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Last night’s game between the Titans and the Sharks had everything, including and edge-of-your-seat finish – but was it manufactured?
In the first 70 minutes of the game, some 17 penalties were awarded, 11 to the Sharks and six to the Titans. That’s a penalty every four mins or so.
The number of penalties given in the last 20 minutes, including the ten minutes of extra time was zero. Now you tell me if the players improved their indiscretions in that 20-minute period.
There were numerous opportunities to penalise in that last 20 minutes as defence players and markers rushed up on field goal kickers – yet not one penalty was given.
This truly is a manufactured finish, and for whatever reason referees forget the rule book in these tight games. Why don’t they referee that way from the get-go – I’m sure the fans would love a game where penalties = zero.
These days rather then watch a great game of footy, I find myself looking for referee errors, and there were plenty.
How about the ‘sin-bin’ of Titans Fullback David Mead at the 30-minute mark? Was not Ennis already falling to the legal tackle of Zeb Taia? There was no way Ennis was getting anywhere near that ball.
What about the Jack Bird shove after the Andrew Fifita try – during the ensuing melee, Bird rushed in from 30-odd metres away to shunt the Titans’ Luke Douglas two metres back and on his derriere. All this was recorded on the replay, the vision was seen, yet no action was taken.
How about the line drop out awarded when Valentine Holmes put his leg out over the sideline in the field of play. It should have been a scrum ten out, with a Titans feed.
How many flops did Fifita perform during the game? Yet not one penalty.
The penalty count finished 11-6 in favour of the Sharks – was it deserved? For mine there were many soft and questionable decisions.
The James Maloney tackle on Konrad Hurrell – did you see him move to the side and put his shoulder into Hurrell’s knee as he pulled his ankle in the opposite direction?
All after the referee had called ‘held’. Hurrell went down and threw a water bottle or something at Maloney – the Bunker did not show a replay of the incident.
Through my eyes this was another game where all the 50/50 calls went one way, and it was the only thing wrong about a great night of footy. A great game, but pathetic refereeing…
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