Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett has called out the Bunker as not being good for the game after a controversial no-try call in his side’s elimination final defeat to Newcastle on Friday night.
The Knights tore out of the blocks and overwhelmed South Sydney 20-10 in a fiery and dramatic finals clash at the Sydney Football Stadium.
But Bennett was left deeply frustrated at full time, pointedly asking “who is refereeing the game” after Jayden Sullivan had a try taken off him with the Rabbitohs trailing by just 10-6.
Following some neat interplay with Latrell Mitchell on the left, Alex Johnston dropped the ball under pressure from Jermaine McEwen as he ran down the line, before kicking on to allow Sullivan to dot down.
Ashley Klein awarding the try on field for a strip tackle however, Bunker official Chris Butler overruled Klein and said it was in fact a loose carry and that McEwen had slapped the arm of Johnston, not the ball.
Around 10 minutes later, Dom Young came perilously close to putting his foot on the line as he scored to extend the Knights’ lead with the Bunker agreeing with the on field official’s call, provoking Bennett’s ire.
“I think anyone who plays rugby league or knows rugby league knows that was a knock on,” Bennett said of the Johnston incident in his press conference.
“The ball got knocked out of his hands.
“The referee awards the try, the Bunker flies in and says no try.
“Then 10 minutes later, Dom Young goes down the sideline, I’m not sure whether he put his foot on the line or not, but the bottom line is the bunker says we go with the referee’s call.
“I want to know who’s refereeing the game, that’s the first thing I want to know. Is it the referee? Or the Bunker?”
The Knights and Souths went toe-to-toe in a thrilling contest. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)
Bennett, a long-time critic of the Bunker, said the entire process was not good for rugby league.
“It’s just not what the game needs,” he said.
“I’ve been in it [the game] a long time, seen a lot of things, and I don’t think the Bunker enhances our game.
“I’m happy to live with the referee’s call. Always have been, always will be.
“The ref I know is doing his job properly, he’ll make a mistake, I’ll live with that. My players will make mistakes, I’ll live with that.
“What I can’t live with is this thing called the Bunker that’s supposed to be 100 per cent perfect, but it’s not perfect.
“One’s a try because the referee says it’s a try, the other one is no try because the Bunker says it’s no try.
“I wanna know who’s running the game.”
Knights refuse to be bullied in tense tussle
Latrell Mitchell and Dane Gagai tore into each other in the opening minutes. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)
Despite the controversial calls, Newcastle appeared well worth their win, the Knights coming out adamant they wouldn’t be bullied by the star-studded Souths squad.
Dane Gagai and Latrell Mitchell set the tone early, their ferocious scuffle in the corner seeing Mitchell throw a punch that mercifully for both men missed its target.
Incredibly, neither man was sent to the bin and, in a throwback to games of yesteryear, from the restart Gagai ran the ball straight back at a crazy-eyed Mitchell, winning the battle and, eventually, the entire war against his former teammate.
Unfortunately for Souths, that missed right hook was as close as Mitchell came to making any impact in the game, the star centre strangely quiet with just seven touches in the first half.
Souths lost talismanic veteran Cody Walker to a calf injury before half time and missed the veteran’s poise and creativity.
The Rabbitohs did rally, Campbell Graham scoring not long after, and David Fifita was held up as Souths rallied behind their stricken five-eighth, who retreated to the sheds in tears.
When Sullivan’s try was taken away from the Rabbitohs by the Bunker, the home support must have known it was not their day.
Having the try taken off them was doubly disappointing because it was the only time in the game that Mitchell and Johnston linked up in the way Souths needed them to if they wanted to progress.
Newcastle scored not long after, with Johnston then leaving the field with a groin injury, and that was all she wrote.
The Knights will play the loser of the game between the Dolphins and the Warriors as the fairytale season for last year’s wooden spooners continues for at least another week.
Look back at how all the action unfolded in our live blog.
Let’s wrap things up
So, we’re down to seven.
By the end of tomorrow, we’ll be down to the final six.
Two big games tomorrow afternoon and evening, with the loser of the first game playing the Knights at home next week.
We will be back for all the action tomorrow, the details of which you can find below.
Thanks for being with me this evening, I look forward to blogging with you next time.
Good night, and congratulations to the Knights – drive safe back up the M1, won’t you.
Saturday
- Qualifying final: New Zealand Warriors vs Dolphins at Mount Smart Stadium — 4:05pm AEST
- Elimination final: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks vs North Queensland Cowboys at Sydney Football Stadium — 7:50pm AEST
Sunday
- Qualifying final: Penrith Panthers vs Sydney Roosters at Western Sydney Stadium — 4:05pm AEST
It will be a hard one to take for Souths
Yesterday’s NRLW game a graze of the sideline and try disallowed. Today same situation, reverse decision. Its a shame when calls like this ultimately decide the game. I had a feeling South’s got every 50-50 call against them
– Alen
I feel like whenever it’s your team that is on the end of a contentious call, it’s always going to feel that way.
Again, for what it’s worth, I felt that both decisions were ultimately correct.
As for the process of how we got there, that appears to be what has so irked Wayne Bennett.
‘Common sense prevailed’ over Souths no-try
Justin Holbrook is asked about the controversial Souths no-try.
He says he was always positive that the try would be ruled out.
“Yeah I was,” he says.
