play.
The try broke the Raiders' hearts and they weren't able to find a response as the Roosters held on for a famous six-point win.
It was just one of the many incredible moments of controversy, including:
Raiders players were shattered at full time and the Roosters were so exhausted they could barely celebrate.
For Canberra players, however, there was only heartbreak.
"It's but absolutely gut wrenching," Jack Wighton said.
"It's a feeling I can't explain, mate."
Wighton went on to be named the Clive Churchill Medallist as the best player on the field in the grand final.
Wighton was booed by Roosters fans as he walked up to receive the medal.
The Referees were also booed by spectators as they received their Grand Final souvenirs. Hollywood star Russell Crowe appeared to sum up the huge backlash across the game towards the whistleblowers, labelling the decision to take possession off the Raiders "horses***".
Horseshit result in the @NRL Grand Final .
— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) October 6, 2019
Yet another Rugby League embarrassment.
Raiders ripped off.#sixagain
The outrage wasn't enough to ease the Raiders' pain.
"It is really, really painful at the moment," Raiders star Josh Hodgson said.
"It feels like a punch in the stomach, but this is the stuff that drives you to want to win even more."
Here's how the incredible controversy unfolded.
Cooper Cronk dived on the ball after the final siren to seal a famous Grand Final triumph for the Roosters.
The Raiders launched a desperate final play in the final seconds, but a kick ricocheted into the arms of Cronk.
Just like that, the Roosters were crowned NRL premiers, the first team to go back to back in 26 years.
James Tedesco has scored to put the Roosters ahead in the 72nd minute.
He scored after a Lattrell Mitchell flick pass allowed Daniel Tupou to make a break down the touch line before passing inside to Tedesco.
It put the Roosters up 14-6 heading into the final five minutes.
The try was mired in controversy after the Raiders were denied possession and another set of six in the Roosters' red zone, despite the referees waving "six more tackles".
The decision came after a bomb was contested by players from both teams and video replays proved to be unclear as to who the deflection had come from.
The Raiders regained possession but Jack Wighton took a tackle instead of playing on under the belief that his team had six more tackles.
Replays also showed the referee cleary waved six more tackles and barked out the order, 'Six more, six more'. However, it was then that the pocket referee appeared to overrule the first decision be yelling out "last tackle, change over" as the Raiders pressed their attack.
The Roosters then went up the other end and broke the Raiders' hearts.
“We will hear more about that six again call and the referees changing it midstream,” Phil Gould sai on Channel 9.
“I can’t imagine that the Raiders weren’t fooled by the call that it was six again.
“Otherwise Wighton would have kicked a second time rather than take a tackle."
Johnathan Thurston said he was "dumbfounded" by the decision – and declared the Raiders had every right to be "shattered".
"Dumbfounded. I'm dumbfounded by that," Thurston told Nine.
"You can hear the referees calling it, 'Six again, six again'. And then he's changed his mind. It was changing the call on the run.
"It's not a good look. It is not a good look at all. I would be pretty shattered if I was the Raiders. The next set, Tedesco scores and wins them the match. Really, it is not a great look. As a team, you want to take the referees out of the equation and win the game being a consistent footy team.
"It's just a huge, huge call."
NRL commentators across the game declared the Raiders were robbed.
NRL great Martin Lang even branded it the biggest referee "blunder in grand final history".
The Sydney Roosters missed a chance to go ahead with 11 minutes to play after Luke Keary was caught high with a lazy swinging arm high shot from Aidan Sezer.
The penalty gave Latrell Mitchell a shot to put them ahead, but his kick from 25m out sailed across the goals.
It left the game tied at 8-8 with 10 minutes to play.
Joseph Leilua tried to be too fancy when the Raiders had an overlap on their right edge near the try line.
Leilua tried to split two defenders when he'd got on the outside of his defender, but could simply have passed to Jordan Rapana, who was unmarked on the wing.
