Orford revs ref after Titans beat Manly
Laine Clark
May 24, 2009 - 5:19PM
Another refereeing controversy has marred Gold Coast's 18-17 NRL win over Manly at Skilled Park on Sunday.
Manly skipper Matt Orford appeared to have won the match with a 75th minute field goal, much to the delight of the Sea Eagles supporters who dominated the 16,126-strong crowd.
But referee Matt Cecchin left Manly gobsmacked when he pinged Orford for taking out Titans fullback Preston Campbell right in front of the sticks in the dying minutes.
"You'll be in reserve grade next week," Orford could be heard saying to Cecchin on the referee's microphone.
Titans co-captain Scott Prince potted over the simple penalty kick to snatch victory - the Gold Coast's first ever over Manly.
It ended a two-game losing run for the Titans (7-4), putting them back on track to make their NRL finals debut.
For the Sea Eagles, it ended an encouraging two-match winning streak that appeared to have put their premiership defence back on track.
It was a nightmare end to a controversial week for the Sea Eagles.
The Sea Eagles had their own share of distractions with uncertainty surrounding Manly chief executive Grant Mayer after a boardroom brawl reignited at the premiers.
To boot, Kiwi centre Steve Matai is expected to be out for "a couple of weeks" after sustaining an ankle injury.
The Sea Eagles were already reeling from news that Brett Stewart may not be back before the finals, with his knee injury now expected to take another four months to heal.
Stewart - who was injured five weeks ago - is due back in court on Tuesday after pleading not guilty to two sexual assault charges.
Manly held the Titans to a 10-10 halftime scoreline after the Gold Coast were left to rue missed chances, bombing three tries.
