NRL great rips ‘worst video ref decision ever’ as Panthers’ ‘classy’ response to controversy revealed

Panthers great Greg Alexander has branded the awarding of Jake Wardle’s controversial try in the World Club Challenge “the worst video referee decision” he has ever seen.

It comes after the England centre maintained that he did in fact get the ball down amid criticism from Penrith winger Brian To’o, who told The Sydney Morning Herald Wardle “already knows he didn’t get it over the line”.

The disagreeable call was one of numerous that favored Wigan within the 16-12 triumph, with the Warriors showing up to toss a pair of forward passes within the lead-up to their moment attempt of the amusement.

Penrith moment rower Liam Martin was too punished for a one-on-one take whereas Pumas winger Taylan May had a last-gasp attempt refused after the video official ruled uncertain prove to topple the on-field call.

Whereas the May choice was the correct one given the official had at first ruled it not a attempt, it was however another tough break for Penrith particularly when considering the on-field call had demonstrated significant within the granting of Wardle’s attempt.

In spite of the fact that Alexander believed there was sufficient prove from the replays to recommend Wardle was well brief of the line which the attempt ought to not have been given.

“The video official execution, particularly within the moment half with the granting of the Jake Wardle attempt, was the worst I’ve ever seen. The most exceedingly bad video arbitrator choice I’ve ever seen,” Alexander said on SEN Breakfast.

“He had the nerve to say there’s deficiently prove to alter the on-field choice… he was a foot brief. He was a foot brief of the try-line. I do not think you’ll get a much better camera point to create distant better;a much better;a higher;a stronger;an improved”>a higher choice on that incident.”

Alexander moreover went on to include that on the off chance that that was not sufficient, there was moreover “100 per cent” grounds for the attempt to be taken off the Warriors for a twofold development.

“The handle was over once he was ended, the ball ceased, he was on the ground, that was the conclusion of play and after that he sort of pushed it forward,” Alexander said.

He was not the as it were one to be cleared out disappointed by the refereeing from Sunday’s amusement, with previous NRL and Super Alliance playmaker Josh Reynolds “riled up” by the mistakes.

“That Wardle attempt was an completely awful call,” Reynolds said on Big Sports Breakfast.

“He was behind him. There was no possible way he might have seen him get it down. It fair irritated me… I do not need to go as well distant into it since it aggravated me right up.

“You cannot call merely. cannot completely say he got that down from the back. We couldn’t see it from 1000 distinctive points, so how is he going to see it? People are going to say he made a judgment call, there’s no way in any sort of judgment he might have seen that. I do not care what anyone says.”

That asks the address — on the off chance that the official does not have an instantly solid incline either way when a potential attempt is scored, ought to they indeed make a administering within the to begin with put?

“You certainly can’t send it upstairs with a decision after you fair do not know. That’s tossing darts. That’s fair having a stab,” Fox Association commentator Andrew Voss said on SEN Breakfast.

Already arbitrators utilized to send tries upstairs to the video official who, in case they could not make a call, would at that point take off it to the on-field official to provide the ultimate administering.

There was moreover a “benefit of the doubt” run the show in support of the attacking team that was rejected in 2013 in a move that was met with far reaching commend at the time.

In spite of the overpowering feedback of the Wardle choice, the man at the centre of the contention is resolute that he did in reality score.

“I actually do think I got it down,” Wardle told The Reflect.

“It was never a double-movement. I think I had the tip of the ball down on the line. And he gave it. That’s all that matters.”

Jake Wardle scored… but did he? (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)Source:
Getty Images

Whereas there has been bounty of external clamor encompassing the call, The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield credited the Pumas for showing a “stack of class” in the face of the show.

“I think the complete club after the diversion appeared a stack of lesson… the way the Penrith players swapped shirts, shook hands,” Rothfield said on Huge Sports Breakfast.

“The coach [Ivan Cleary] with his class at the press conference. That club has copped a part of feedback for a bit of carry-on, the way they celebrate tries. I thought they appeared over in Britain they are a wonderful advertisement for league.”

Further to this, Pumas halfback Nathan Cleary was moreover spotted posturing for selfies and marking signatures half-an-hour after the amusement wrapped up.

Previous Panthers players Jamie Soward and Josh Mansour both took to social media to precise their outrage with the decisions on Sunday, with Soward announcing the Wardle call “absolutely rubbish”.

“This is comical. Why in case we are the tip top association do we not have our ref over there?” Soward composed in another post.

“Bias [sic] refereeing,” Mansour added.

“How does the ref award try with the point and see from the last Wigan attempt and in similar circumstances grant no attempt on Taylan [May’s] exertion [on the full-time siren]?”

Panthers winger To’o said within the consequence that “lying may be a sin” when inquired approximately the Wardle try and was supported by Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould, who branded the English middle a “fibber” on Nine’s broadcast.

“He’s a long way brief of the line there,” Gould said.

“You may construct a block of units between the ball and the line. He hasn’t got anyplace close the line.”

In the mean time, on Fox League’s scope, both Braith Anasta and James Graham questioned how the arbitrator might certainly make a call given the position he was in.

“I don’t know how he [the on-field referee] could award that a attempt or go up with a try,” Anasta said.

“He wasn’t in a great position. He couldn’t see the ball go down on the ground. That’s a no try.”

“He couldn’t, and he’s made an assumption,” replied Graham.

“I figure that’s in the wording isn’t it? Send up it as a attempt, versus the minute within the biting the dust minutes where he sends it up as no-try.

“You could make a solid case for them to be the opposite. You’ll probably send both up as ‘I have got no-try’. I do not know on the off chance that that ball (Wardle’s try) gets to the line.”