For the second straight year, North Queensland’s NRL season ended on the back of a shocking refereeing blunder as Cronulla booked a semi-final berth with an enthralling 20-18 win at Allianz Stadium.
With a farcical finish in which Kane Linnett was denied a try, when play continued with the clock stopped on 41 seconds remaining for an entire set, the Cowboys bowed out in heartbreaking fashion as the Sharks booked another sudden-death clash against the loser of Saturday night’s Manly-Sydney Roosters clash.
In the same area of the ground as where the Cowboys were dudded in last year’s finals when a Kieran Foran knock-on passed muster with the video referee, Beau Ryan scored a try on the seventh tackle.
Sosaia Feki sewed up the win with a try seven minutes from fulltime to end a contest which was never in the bag, but it was a lapse in concentration by referee Matt Cecchin 65 minutes earlier which will remain the main talking point.
With the Cowboys handing over possession near the Sharks’ line via a Robert Lui grubber, Cecchin lost track of the tackle count, calling ‘four’ at what should have been the fifth tackle.
Prop Sam Tagataese produced a barnstorming run on what should have been the sixth tackle – before a some splendid Todd Carney vision resulted in Ryan crossing out wide.
It was the perfect reply after a Feki knock-on handed the Cowboys a close-range scrum from which they worked a brilliant play for Brent Tate to go over untouched.
Ben Pomeroy put the Sharks in front for the first time when he crossed off the back of the brilliant Michael Gordon and, as the game wore on, the Cowboys progressively looked further and further out of the contest.
Then up stepped Wayne Ulugia – who dropped the ball over the line in the first half – to change the complexion of the game, snatching a Carney pass and racing 95 metres to lock it up at 12-12.
Jason Taumalolo crossed seven minutes later and the Cowboys were back in front, but the Sharks fought back with Tagataese going over after Luke Lewis and Gordon combined to get Cronulla within striking distance.
Gordon missed a conversion he should have made and the Sharks trailed 18-16 and, despite Carney clearly hampered by his dodgy hamstring, they went over again when an ugly Jeff Robson pass found Feki.
There was still life in the Cowboys, who stopped the clock at 41 seconds near their own line when they packed a quick scrum.
They marched downfield and looked like they had stolen it at the death – Cecchin awarding the try to Linnett only for the replay to show John Morris had pushed his leg over the sideline in an epic finish.
AAP sj/ajw
Sledgeross
Roar Rookie
Can Cronulla and Manly replay the 78 GF without Hollywood Hartley reffing too ;)
V.O.R.
Guest
Petition for Cowboys/Sharks rematch has close to 20,000 signatures and growing. https://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/north-queensland-cowboys-get-the-cowboys-back-into-the-finals-after-an-appalling-referee-decision
Ur kidding
Guest
Its fine for a qld team to win under dodgey circumstances but not nsw -thats an outrage,TYPICAL QLD MENTALLITY
fishes
Guest
I don't see what the fuss was about. wasn't it zero tackle anyway? From the NRL website- Zero tackle rule If the defending team 'knocks on' or touches the ball when it's in the air, and the ball is immediately regathered by the attacking team, the referee may elect to restart the tackle count in lieu of awarding a scrum; known as the zero tackle rule because the next tackle is counted as 'tackle zero' and not the usual 'tackle one'. The zero tackle rule cannot be used in a set that was started by the zero tackle rule. On awarding the zero tackle rule, the referee will shout "Back to zero!" or "Six again", and wave one arm over his head with fingers clenched into a fist, indicating the attacking side's next tackle is tackle zero.If a player collects the ball directly from an opposition kick in general play, the first time he is tackled does not register on the tackle count. If the receiving player kicks or passes the ball prior to being tackled then this does not apply.
nathan chapman
Guest
Actually must be a qld thing , bird glassed his mrs and we sacked him only for titans to pick him up
nathan chapman
Guest
Yeah and cowboys support woman bashes, get over it muppet
Fran_Gipani
Guest
Its not their fault, sigh.....yes. I'm just wondering how they AND the fans truly feel good about it. And while i laughed myself silly over a lot of folks heres 'souths v easts' rig conspiracy. I'm believing that now. Not excusing MANLYS pathetic form yesterday however, *shake head* can I've a hug? But I went off track there - Easts won that fair n square.
Fran_Gipani
Guest
*Whip* :)
CowsMegaFan
Guest
Your sharks wouldve got the wooden spoon 10 years in a row if it werent for peptides.
CowsMegaFan
Guest
-1 Imagine Gallens ranting if we had scored a 7 tackle try.
CowsMegaFan
Guest
+1
nathan chapman
Guest
As a sharks supporter im loving that we are the new most hated team in nrl, job well done by the journos at the daily telegraph, thanks to them and the rubbish called asada, even when the refs stuff up its the sharks fault, does anyone realise if that it was the cowboys that scored that 7 tackle try im sure they would still accept theyre win if roles were reversed,face it the games now over , it cant be reversed so move on, and by the way i actually like the cowboys but shite happens could have happened to any team, if we replay every game thats has a blunder by the refs that affects the outcome of a game a season would go for 18months, and besides whether its sharks, cowboys whoeva we all know these games are time wasters as nrl want souths v roosters grand final as its good for buisness!!!!!
Hoy
Roar Guru
Testing circumstances I know, but the way Gallen spoke to the refs at the end was terrible. That bloke is ordinary handling the refs.
Renegade
Guest
Yeah because its their fault the refs got it wrong.... trying to take the moral high ground - please...
Dave the Yank
Guest
-1 A sham of a game. Cronulla fans must be so very proud of Checcin's efforts.
Fran_Gipani
Guest
Its a comedy of errors. The real score is 18 NQ 14 Cronulla. How that lot can walk about proud of the way they 'won' ? Shame.
nathan chapman
Guest
Yeah thats bright replay the game so if the cowboys win theyll be smashed by a fully rested manly team, really think about it imagine how excausted they would be, whilst we are at it lets replay the gold coast game when they were robbed the other week, or lets replay that origin game from last year with that inglis try, how many times yesterday did the cowboys get away with holding players down for like ten minutes,so anyway its time to say up up cronulla
Bigjohn
Guest
Unfortunately the NRL is a business, not a sport. If they allowed a replay on this occasion , they would have to do it for every game that was affected by poor decision, and lets face it, thats roughly every one of them with this bunch of numerically challenged fools in charge. As someone raised in the Gulf , I would love a replay, but it will not happen.
Meesta Cool
Guest
+1
TGGOA
Guest
Are the Cowboys going to appeal? Surely they have grounds for the game to be replayed.