Brisbane captain Darius Boyd has admitted after his side’s controversial 9-7 golden-point win over Wests Tigers that even he was unsure what the match-deciding penalty was for.
The Tigers were left furious after second-rower Robbie Rochow was ruled to have not been square at marker before he attempted to pressure Broncos’ field goal taker Jamayne Isaako in the second-half of extra-time.
Replays appeared to show Rochow was fine at marker and that his teammate Pita Godinet was instead out of position but not involved in the following play.
Tigers coach Ivan Cleary claimed after the match that Brisbane’s players looked embarrassed to win the match via the ensuring penalty goal, the victory ending his club’s giant-killing start to the season.
And Boyd – speaking before Cleary – admitted after the match he was still unsure what the root of the penalty was.
“I’m not sure what the penalty was for,” Boyd said.
“Was it offside or the markers leaving early or something like that?
“It’s a tough one but at the end of the day it was awarded and I’m glad we kicked the goal. We’re on the good side of it.”
Rochow himself was also unsure following the match whether he was the man who had been penalised or what the offence actually was.
“To be honest we’re just a bit confused. We thought we were offside or we didn’t know,” co-captain Russell Packer said.
“It seemed to me like Robbie was onside.
“But at the end of the day it was the ref’s decision and it was out of our hands. It was a valiant effort from the boys.
“We didn’t play well enough tonight but we showed a lot of grit and character to be there and take it to golden point.”
The penalty capped off a controversial night after Brisbane’s penalty goal to level the scores 6-6 late in regular time – before both sides kicked field goals – was also shrouded in controversy.
Replays indicated Isaako’s foot touched the sideline before he offloaded a ball back to Boyd, who then earned a penalty following a second effort from Chris Lawrence.
Regardless, Cleary said his team had plenty to take from the match after they became the first team since Illawarra in 1993 to lose without conceding a try.
“It’s really hard. Everyone is a bit stunned how the whole thing finished,” he said.
“There was some really good signs in terms of building the foundation for the team, the way we defended. We didn’t concede a try.
“A draw is probably a fair result I would have thought.”
Emcie
Roar Guru
Bit harsh to judge them as inconsistant for something they never had the chance to rule on though.
Dogs Boddy
Roar Rookie
Do you really think they would have given that penalty though?? That, sir, is the million dollar question. I have no issue with this, but it's the inconsistency that is the most annoying part. Ref's will miss stuff (foot on the line) and they will give penalties as they see them. However there were numerous times that penalties could have been given in GP that weren't, yet that was chosen as the one to give. Had it been let go nobody would have noticed. Blow the whistle though and suddenly you are in the spotlight for deciding the game. He was just lucky he wasn't walking off after doing that to the Dogs.
Ron Lyons
Guest
Glad you liked it. Cheers! :}
The Barry
Roar Guru
Brilliant Ron !
Ron Lyons
Guest
WEST TIGERS ROBBED? A poem by Ron Lyons. 24-March-2018 Ashley Klein, oh, Ashley Klein, What-the-hell was on your mind? Were you told just what to do, So that Brisbane win by two? We’re not stupid, we all know, The NRL love Brisbane so. And Channel Nine they always air, A Broncos game like we all care. But Friday night was just too much, What happened there was not bad luck. Eighty minutes had been played, Coin was tossed, decision made. Benji deftly kicked the ball, With bated breath we watched it all. Both teams tried and both teams missed, Two minutes left…but what was this??? Like a bomb had just been dropped, The whistle blew and all play stopped. A beam of light came from above, And shone upon the one we love. The whistle taken from his mouth, The fans began to boo and shout. With disbelief they heard it there, “A marker must be standing square”. Despite the outraged, jeering crowd, West Tigers team they took it proud. It could have been three wins from three, But Brisbane won on penalties. And, so, we read it in the press, That Ashley Klein had done his best. “He got it wrong”, so Sutton said, So let’s just get this through our heads….. Even though the call was wrong, Let’s suck it up and just move on! The End.
thomas c
Guest
watching ten minutes of often wild field goal attempts isn't much of a spectacle.
thomas c
Guest
The replays they showed obscured the problem. I think the straight on replay was a better view. The dude playing the ball got up a little to the left. So to the ref, it probably looked like the marker was out of position. If the ref doesn't see the marker need to zig to avoid the person playing the ball, it likely raises the suggestion.
