Bunker's ruling leaves NRL world bamboozled

3 years ago 432

It had nary bearing connected the combat for finals footy, but a bunker determination precocious successful the Broncos' 24-22 win implicit the Warriors near the rugby league satellite bamboozled.

Teen Warriors fullback Reece Walsh threaded a grubber into the in-goal country connected the near borderline successful the 78th minute, earlier New Zealand centre Euan Aitken and Brisbane winger Xavier Coates rushed to crushed the ball.

But aft Aitken tried to crushed the shot for a effort and Coates tried to crushed the footy to unit a goal-line drop-out, it was intolerable to cognize from the unrecorded scenes who had won the race.

Referee Matt Cecchin's brushed telephone was nary effort arsenic helium referred the determination to bunker authoritative Henry Perenara.

As replays began to rotation through, it didn't instrumentality agelong for Nine commentator Peter Psaltis and rugby league fable Brad Fittler to beryllium convinced that Coates had grounded the ball.

"What a play by Coates," Psaltis said.

Fittler added: "I reckon that's decidedly the close manus of Xavier Coates."

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But Psaltis and Fittler were past near dumbfounded arsenic Perenara revealed his decision, declaring Aitken had grounded the ball.

"What! Call successful the forensics," Psaltis said.

"I didn't adjacent spot wherever Euan Aitken's manus was. You could spot Xavier Coates' elephantine manus connected the ball! Where's Euan Aitken's hand?"

While Psaltis and Fittler had nary uncertainty Coates had grounded the ball, rugby league icon Billy Slater remained undecided.

"Even aft the ... replay we're nary clearer connected who scored the try," Slater said.

After being awarded the effort successful arguable circumstances, the Warriors had a accidental to level the scores done a Walsh conversion.

But the erstwhile Bronco failed to adhd the extras and the Warriors mislaid the game, dashing their hopes of making a precocious tally for the finals.

A dejected Reece Walsh aft the teen Warriors fullback missed a accidental to level the scores with a conversion precocious successful the game. (Getty)

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