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NRL head of football Graham Annesley admitted the match officials made a blunder in last Friday’s Preliminary Final in awarding Parramatta a try from a forward pass which proved decisive in the 24-20 victory.
While he denied the ball had travelled metres forward, the pass from Mitchell Moses to Isaiah Papali’i for the second-rower’s opening try of the match should not have been allowed.
“Some of the claims have been grossly exaggerated,” he said. “His arm’s curling as he releases and the only possible outcome from that is the ball is going to be passed in a forward direction.
“I’m prepared to concede that on balance and on review that the pass out of the hands was forward. The thing that determines whether a pass is forward or not, is how the ball comes out of the hands.
“I think what’s happened here is because the way Mitch Moses has pirouetted in the tackle, the momentum that tackle has meant the ball has come out of his hands in a forward direction.
“We think that it’s forward based on the motion of the hands. It’s not the howler that it’s been made out to be.”
Immortal five-eighth Wally Lewis labelled the decision “disgraceful” while commentating for Triple M on Friday night although North Queensland coach Todd Payten said the incident was not the deciding factor, adding his team had plenty of time to overcome the Eels.
Annesley added that the bunker had also erred in disallowing a Charlie Staines try in Penrith’s win over South Sydney which left several commentators, including Immortal halfback Andrew Johns and former NSW coach Phil Gould blowing up.
Jarome Luai was ruled to have gained an advantage by changing direction to run behind James Fisher-Harris but Annesley said he thought the Rabbitohs defenders were barely impeded at all.
“In my view this should not have been called an obstruction. It is a judgment call,” he said.
Johns was bemused on Nine commentary: “In ad-lib footy, kick chase, when there’s an error, naturally there’s going to be players in front of the ball,” Johns said. “This rule has been brought in for block plays when players are running lead runs and players are out the back and they’re stopping defenders.
“Honestly, this is laughable. There’ve been some howlers this year.”
Annesley also conceded a late try disallowed to Panthers centre Stephen Crichton, when he reached around Richie Kennar, was also the wrong call by the bunker.
“There is clear evidence that Crichton has got the ball down and that should have been awarded a try. It’s all very well for me to look at this with plenty of time and freeze-frame and go back and forth but these decisions are made quite quickly by the bunker and I’m not making excuses,” he said.
“We expect these decisions to be right.”
Tino Fa’asuamaleaui’s lifelong dream to win a Rugby League World Cup with Australia was inspired by Kangaroos greats and given the green light to proceed by his father Fereti.
The 22-year-old Gold Coast captain, who has Samoan and Australian heritage, was one of the best for the Australian PM’s XIII in their 64-14 win over Papua New Guinea on Sunday.
He appears certain to be selected in coach Mal Meninga’s 24-man Kangaroos squad on October 3 for the World Cup in England, where he looms as a key to Australian success.
“Growing up I’ve watched Aussie at the World Cup and always wanted to be a part of it,” Fa’asuamaleaui said.
“To get to travel the world and play for the country you love and grew up in is something massive.
“I was starting pre-season at the Storm as a young 17-year-old (when Australia won the 2017 World Cup) and I remember watching and Cameron Smith and Billy Slater and going ‘I can’t wait for those guys to come back and train with them’.”
Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Fa’asuamaleaui’s father Fereti, aware of his son’s passion for the Kangaroos, was consulted before the decision on World Cup eligibility was settled.
“I have played one international for Samoa and I am still passionate about both,” Tino said.
“My dad is Samoan and my mum is Australian. Growing up watching World Cups and Darren Lockyer and Petero Civoniceva, I always wanted to be in their footsteps.
“It was a long discussion with the family and dad said, ‘You should go play for Australia’. I am hoping to be a part of it.”
New Zealand will boast a fearsome pack including Canberra prop Joseph Tapine and Penrith warhorse James Fisher-Harris.
The Kangaroos are on the same side of the draw as New Zealand and if all goes to plan the two heavyweights will clash in a semi-final.
“Tapine and Fisher-Harris are some of the best in the game and hopefully I get the chance to go up against them. You always want to go up against the best because you get to challenge yourself,” Fa’asuamaleaui said.
“I haven’t looked too much into it but looking at their team and hearing the talk from everyone I think (the Kiwis) are the favourites.
“Aussies stick together and are the ones to watch out for too.”
