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Ref got golden point call wrong: Hasler

Des Hasler looks set to return to the Sea Eagles. (AAP Image/Paul Miller)
29th June, 2017
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Canterbury coach Des Hasler believes NRL referee Henry Perenara was wrong to award a stripping penalty in golden point that resulted in his team’s one-point loss to Parramatta.

The Bulldogs fought back from 12-2 down on Thursday to force extra period but didn’t get a chance with the ball after Michael Lichaa was penalised for stealing from Tepai Moeroa.

Hasler admitted his team squandered a host of chances to complete the comeback, but insisted Perenara – who was tipped off by assistant referee Dave Munro – made the wrong call.

The decision marched the Eels downfield before Mitchell Moses nailed the game-winner.

“I thought the penalty in the extra time was a pretty tough call to be honest. I think it was the pocket referee. I think he got it wrong,” Hasler said.

“But we had other opportunities, it was a tough game.”

Hasler also claimed the officials’ were also too lenient in the ruck, but was particularly irked by what he insists is a rare penalty in the extra period.

“You have to go back a long way to find one, particularly from the pocket,” he said.

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“I think it gets down to that stage, the calls, there’s never anyone offside. But we probably had opportunities earlier in the game we made some dumb plays.”

One of those included fullback Will Hopoate’s horror attempted pass to Marcelo Montoya early in the match, which was resulted in the rookie being sin-binned for denying a try-scoring opportunity.

It was a shocking start to another lacklustre first-half effort from the Bulldogs, who were held tryless in the opening period for the fourth straight match.

Hasler’s side have only scored more than eight points in the opening 40 minutes just once this year, however, the two-time premiership-winning coach denied it’s a major concern.

“I thought we had a couple of try-scoring opportunities there. One they knocked down, which was offside, and then the other one we squandered in the first half,” he said.

Stand-in captain Aiden Tolman, who courageously punched out 147 metres and a game-high 54 tackles in an 82-minute effort, was at a loss to explain their attacking woes.

“For whatever reason it is, we just can’t get across the line and that was the perfect example there tonight. So disappointing to lose in golden point like that,” he said.

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The defeat was the Bulldogs’ sixth in seven games, leaving them in 13th spot and needing to win six of their remaining eight games to make the finals.

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