BA Sports
Roar Guru
It wouldn't have mattered how that game was decided, neither team deserved to win. One of the more awful games you will ever watch and if Greenberg came out and said we are taking competition points off both teams, that would have been acceptable. Perhaps like most of us Klein had just had enough...
Drongo
Guest
You don’t know the rules for the play the ball or the try.
Drongo
Guest
The fox commentators said Bird’s try was a try.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
Agreed randym and refs boss Bernard Sutton has come out to say it was an incorrect ruling. “Initially, Robbie Rochow doesn’t start square, but he does adjust as the play-the-ball happens. “The other thing is when (Joe) Ofehangaue plays the ball, after playing it he steps towards the left. “It gives the illusion to the referees that (Robbie) Rochow is standing beside, but he actually does adjust to the point where the ball is to be played." He has called and apologised to the Tigers.
Emcie
Roar Guru
The two incidents were consistant. Refs play to advantage before blowing a penalty now, Tigers scored a field goal off that play so it wasn't called back as a penalty while the Broncos missed their shot at goal so it was called back. If the Tigers missed the shot they would have won the game with the penalty and everyone would have been blowing up about the refs deciding the game for the Tigers. You can argue about whether or not they should continue in that line but they were certainly consistant. At the end of the day niether team put enough distance between themselves and the opposition to take a refs decision out of the equation, and for as long as Golden Point exists the last play is likely to be decided by the refs either giving a penalty or not giving one.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
I don't have a problem with the penalty, it was the correct decision. What wasn't right was the same incident before full time, this time with the Broncos at fault was missed (or the referee didn't want to influence the game). Who cares if refer5ees make a mistake, what fans want is consistancy.. I am rapt in the referees giving penalties. Overall, it will have the desired effect with players playing by the rules but please be consistant.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Yes 'Drongo' yours is a typical biased Broncos supporters logic! I would be very disappointed if my Rabbits won a game in these circumstances and I would have no excuse(s) or try to justify Klein's very petty and incompetent decision! But and as a side note, this is exactly like a highway patrol person that would book someone that was doing 60.000025Kph in a 60 zone, as Gould so rightly pointed out in the post Ch9 telecast. This decision was 'WRONG' and its not good for the game of RL!!!. And this nonsense, 'By standing to the side he is decreasing the attacking teams options' what options? the Broncos and Isaako 'ONLY' option was to take a shot a FG, the Broncos couldn't score a try and/or didnt have any other options! Robbie Rochow had no impact on the kicker (as a marker) and he never ever impeded Jamayne Isaako's kick at the FG in the 88min, which missed by a mile and the game should have been a 20 tap with 7 tackles to the Tigers! Let's not blame the jurnos as what happened last night was disgraceful and its killing our game week by week and year by year! Never mind, this will happen again with the same result(s)!
Emcie
Roar Guru
I hate Golden Point. There are only two scenarios that lead to it, either both teams have incredible games and both deserve the points or both teams are woeful and neither deserves the win. And the whole concept just puts the refs in a bad spot, they either let everything go and teams cheat their way to a win or they penalise a team and decide the match. Golden Point is just a showcase of how the game shouldn't be played regardless of how its reffed and serves no purpose other than producing a photo finish.
Geo
Guest
Selective rulings = favours.
Dodgy dragons
Guest
Mate, first marker was square, especially if player plays the ball where he is tackled, without stepping to the side, and the second marker didn’t get involved in the play, so a crap penalty. The thing that annoyed me more was the broncos last penalty where it seemed the winger put a foot on the touch line. Fox mentioned during the call but didn’t even replay it. I’m not sure if was out but looked sus live. As for Birds try you have got to be kidding, control and downward pressure come to mind!!!
Geo
Guest
Of course the penalty was there, but there were many, many other opportunities for penalties that weren't given.
Geo
Guest
"contoversy" must mean "a very worthwhile expose on the injustices of the rich being given even more help by the NRL". I've never heard of it myself.
Geo
Guest
This is a rort, and if you're a Broncos supporter, I'm sorry (that you support them). The refs stopped giving the strong penalties at about the 70min mark. There were some real clangers let go, but in the interest of the ref not determining the game, they let it go. Only to give the game to the media darlings who have somehow managed to not win the Premiership for 11 years. How have they avoided it????