NRL referees boss Tony Archer has conceded that what turned out to be the Sydney Roosters’ match-winning try in their 14-12 victory over Penrith on Saturday night shouldn’t have been awarded because of a forward pass.
Roosters fullback Michael Gordon scored his second try for the night in the 73rd minute at Pepper Stadium for the visitors to hit the front, however Archer later ruled that his officials failed to call back a pass that floated forward from Latrell Mitchell.
Mitchell’s quick pass to Daniel Tupou on the left edge led to the winger kicking through for Gordon to grubber ahead, regather and dive over for the crucial score.
“You can see a pass here from Latrell Mitchell, from the vision you can see that the touch judge is in good position to rule on the pass,” Archer said.
“After reviewing all the available angles and slowing the play up, I have determined that the pass is forward. It’s my expectation that the referees should have ruled that way.”
Penrith refused to criticise the referees after the match.
In the previous set to Gordon’s try, the Roosters fullback and Shaun Kenny-Dowall got their wires crossed that led to a spilt a bomb which Waqa Blake cleaned up to cross.
But after a video review, the try was disallowed because Matt Moylan and Tyrone Peachey were deemed offside.
It was one of a handful of game-turning incidents in the final ten minutes, which included Gordon pulling off a desperate try-saver on Peachey on his own goal line to save the game.
He hit the Panthers centre across the chest before bringing him down sharply, with the crowd appealing for a penalty for a high shot which could have potentially sent the game to golden point.
The referees, however, let it go and Griffin also refused to take issue with it.
“How’d you see it?” he said when asked about Mitchell’s pass to Tupou.
When pressed on Gordon’s tackle on Peachey, he offered: “I don’t know” while skipper Moylan shrugged his shoulders.
The Panthers are 1-2 however Griffin said they had plenty of cause to hold their heads high after a number of things didn’t go their way.
“As a club we were very courageous tonight,” Griffin said.
“We had injuries and a few things went against us, as everyone’s seen, I just really enjoyed watching the game. Without being technically correct, it was just a really tough performance.”
Gordon said he wasn’t in a position to comment on Mitchell’s pass but said: “In the grandstands they reckon every pass is forward.”
He also defended his tackle on Peachey, adamant it wasn’t high.
“It was straight across the shoulder. Just cause he stepped so hard it probably looked dramatic. It was definitely not high.”
andrew
Guest
Yep. He will admit they got this one wrong because it couldn't go to the Bunker hence it won't show up on his "KPI's" at the end of the year.
steveng
Roar Rookie
The on-field touchies are blind and hesitant, most of the time they can't keep up with the pace of the game and I'm sure that even when they see a forward pass they wait for the refs to call it!!! That is the problem(s) with them detecting forward passes and anything that they have to adjudicate on. For gods sake, get some decent people to run the lines and then we will have the right decisions made!!! That pass from Latrell Mitchell to Michael Gordon was forward, if the bunker would have adjudicated on it, it would have shown clearly that the pass was not flat but forward. Mitchell's pass was thrown off his hips in a forward motion and Gordon received a forward pass.
Albo
Guest
There were suss calls all night by all the officials and most went against the Panthers. But that is the game. Swings and roundabouts should see the Panthers get the rub of green somewhere throughout the season. But the standard of officiating in that game was very ordinary !
Oingo Boingo
Guest
Win some ,lose some . Nothing to see here , now you lot , everybody move along .
aPunter
Guest
Exactly right! Archer is a drama merchant. He was the same as a ref.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
No. It means the on-field touchies should be prioritising enforcing the forward pass rule. It doesn't mean you cannot see a clear forward pass on video or comment on it at all.
M.O.C.
Roar Guru
I get all that, so surely that means Tony Archer should keep out of it after the fact
Alex L
Roar Rookie
It's not because the passes are "tricky" to rule on, it's because due to the very nature of video footage you don't get clean evidence to make the tight decisions from the bunker. The NRL wants to avoid shades of grey with the video referee so they have just said the bunker can't rule on any forward passes rather than allowing them to rule on the blatant ones and then having quibbling about what is or is not a blatantly forward pass.
M.O.C.
Roar Guru
So by that rationale they won't rule on forward passes because some of them are tricky? Of course we can tell if it is blatantly forward on tv, I know that, you know that, so allow the bunker to do their best and maybe then the referee boss will stop undermining his refs.
last staw
Guest
End of season decision by Archer for the roosters.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
The bunker doesn't rule on forward passes because there are issues calling the marginal ones, not because it's impossible to identify a forward pass on replay.
db
Guest
Archer had to review all the camera angles in slow motion in order to determine the pass was forward. Yet, he expects the on-field officials to come to the same conclusion on the spot without the benefit of ten slow motion replays. I'm glad he's not my boss.
M.O.C.
Roar Guru
That's my point Steveng, the bunker can't adjudicate on video footage of forward passes so how can Archer say that it was forward based on video replay? He has hung his refs out to dry.
Pickett
Guest
If it was any other team, that 'forward' pass would hardly have been a blip. But because it's the Roosters, so much ink is being spilt about it. Those type of passes are a dime a dozen in games - why is it always blown out when the Roosters are the ones that receive a favouorable call??? Watch for the rest of the games this year - we will be pounded by the men with the whistle now.
steveng
Roar Rookie
M.O.C. the Bunker didn't adjudicate on that try, it was given by Grant Atkins and Chris Butler. The Bunker can't adjudicate on forward passes like that, only on a forward pass while and within a try being scored. Which Atkins should have gone for and then the try wouldn't have been awarded. Or would it be?
M.O.C.
Roar Guru
How can he possibly state that the pass was forward if it is impossible for the bunker to rule on forward passes? Perhaps if Archer is able to over rule on field decisions based on video replay, then perhaps he should be the one in the bunker and allow the bunker to rule on forward passes rather than commenting after the fact. In is one statement he has undermined the bunkers inability to rule on forward passes. While I'm whinging about the bunker, how can they award the Granville try but not the Chambers try? I think they both should have been awarded but apparently Chambers' did not have control - I would argue he had more control of the ball with his wrist than Granville did with his finger tips as the ball was slipping out!
Joe
Roar Rookie
Couple of suss calls by that linesmen in that game.
aPunter
Guest
It is strange that Archer would throw up all this controversy after the fact. Archer obviously loves attention. Tony Archer was a terrible ref on the filed and he is showing himself to be even worse as an official.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Proof. At last. There IS an NRL wide conspiracy. Every game's result is preordained. Nothing to do with a ref making a mistake.
kk
Roar Pro
Can we now expect Mr. Archer to comment on every forward pass that leads to a try being scored but goes undetected by his men at point of occurrence? Until technology can provide a fool proof system of parallel lines on screen to determine if a pass is forward for immediate adjudication let's try putting the Bunker to work and give them the authority to make a decision thereon. The Bunker critics will protest on errors past and time lapses. Is it not better to get as close to the truth, preferably the whole truth, as often as we can using whatever methods available to us.