Refs boss defends penalty decision
Annesley insists no certainty wing would have scored despite mid-air interference
NRL referees’ boss Graham Annesley has backed the decision to not award the Warriors a penalty try in Sunday’s 14-8 defeat to the Newcastle Knights.
At the end of the first half, with the Warriors trailing 8-6, winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak was taken out in the air by opposite Greg Marzhew and dropped the ball in the in-goal for what otherwise seemed a certain try.
However, after a review by the NRL’s Bunker, only a penalty was awarded, rather than a penalty try.
Addressing media in his weekly briefing, Annesley stood by the Bunker’s decision, stating there was no certainty Watene-Zelezniak would have definitely scored had he not been taken out in mid-air.
“It’s not an automatic penalty try, there’s no such thing as an automatic penalty try,” Annesley said.
“Clearly, the bunker felt there was too much doubt. There are two players contesting the ball.
“The bunker official couldn’t be sure that as he falls to the ground — the ball comes away from his hand as he tries to ground the ball — that was solely due to the tackle, to the contact.
“People will argue one way or the other and they will say, ‘of course he was going to score if he hadn’t been contacted’.
“But the rules make it very clear that’s a decision either the referee . . . or the Bunker on the review have to determine whether the try would have been scored, not could have been scored, were it not for interference.”
Speaking after the game on Sunday, Warriors coach Andrew Webster admitted he wasn’t “100 per cent” sure of the rule but felt WateneZelezniak would have scored.
“If he’s going up for the ball to catch it, and then he gets taken out in the air and he’s coming down to put the ball down, he was going to score the try,” Webster said.
“The only reason he didn’t score is because he got tackled in the air. I don’t understand if that’s the exact rule, or if there’s a clause for that particular play, when you’re attacking and catch the ball in the air.
“But it looked like he was going to dead-set score for all money. The only reason he didn’t was because he got tackled in the air.”
But Webster said the penalty try decision wasn’t the sole reason for his side’s loss. The Warriors, now 14th and three points outside the top eight, were their own worst enemy at McDonald Jones Stadium. The first half was littered with errors.
“I don’t want anyone thinking that’s the reason why [the Warriors lost]. We’re pretty honest with our assessment of ourselves.”
Defeat leaves the Warriors on a four-game winless run, with their last victory against Souths on April 6.