Knights coach responds to suspect penalty try

3 years ago 324

Knights manager Adam O'Brien disagrees with the referee's telephone to grant the Eels a match-sealing punishment effort successful the dying stages of his side's elimination final.

But the Newcastle mentor refused to beryllium drawn into the contention during his post-match media conference, opting to stay tight-lipped alternatively of unleashing connected the game's officials.

As the Knights trailed 22-20 successful the 77th infinitesimal of the Rockhampton clash, bunker authoritative Grant Atkins awarded Parramatta a punishment effort aft Newcastle winger Enari Tuala interfered with Eels centre Will Penisini.

Eels fullback Clint Gutherson threaded a grubber connected the close borderline and, arsenic the bunker trawled done replays, Atkins came to the determination that Penisini would person collected the shot and scored if Tuala hadn't made interaction with him.

While that's conscionable astir undeniable, a punishment effort was awarded contempt Gutherson appearing to driblet the shot earlier getting a toed connected it.

But O'Brien spared conscionable 5 words erstwhile asked for his thoughts connected the ruling.

"I'll prevention myself immoderate cash," O'Brien said.

The second-year Knights manager alternatively lamented the 2 tries his broadside conceded precocious successful the opening half.

Playmaker Mitchell Moses divided done for a stellar solo effort from 40 metres retired successful the 36th minute, earlier a Penisini flick walk sent winger Blake Ferguson implicit successful the close country 2 minutes later.

It meant that successful the last 5 minutes earlier the half-time break, the Knights went from 10-6 up to 16-10 down.

Moses steps up for the Eels

"The 2 tries earlier half-time wounded maine much than (the punishment try)," O'Brien said.

"We power that worldly earlier half-time (and we're amended off). And that's wherever we request to get to ultimately. If you instrumentality attraction of those things there, past the effort astatine the extremity is not important.

"When the crippled was successful the washing instrumentality we were going good and past conscionable earlier half-time determination were immoderate stoppages and I deliberation we switched disconnected mentally. (We) came up with immoderate strategy errors defensively and (it) outgo america 2 tries."

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