Jason Maher
Immortal
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Right, this is the one and only comment I'm going to make on specific refereeing calls:
- Morris was out, I called it on first view, but that is hardly the first time I've seen a touchie get one of those wrong. I've seen players who were in called out, and players who were out called in. The touchie has a fraction of a second to make the call, and obviously thought Morris had flung the ball abck in in time. We didn't score off that play, so the video ref had no chance for a second look.
- Prior to the Roosters first try, the play before Scott (I think it was) dropped the ball, Anasta jumped early from marker, and should have been penalised. Having said that, as for the try itself, I'm sure I've seen it called a knock on many times when a player has planted the ball on an opponent and it has come free. Certainly if it had happened in a tackle anywahere else on the field it would have been called a knock on.
- Ben Creagh's knock on was clearly a strip. The tackle had been completed, and the second or third man in blatantly knocks the ball out of his hands.
- Jason Nightingale didn't drop the ball from that bomb, he clearly passed it to Gasnier, who was behind him.
- There should have been two penalties, one each way, for forward passes to offside players. Morris to Prior in the first half, and Pearce (I think) to (I can't recall which Roosters player) in the second half.
- Carney's forward pass that was called back was 50/50. I'd say it went marginally forward, but I could have lived with it being called play on.
- Leilua's dropped ball from a Soward kick in the first half was a dead-set knock on.
- Hornby's pass to Nightingale was line ball. He passed it from just in front of the 10m line, and it landed just in front of the 10m line. I'd need to slow-mo it to see if it actually went forward or not, but I have a suspicion it might have.
- I saw some Roosters fan whinging that Young's play the ball before Nightingale's first try was dodgy. Again, I'd have to go back and watch it in slow-mo to tell for sure, but I thought it was ok. Having said that, there was one in the first half where Young played it with 3 Roosters all over him that was called a knock on, so I'm thinking swings and round-abouts.
- My favourite whigne was someone suggesting Hornby was offisde by standing next to the play the ball for the Fien try. I'm not certain on what the actual rule is for that sort of thing, but I did note the reason Hornby was there was to block a Roosters player who was clearly offside and trying his level best to interfere and slow down the play the ball (Jake Friend I think it was). The Roosters might have had a point if Friend wasn't so clearly offside, because all of their defenders assumed Hornby was getting the ball, and that's what created the hole for Fien.
- The Morris push in the back should have been penalised.
- The Dean Young try was 50/50. Benefit of the doubt was the correct call for mine, as I thought Young had the ball and Aubusson, deliberately or otherwise, actually knocked the ball free. I could have lived with it being called no try however.
- The tackled in the air call on Morris could have gone 3 ways: penalty against Hornby for blocking, knock-on against Morris, or tackled in mid-air. At least he was actually tackled in mid air.
- Saffy should have been pinged for tackling Minichello before he got the ball, although it looked worse on the slow-mo replay, which the ref doesn't have the benefit of viewing.
Overall, though, we were a mile the better team, not just on the day, but all season. We deserved this one. And we desrved a break from the refs after many, many years of being dudded, especially in big games.
- Morris was out, I called it on first view, but that is hardly the first time I've seen a touchie get one of those wrong. I've seen players who were in called out, and players who were out called in. The touchie has a fraction of a second to make the call, and obviously thought Morris had flung the ball abck in in time. We didn't score off that play, so the video ref had no chance for a second look.
- Prior to the Roosters first try, the play before Scott (I think it was) dropped the ball, Anasta jumped early from marker, and should have been penalised. Having said that, as for the try itself, I'm sure I've seen it called a knock on many times when a player has planted the ball on an opponent and it has come free. Certainly if it had happened in a tackle anywahere else on the field it would have been called a knock on.
- Ben Creagh's knock on was clearly a strip. The tackle had been completed, and the second or third man in blatantly knocks the ball out of his hands.
- Jason Nightingale didn't drop the ball from that bomb, he clearly passed it to Gasnier, who was behind him.
- There should have been two penalties, one each way, for forward passes to offside players. Morris to Prior in the first half, and Pearce (I think) to (I can't recall which Roosters player) in the second half.
- Carney's forward pass that was called back was 50/50. I'd say it went marginally forward, but I could have lived with it being called play on.
- Leilua's dropped ball from a Soward kick in the first half was a dead-set knock on.
- Hornby's pass to Nightingale was line ball. He passed it from just in front of the 10m line, and it landed just in front of the 10m line. I'd need to slow-mo it to see if it actually went forward or not, but I have a suspicion it might have.
- I saw some Roosters fan whinging that Young's play the ball before Nightingale's first try was dodgy. Again, I'd have to go back and watch it in slow-mo to tell for sure, but I thought it was ok. Having said that, there was one in the first half where Young played it with 3 Roosters all over him that was called a knock on, so I'm thinking swings and round-abouts.
- My favourite whigne was someone suggesting Hornby was offisde by standing next to the play the ball for the Fien try. I'm not certain on what the actual rule is for that sort of thing, but I did note the reason Hornby was there was to block a Roosters player who was clearly offside and trying his level best to interfere and slow down the play the ball (Jake Friend I think it was). The Roosters might have had a point if Friend wasn't so clearly offside, because all of their defenders assumed Hornby was getting the ball, and that's what created the hole for Fien.
- The Morris push in the back should have been penalised.
- The Dean Young try was 50/50. Benefit of the doubt was the correct call for mine, as I thought Young had the ball and Aubusson, deliberately or otherwise, actually knocked the ball free. I could have lived with it being called no try however.
- The tackled in the air call on Morris could have gone 3 ways: penalty against Hornby for blocking, knock-on against Morris, or tackled in mid-air. At least he was actually tackled in mid air.
- Saffy should have been pinged for tackling Minichello before he got the ball, although it looked worse on the slow-mo replay, which the ref doesn't have the benefit of viewing.
Overall, though, we were a mile the better team, not just on the day, but all season. We deserved this one. And we desrved a break from the refs after many, many years of being dudded, especially in big games.
