Blues divided on penalty try

Brisbane: NSW coach Brad Fittler backed a decision to not award the Blues a penalty try despite winger Josh Addo-Carr insisting he would have scored in a controversial finish to Wednesday night’s State of Origin decider.

In the dying minutes of the game, Addo-Carr approached referee Gerard Sutton to express his dismay over the match officials’ decision not to give the Blues a penalty try after he was taken out by Corey Allan while chasing a kick.

Instead, referee Sutton sent the Queensland fullback to the sin bin, giving NSW three minutes to try and penetrate a 12-man Maroons defensive line.

The Blues failed to take the game into golden point, ending their hopes of an Origin threepeat as Queensland claimed one of their most memorable series victories.

At the end of the game, with NSW challenging a decision after the siren, Addo-Carr approached the referee to voice his frustration.

“That should have been a try mate,” AddoCarr said. “That should’ve been a try.”

Fittler said he didn’t think video official Steve Chiddy should have awarded a penalty try.

“Would he have scored it? Yes,” Fittler said. “But it wasn’t a penalty try. Him [Corey Allan] getting sin binned I thought was the best they could get out of it. I’d like to back Fox against anyone in that situation.”

Channel Nine commentator and former

Blues coach Phil Gould agreed with the NSW winger during the call, finding it hard to believe that Addo-Carr wouldn’t have beaten Cameron Munster to the ball if Allan hadn’t impeded his run.

“He’d have got there,” Gould said in commentary. “He’s the fastest man on the planet. They weren’t going to catch him. He was well in front of them. They were not going to catch him to the ball.”