“I just think Jermaine was trying to make a tackle, not trying to strip the ball.
“Common sense prevailed there, which was great.”
Holbrook hails ‘unreal’ support
Here is Justin Holbrook, Knights coach.
“I’m really proud,” he says.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game but we were always confident.”
He says he was impressed with how many Newcastle fans came down to support the team, saying it was “unreal”.
He hails all the players, saying that the players have been “desperate” to play and paid particular attention to Francis Manuleleua, playing just two weeks after dislocating his elbow.
‘We’d like him back’: Bennett on Walker
Bennett says that Cody Walker is “fine” and has a calf injury.
He also says that he wants him back next season.
‘I wanna know who’s running the game’
Bennett is asked about the no-try call.
Souths would have got back to 10-10 had the try been given.
It was not.
Bennett is not happy.
“I saw the same thing happen last year with Canberra last year,” he says.
“I think anyone who plays rugby league or knows rugby league knows that was a knock on.
“The ball got knocked out of his hands.
“The referee awards the try, the Bunker flies and and says no try,.
“Then 10 minutes later, Dom Young goes down the sideline, I’m not sure whether he put his foot on the line or not, but the bottom line is the bunker says we go with the referee’s call.
“I want to know who’s refereeing the game, that’s the first thing I want to know.
“Is it the referee? Or the Bunker?
“You can look at that 50 times, everyone can come with a different opinion on that, it’s just too technical.
“It’s just not what the game needs.
“It’s not what I want the game to be personally.
“I’ve been in it a long time, seen a lot of things, and I don’t think the Bunker enhances our game.
“I’m happy to live with the referee’s call. Always have been, always will be.
“None of us are getting it right. The Bunker doesn’t get it right
“The Bunker was supposed to be 100 per cent bullet proof, and it’s not.
“I have been [critical of the Bunker] for a couple of years because I’m over the decisions they make and the impact they have on teams.
“The ref I know is doing his job possibly, he’ll make a mistake, I’ll live with that. My players will make mistakes, I’ll live with that.
“What I can’t live with is this thing called the Bunker that’s supposed to be 100 per cent perfect, but it’s not perfect.
“One’s a try because the referee says it’s a try, the other one is no try because the Bunker says it’s no try.
“I wanna know who’s running the game.”
Bennett: ‘I’m not sure what the reason was’
Here is Souths coach Wayne Bennett.
“We just didn’t play as well as we have, simple as that,” he says.
“Defensively we tried our hearts out but attack wise we were a bit short.
“I’m not sure what the reason was.”
We are waiting to hear from the coaches
Thanks for sticking around with us.
We are just waiting for the coaches to come to the press conference and hear their thoughts.
Reckon it might be a good trip home for these Novocastrians
Should Souths’ try have been allowed to stand?
This will be the big talking point in the coming days.
Should this try from Souths been allowed to stand?
Loading Twitter content
I said it at the time and I still think it’s true now, but I think it was a fair ruling.
It looked like the hand hit the ball carrying hand and not the ball, knocking the ball free. It looked sus in real time and the replay seemed to show that too.
I appreciate other opinions may exist and are valid.
Should be a good couple of games tomorrow…
Who’da thunk it? Thanks Simon, bring on the Dolphins V Warriors and Cowboys V Sharks tomorrow!
– Mike
From wooden spoon to a semifinal
Very happy for the loyal Knights fans. Lots of solid performances from their players.
– KB
A brilliant response from Newcastle, who have had some tough seasons of late.
Newcastle will play the Dolphins or Warriors next week
FT: Newcastle beats South Sydney with sensational performance!
Newcastle started hot and never lost their fire in a ferocious finals victory over South Sydney.
This article contains content that is not available.
What a tremendous game of finals football!
It is Newcastle’s first finals win since 2013.
80′ BIG SHOT FROM CAM MURRAY! AND A MELEE!
Cam Murray flew in and the game is going to end in a mass scrum!
80′ Penalty Knights
Tallis Duncan pulls the leg of the Knights player as he’s about to kick the ball.
79′ Knights intercept again!
This time it’s Sandon Smith!
The ball was flung inside in desperation by Dufty and it was picked up comfortably.
Game well and truly over now.
78′ Dane Gagai intercepts!
That’s brilliant from Dane Gagai!
Souths seemed so eager to get the ball in the hands of Mitchell that they ended up falling over themselves.
Gagai runs off up field but he’s always stumbling so can’t quite get into his stride.
Mitchell then flies in with a shoulder and it’s a penalty.
77′ Have Souths scored here? No
I don’t think they did.
Newcastle are blowing up about something.
Cam Murray kicks the ball through to Ponga, then tackles him, Ponga drops it.
Brandon Smith picks up clean and then dives towards the line but he’s stopped by the post padding.
It will be Souths ball, with six tackles inside the 10.
75′ Souths score!
Surely not…
Lovely movement out to the left side by Souths.
Mitchell catches and passes to Jye Gray, who scoots around the outside of Dom Young to score.
Good try.
Mitchell grabs the ball and sprints back to take the kick at goal, then yells at Ashley Klein, who has to wait for the Bunker – the clock is stopped, by the way.
Mitchell is allowed to kick finally and he does so, but pulls it wide on the near side.
That’s a disappointing conclusion.
Knights lead 20-10 with just under five minutes remaining.
dan