Video refs blame TV for clouding Hayne decision

Under-fire video referees Bill Harrigan and Tim Mander claim replay issues and not indecision were to blame for the delay in the controversial Jarryd Hayne no-try ruling in the Origin opener.

Harrigan and Mander found themselves the target of NSW frustrations after taking eight looks at different replays to determine that Hayne had stepped on the sideline in a stunning eighth minute run to the tryline.

Their delay sparked calls from the NSW camp for the benefit of the doubt to be given in a ruling which changed the course of the game.

“He had a look at it a thousand times and he calls it a no try,” Hayne said.

“It was a 50-50 call but I always thought the attacking team got the benefit of the doubt.”

The decision proved a massive turning point with the baby Blues appearing to drop their heads after the no-try ruling.

Queensland took advantage to score three tries within eight minutes, NSW never recovering from the onslaught to lose 28-18.

Referees boss Robert Finch backed his under-fire brigade, claiming the delays had nothing to do with indecision and everything to do with the production process.

“It’s a not a video referee issue, it’s that a director doesn’t give him vision that he wants,” Finch claimed.

This was later confirmed in an statement issued by the NRL on behalf of Harrigan and Mander, where they stood by their assertion that they were convinced Hayne’s florescent green left boot had touched the sideline.

“We felt on viewing the first front-on angle that Jarryd Hayne’s foot had come into contact with the line,” the pair said.

“We wanted to check another angle from behind to assure ourselves there was no conflicting evidence.

“The first replay from that angle did not show his feet during the entire run to the line. The subsequent front-on replay confirmed our initial view and we asked for a slow-motion replay as final evidence.

“At this stage we did not see the need for further angles.

“The normal production process meant that the director needed to play another view while re-winding and this view was a back-pack shot which we hadn’t seen before.

“He then replayed the front-on shot in slow motion which again confirmed our view.

“Because the back-pack shot had been a completely different angle we asked for it to be re-cued but, unfortunately, it replayed at the moment we believed the foot touched the line and we asked to rewind it.”

Hayne’s claim that the decision was tight enough to warrant a benefit of the doubt call was also knocked on the head.

“We believed there was sufficient evidence to confirm our original thought that Jarryd’s foot had touched the line and we were both equally confident of that view,” Harrigan and Mander said.