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After the controversial Bunker decision during the Eels and Bulldogs game on Friday night, we thought we would sit down with the officials to discuss the decision.
That includes on-field referee Matt Cecchin, assistant referee Alan Shortall, referee’s boss Tony Archer and sideline officials Jeff Younis and Peter Gough in an effort to clear up the seemingly odd thought process that resulted in Sam Perrett scoring his side a ‘no try’.
Roar: Gentlemen, thank you for your time today. Sam Perrett’s no try has left league fans scratching their heads ever since it flashed up red on the KFC screen. Can you walk us through what happened? Matt, why did you award a try on-field?
Cecchin: I didn’t give a try on-field.
Roar: Yes you did.
Cecchin: Oh, well I didn’t mean to.
Roar: Then why did you award a try?
Archer: Look, let’s not confuse people with petty details.
Roar: But the fans deserve to know the details.
Archer: No, you’re complicating matters needlessly. The fact of the matter is that it was ruled a forward pass on field.
Roar: By who?
Gough and Younis point at each other.
Roar: Which one of you two sideline officials notified Cecchin that Kasiano’s offload to Perrett was forward?
Gough and Younis look at each other and shrug.
Archer: Again, can we please move on from these irrelevant details and just sit back and bask in the wonder of the Video Bunker? Isn’t it glorious?
Roar: We need to understand this decision Tony! Someone has royally screwed the pooch here, literally, the Bulldogs were screwed, however you look at it! If one of the touchies ruled a forward pass, why did Cecchin ignore this ruling and award a try?
Archer: I see.
Roar: What do you mean “I see”? If no one actually ruled a forward pass on field, does that mean the Video Bunker has over-stepped their boundaries and ruled on a forward pass?
Archer: I see…
Roar: If Cecchin was notified of a forward pass by one of the touchies – God knows who?! – then why did you send it upstairs saying you think the Eels touched it? A forward pass is a forward pass, it doesn’t matter if the opposition touched it or not!
Archer: It depends.
Roar: No it doesn’t! It’s simple physics! The pill either left Kasiano’s hand forward or it didn’t!
Archer: There are many things to take into account, perspective, angles, optical illusions….
Roar: No, Kasiano’s offload was either forward or not! It’s gravity. It’s physics!
Archer: Mmmm, interesting opinion.
Roar: It’s not an opinion! Grrrr. Alan Shortall, where the hell were you when all this was going on? You were the assistant ref!
Shortall: I was on Tinder. I got a match!
Roar: So just to clarify, there was a forward pass call from an unidentified touch judge that was ignored by the match referee who awarded a try while the assistant ref was on Tinder. The try call was eventually overturned by the Bunker who overruled the on-field ref to concur with the phantom forward pass call.
Archer: Exactly. See? There’s no mystery or cover-up of a certain referee’s ineptitude. It’s all simple and above board. What’s the big deal? It’s all you media goons trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.
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