‘Crazy’: Dragons ‘livid’ with ‘really contentious’ Flanagan no-try call

An NRL coach has been left seeing red after his team was dudded out of a “really contentious” try in their Friday night encounter.

Kyle Flanagan's try was disallowed.

Dragons five-eighth Kyle Flanagan had a contentious try ruled out in the closing stages of his side’s first half clash against the Wests Tigers.

Darting out of dummy-half, Flanagan rolled underneath a Jahream Bula tackle to plant the ball on the tryline for what looked to be a Dragons try. However, referee Chris Butler sent it to the Bunker as a no try, with Adam Gee agreeing with the on-field decision.

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On Fox League’s coverage, two-time Dally M Medallist Cooper Cronk felt Flanagan’s movements were “fair game.”

However, Bunker official Gee disagreed, ruling “Kyle Flanagan is on his back with a defender on his legs and upper body. No momentum is progressing at that point. He then promotes the ball to the goal line. We have a decision.”

The decision left Cronk is disbelief, while former Dragons prop James Graham also felt the try should’ve been awarded to the Dragons.

Kyle Flanagan's try was disallowed.

“He is entitled to reach out there,” Graham said on Fox League’s half-time show.

“If we watch that in normal speed, for me he is entitled to make that decision.”

Fellow panellist Michael Ennis agreed, stating it was a “really contentious and controversial (call), whether there was momentum in the tackle — hard to see when we all keep seeing slow motion replays.”

Meanwhile, Fox League sideline reporter Matt Russell revealed during his half-time report that the Dragons were “livid” with the decision.

Although it didn’t end up impacting the result, with the Dragons running away 56-14 winners, coach Shane Flanagan didn’t hold back when asked about the decision on his son’s try attempt in his post-game press conference.

Flanagan wasn’t happy with the call. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

“I’m glad you asked because that’s a try,” he declared.

“I know it’s Kyle, but that’s a try without any doubt.

“It’s a 12-point turnaround and at a really important time. I just can’t understand (it).

“The referee asked to see if he just put it on the tryline, they decided he did. He thought in the motion it was all in the tackle. He wasn’t held, he continued to move.

“It’s just a crazy decision. If we can’t get them right in the scoreline like today when we’re really under the pump — we’ve got to get them right.

“The referee did a good job today, but the bunker let him down.”

Dragons skipper Ben Hunt backed up his coach, saying: “I thought it was a try.”

Originally published as ‘Crazy’: Dragons ‘livid’ with ‘really contentious’ Flanagan no-try call