Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan believes video referees are actively trying to find reasons not to give tries after the Sharks were controversially denied a four-pointer to Ben Barba in their big win over Newcastle on Sunday afternoon.
Barba looked to have given Cronulla a 14-0 lead after half an hour but the try was disallowed by the video referee bunker. The officials ruled Sharks hooker Michael Ennis had obstructed Knights defender Chris Adams.
Ennis started the move out of dummy half near the halfway line and looked to continue his run to provide support for Barba, but the officials ruled he was in front of the ball and had impeded the defender.
While the decision didn’t cost Cronulla in the end as they ran out comfortable 36-4 winners, Flanagan was left frustrated by the call which added more confusion to the interpretation of the obstruction rule.
“Sometimes I get the feeling with the bunker they’re trying to find a reason not to award a try,” he said.
“That was a good try. Michael Ennis can’t disappear. The marker played at Michael Ennis. He’s running at speed when he passes, he just cannot disappear. Yes he’s in front of the ball but he can’t disappear.
“I’ve seen 1000 tries like that. We’ve scored a couple. If he continues to run and he plays at the marker fair enough but he didn’t. The marker played at him. I thought it was a try.”
Sharks captain Paul Gallen agreed with his coach and questioned the decision with on-field referees Dave Munro and Alan Shortall.
“That’s what I said to the ref, he can’t disappear,” Gallen said.
“As Flano said [Ennis is] passing the ball at speed. You can’t just stop all of a sudden.
“I spoke to the referee at half-time and he said that’s what he needs to do, he has to stop basically.
“It’s one of those ones that can go either way and as Flano said sometimes it feels like they look for a reason not to give it.
“It went against us today and that’s just the way it is. Sometimes they go for you and sometimes they don’t.”
Another point of contention for Flanagan was the 11-9 penalty count blown in the match but he was happy with the way his side eventually outlasted the struggling Knights to score their 15th straight win.
“I thought the game was spoiled by the 20 penalties,” Flanagan said.
“It was just a stop start game, a frustrating game for us.
“I’m not overly concerned about the 19 errors conceding possession because when we need to knuckle down against a really good side, one of those top teams we will.”