Leilua tried to poke his nose through the line and offload to Rapana, but his pass spilled forward as he was brought to the ground.
Cooper Cronk has been sent to the sin bin in his final ever NRL game after a professional foul on Josh Papalii.
Cronk tackled Papalii before he had the ball as the Raiders weapon burst onto a ball at short range near the try line.
Replays showed Cronk had made contact with Papalii just before Papalii caught the pass.
"That's not a sin bin," Andrew Johns said.
Phil Gould said there was just a fraction of a second between Cronk's contact and Papalii catching the ball.
"Extremely tough decision," he said.
"I don't know how they've created this. There is a split second in this, an absolute split second."
The Raiders kicked a penalty goal to tie the scores at 8-8 in the 52nd minute.
A potential try denied to the Raiders after a Roosters trainer interfered in the play has dominated the talking points from the first half of the NRL Grand Final.
In just the second set of the game, the Raiders had play pulled up when Elliot Whitehead appeared to be in a position to pick up the loose Steeden and run 50m to the try line.
Referees stopped play when Luke Keary's kick deflected off the head of Iosia Soliola and went towards Whitehead, except a trainer interfered with the play when the ball bounced into him.
Despite the interference of the Roosters trainer, the Roosters were then granted possession after the referees pulled up play.
"Whitehead could have scored there," Andrew Johns said.
"That is amazing. Keary, you can see he was late on the kick. He hit Soliola in the head. Hits the trainer in the head. Whitehead was the only player pursuing. That could have been a try under the post."
NRL rules state that possession is always returned to the attacking team following incidental interference.
“Where play is irregularly affected in the field of play, the referee shall restart play with a scrum with the attacking team to receive the loose head and feed," NRL rules state.
It had NRL commentators blowing up.
Latrell Mitchell missed a long-range penalty goal attempt after the half time siren to keep the scores at 8-6 to the Roosters.
The Roosters were under the pump at the end of the half after the Raiders dominated possession and field position for the final 20 minutes.
Jack Wighton cut a hole between Angus Crichton and Boyd Cordner to cut the Roosters' lead back to 8-6 after 32 minutes.
Wighton darted from first receiver with a double step off his left foot and then brushed off Crichton to dive over 15m wide of the posts.
Roosters utility Mitchell Aubusson was taken from the field in the 13th minute after suffering a knee injury making a tackle on his own try line.
Aubusson had to get low before a Raiders player darted into his knees when trying to dive over the try line.
He was replaced by Angus Crichton.
Phil Gould described the injury as a "real loss" for the Roosters.
"Holy moley," Gould said.
"He's a real loss for them. He's the glue for this team."
The Roosters confirmed before half time Aubusson had suffered a left knee injury and would not return in the Grand Final.
Joseph Manu was injured his shoulder in the first 15 minutes but stayed on the field.
The Roosters also had Victor Radley taken from the field to undergo a concussion test. He was cleared to return just before half time.
Sam Verrills, the player many expected to make way for Jake Friend for the Grand Final, has scored first for the Roosters.
Verrills darted out of dummy half 10m from the line and caught Josh Papalii out of position and he was able to barge over with a stunning right step that cut between Papalii and Jarrod Croker.
It put the Roosters ahead 6-0 after seven minutes.
NRL commentator Phil Gould described it as a "wonderful story".
"There was so much speculation all week as to whether the youngster would get a start in the Roosters Grand Final. With Jake Friend making himself available."
It came after the Raiders almost could have scored in the second set of the game when Luke Keary's kick deflected off the head of Iosia Soliola and went towards Elliot Whitehead, except a trainer interfered with the play with the ball bounced into him.
Despite the interference of the Roosters trainer, the Roosters were then granted possession after the referees pulled up play.
"Whitehead could have scored there," Andrew Johns said.
"That is amazing. Keary, you can see he was late on the kick. He hit Soliola in the head. Hits the trainer in the head. Whitehead was the only player pursuing. That could have been a try under the post."
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