Parramatta utility Bryce Cartwright says Penrith will always hold a special place in his heart, except for next week, as he waits to discover whether he will line up in the NRL grand final against his former club.
The 27-year-old got a late call-up to the bench for the 24-20 preliminary final win over North Queensland after centre Tom Opacic was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
If Opacic does not recover in time for Sunday’s decider, Cartwright will likely figure against the club where he played his best football in four seasons from 2014-2017.
The Cartwright name has a special connection with the Panthers with Bryce’s father David Cartwright playing for the club and his 1991 premiership-winning uncle John Cartwright one of the finest forwards Penrith has ever produced.
“It will always hold a special place in my heart. That is where I grew up and where my family is from. I have always been fond of them but … I won’t be next week,” said Cartwright.
“I wouldn’t think too much of it. I’ve played them a few times at the Gold Coast and a couple of times at Parra. I have put all that behind me as a kid when I was there. I have moved on from that now.”
An accidental poke in the eye to Eels back-rower Shaun Lane during the first half led to Cartwright being on the field earlier than expected against the Cowboys.
Bryce Cartwright (Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)
“I guess the good thing about myself is that I can go on in the middle or on the edge,” Cartwright said.
Cartwright’s career was on the skids when he left the Gold Coast to be with family in Sydney for personal reasons in 2020 and was subsequently released by the club without a new deal.
“It was pretty scary at the time but I never lost faith or belief in myself, whether that was playing park footy or NRL,” Cartwright said.
“Thankfully enough Brad Arthur gave my manager a call and this is where I am now.
“I am a positive person, I didn’t let (not having a club) faze me
“Something I always dreamed of as a kid is playing in an NRL grand final. It is pretty crazy and hopefully I am in the team next week.
“The amount of people who have worked hard to get (Parramatta) where it is now and get a chance to win the whole thing next week is pretty special.”
Cartwright said it would be “pretty cool to see a Parra-Penrith grand final” and even better if the Eels could end a 36-year premiership drought.
Nathan Cleary claims Penrith’s development across the board in the past decade is immeasurable after the club stayed on track for the most dominant all-grade season in the game’s history.
A day after they qualified for their third straight grand final, Penrith’s NRL squad backed up to watch the club win both the NSW Cup and under-21s Jersey Flegg grand finals at CommBank Stadium.
After also winning the under-19s SG Ball grand final in April, Penrith became the first club to claim the reserve grade and two top underage competitions since Balmain in 1982.
If their first-grade team are able to topple Parramatta in next Sunday’s NRL grand final, it would mark the only time in history a team has claimed all four of the titles.
“That’s a lot of pressure on us next week,” NRL coach Ivan Cleary quipped to AAP afterwards.
“But I’m really proud … we’re very aligned as a club.”
Nathan Cleary remains one of the longest-serving players in Penrith’s system, having joined their junior set up in 2012 when his father first began coaching the club.
“It’s pretty amazing. There’s a lot of people doing amazing things behind the scenes for that to happen in the junior ranks,” the younger Cleary said.
Penrith Panthers (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
“It’s hard to measure (how far we’ve come), but with the pathway, everyone has a clear vision of what the club’s about and that filters the whole way through.
“I think people see that and they see a pathway to actually get to first grade. It’s a cool thing for younger guys to strive for.
“When they get into first grade they know what they need to do and know what it means to be a first grader.”
Hooker Soni Luke starred in Penrith’s 29-22 NSW Cup win over Canterbury, while their Flegg team was made to work harder after trailing 18-6 with seven minutes to go.
Penrith scored twice late before Dolphins halfback-in-waiting Isaiya Katoa nailed a field goal in extra-time golden point to win it.
In total, Penrith and their feeder clubs have won 80 per cent of matches across all grades in the past three years, with St Marys also winning the fourth-tier Sydney Shield this year.
Penrith’s NRL players were not initially due to visit CommBank Stadium on Sunday, but made a late call to go after two seasons of lower-grade cancellations through COVID.
“The [NSW] Cup boys especially over the last few years haven’t been playing but they’re always coming to games,” Nathan Cleary said.
“They were very vocal in supporting us all the way and even in our training, some days they’re doing opposed sessions for us at captain’s run.
“They always put the first-grade team first so we all wanted to come out here and support them.”
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