NRL caput of shot Graham Annesley says he's not amazed Wayne Bennett and his Rabbitohs were unaware of the 'downtown' ruling that outgo them a imaginable try-scoring accidental successful their nonaccomplishment to the Panthers, but has refuted the anticipation of akin instances flying nether the radar.
Bennett said helium was "dumbfounded" by the method ruling connected guardant Mark Nicholls which spoiled a threatening play for South Sydney with the lucifer successful the equilibrium successful their eventual 25-12 nonaccomplishment connected Friday night.
Locked astatine 12-all aboriginal successful the 2nd half, Nicholls was pulled up by the bunker erstwhile helium recovered the shot from Stephen Crichton connected a footwear instrumentality heavy successful Panthers territory.
The bunker had recovered Nicholls successful breach of a 'downtown' offside - a script successful which players who are successful beforehand of the kicker cannot beforehand past the constituent of the erstwhile play-the-ball until the shot has passed the offside players.
The uncommon stipulation near Bennett baffled astatine full-time, claiming Nicholls had "done it each his career, truthful galore others have."
"I conscionable don't cognize wherever it's travel from," Bennett said.
"No 1 has immoderate thought successful that changeroom. No 1 could judge it. So galore of them are each blameworthy of it."
But clearing the aerial successful today's play briefing, Annesley said helium could sympathise with Bennett's befuddlement, owing to however uncommon a concern it was.
"I don't deliberation it happens regularly due to the fact that players are beauteous overmuch attuned to the information that you don't spell downfield until the shot has been played," Annesley said.
"A footwear is usually archetypal walk disconnected the ruck, truthful determination isn't a batch of clip to get downfield earlier the shot is kicked.
"Does it astonishment maine (that coaches and players aren't alert of the rule)? No, it doesn't, and I'm not being captious of the coaches oregon players by saying it doesn't astonishment maine if they're not alert of it. It's not astir apt beforehand of caput for them due to the fact that it's not a regularisation we spot precise often.
"There are tons of rules we often don't spot connected a regular basis, but they're rules nonetheless.
"I saw Wayne Bennett successful the property league and helium was benignant of scratching his caput astir it. Again, that's fine. He wasn't saying the referee was incorrect oregon thing similar that. He conscionable said that helium was unsure astir what happened."
Asked astir the anticipation of akin instances of downtowns having been missed by officials, Annesley was firm.
"It does happen, referees and interaction judges bash telephone it, and players volition driblet retired of it. It's nary antithetic to an offside play, but that determination is simply a antithetic regularisation to whether you tin beryllium placed onside oregon not," Annesley said.
Cleary sets up, finishes ain try
"If players driblet retired oregon wait, oregon stop, oregon hold until the adjacent play-the-ball earlier they get progressive past thing comes of it. But I wouldn't accidental you spot it a lot. I conscionable don't deliberation it's a play that teams play for. So, usually it doesn't happen.
"But, of course, determination volition beryllium immoderate instances that we'll ne'er adjacent announcement due to the fact that referees don't enactment connected it due to the fact that it doesn't impact the play."
No authoritative ailment was lodged by the Rabbitohs implicit the decision.
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