The Newcastle Knights have lashed out following a contentious Bunker decision that sealed a narrow 12-8 defeat to the Sydney Roosters on Saturday night in Round 15 of the NRL Premiership.
With less than ten minutes remaining, Roosters second-rower Siua Wong scored what proved to be the match-winning try, chasing down a James Tedesco grubber and appearing to ground the ball with his forearm in the in-goal area.
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Despite replays suggesting Wong may have briefly lost control, the Bunker upheld the try, sparking outrage among the Knights camp and their supporters.
Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien, under scrutiny last week for criticising his own fans, refused to be drawn into post-match controversy, stating only:
“I’m going to show real self-control this week.”
However, interim captain Dane Gagai was less restrained, questioning the legitimacy of the decision.
“It was a tough one to swallow. I’ve never seen someone control a ball with their forearm before,” he said. “They said there was no separation, but to me, it didn’t look right.”
Gagai did commend his side’s performance, particularly the grit shown by a youthful bench.
“The oldest player on our bench was 22. We went toe-to-toe with a stacked Roosters side, and that effort can’t be overlooked. But at the end of the day, a loss is a loss.”
Roosters skipper James Tedesco admitted he was anxious during the review but backed the ruling.
“I felt like he grounded it with his forearm. There was no clear separation, and it was a great effort. We’ll take it.”
The result lifts the Roosters further up the ladder while the Knights are left to rue a game that slipped through their grasp under controversial circumstances.
