‘That’s wrong’: Cam Smith, Paul Vautin rage over penalty try ‘stitch up’

Cameron Smith and Paul Vautin have been left fuming over a penalty try decision that blew open the Sharks-Cowboys semi-final.

It’s taken just 13 minutes for controversy to erupt in the NRL semi-final between the Sharks and Cowboys with Cronulla opening the scoring via a penalty try.

The Sharks, who have won a finals match since 2018 or eight finals games ago, took a commanding 24-0 lead at the break.

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But there were a few questions over the first try of the match.

After both sides tested each other’s defence in the early stages, a messy fifth tackle play looked to have turned into gold for the Sharks when five-eighth Brayden Trindall kicked for himself with no one in front of him.

After putting the ball through the hands, the play almost finished when Nicho Hynes was brought to his knees but somehow pushed out an offload, which was picked up by Teig Wilton and shovelled to Will Kennedy, who found Trindall.

The five-eighth dropped the ball onto his foot and took off, only to be tackled by the Cowboys’ Reuben Cotter.

With no one in front of him and the Cowboys’ Tom Dearden ahead of Trindall but off to the right, referee Ashley Klein sent the call up as a penalty try.

On Fox Sports, Dan Ginnane immediately said it would either be a penalty try or a sin bin.

When the decision came back, he said it was likely Klein’s initial call that decided the result.

But on Channel 9, Cameron Smith and Paul Vautin were left in disbelief.

Cotter knew he'd made a mistake. Photo: Fox Sports

Before the decision had been handed down, Vautin said: “He’s got a penalty try. I’m going to say Tom Dearden is in the vicinity back there. You can’t say 100 per cent that he’s going to get there ahead of Tom Dearden.”

Cameron Smith agreed that it would likely be a sin bin.

However, the Bunker had another opinion.

“Reuben Cotter tackles Braydon Trindall without the ball,” Bunker official Wyatt Raymond said. “In the opinion of the referee and the video referee, Braydon Trindall would have got to the ball first and scored a try. We are supporting the on field decision penalty try.”

The NRL legends were stunned.

“That’s wrong,” Smith said. “I’m sorry, that’s wrong. You can’t say Trindall would get there before Tom Dearden. How can they say that?”

Vautin replied: “100 per cent, you can’t say that. That’s a stitch up.

“I reckon they would have got there at the same time and it could have been dropped. But honestly.”

Even Sharks legend Paul Gallen was surprised by the call.

“I think they would have got there at a similar time,” he said. “But I’m surprised it’s a penalty try. I thought it would have been 10 in the sin bin to be honest.”

Should this have been a penalty try? Photo: Fox Sports

Fans were divided down the middle over the call.

Freelance rugby league reporter Curtis Woodward said: “Good call.”

“How is that a penalty try? Deardon was a chance of getting there,” one fan wrote.

Another commented: “Spot on decision by Klein for a penalty try!”

“No way should that have been a penalty try. Sin bin yes. Cowboys ripped off,” a third said.

A fourth suggested: “Ballsy but correct call by Klein there.”

And the comments continued like that.

The Sharks doubled up two minutes later when Cameron McInnes slammed the ball down under the posts.

But a third try was denied when the pass from Ronaldo Mulitalo was touched by the Cowboys’ Jake Clifford, with the Sharks’ inside men unable to pick up the ball.

However, with eight minutes left in the half, Trindall stepped up again, following up his own bomb to catch a flick from Jesse Ramien to score in the corner.

Mulitalo finished the half as the Sharks simply used a man advantage to put the winger in untouched to take the commanding 24-0 lead.

Originally published as ‘That’s wrong’: Cam Smith, Paul Vautin rage over penalty try ‘stitch up’