Obstruction rule has Sea Eagles in a flap after win over Cowboys

COWBOYS coach Neil Henry has dismissed claims the obstruction rule has become a blight on the code after accusations defender' Glenn Hall dived.

COWBOYS coach Neil Henry has dismissed claims the obstruction rule has become a blight on the code after Manly counterpart Geoff Toovey accused Glenn Hall of diving in the Sea Eagles' gutsy 8-6 win on Saturday night.

Toovey called for an end-of-season NRL summit to address obstruction rulings, claiming referees' varying interpretations are causing mass confusion that will spill into the finals.

The obstruction rule fallout came on a controversial weekend for NRL referees, with Bulldogs coach Des Hasler attacking match officials after his side's 26-10 defeat of Newcastle.

Toovey delivered his own spray after video referee Steve Clark disallowed potential tries to Tony Williams (11th minute) and Brett Stewart (63rd), ruling Cowboys defenders Hall and Brent Tate had been impeded by Sea Eagles decoy runners.

Toovey was adamant Hall took a dive as he collided with Anthony Watmough in the lead-up to Williams' no-try but Henry hit back at suggestions the Cowboys back-rower deliberately went down.

"The rule has been looked at ongoing, we talk about it and it's something where you will have an opinion either way every time," Henry said. "If a defender gets impeded and his space gets taken away and he can't adjust to defend, it's an obstruction.

"Maybe the first one (the Hall-Watmough collision) was dubious but the way they've been adjudicating I have no problem."

Toovey said he had virtually given up hope of the issue being addressed by referees boss Bill Harrigan before the finals.

"I don't think they can sort it out before the finals," Toovey said. "I've spoken to the refs and they have a different opinion to me. Well, the boss (Harrigan) has a different opinion to me.

"I'm sure other coaches have different opinions as well, so it will wait until the end of the year and there will be confusion along the way."