What is the most controversial incident in league history?

[imported_Bigbopper]

Here's another go at launching Controversy Corner. I could nominate two Souths-Balmain grand finals.
1909 (when Balmain didn't turn up but reckon Souths had agreed not to turn up either as a protest against the match merely being a curtain raiser). Souths kicked off, scored a try and won.
And of course the 1969 Grand Final - Balmain players lying down everywhere pretending to be injured.
There are lots of controversial incidents in League history. Which one started the biggest argument? I bet there were some beauties in England.
Let's get a real stoush going a

 

[TheSaint]

For Grand Finals Balmains no show would be up there. I know of a Balmain fan who justified merging as getting Souths back for 1909. I suppose he's even lost that now.

The 1999 Grand Final would have to be another. A penalty try decided by the Video Referee. Some believe it to be cut and dry, butI think overwise,due to my bias. I still doubt the validity of the decision due to the use of the slow motion replay.The slow motion gave a completely different picture of the incident. It would have been a tough one, but with out it, it would have been another 5 minutes of unbearable tension.

A forward pass that led to a Melbourne Try is another contencious issue from that game.

 

[Willow]

Beat me to it.
The 1999 Grand Final.
We were robbed... no doubt about it.

 

[Ramit54]

The Chimpy Busch No-Try Controversy;
Of the many controversial decisions in the history of rugby league, the most controversial must be the Chimpy Busch no try.
The incident occured in the third test at Swinton on the 1929-30 Kangaroo Tour. Australia had won the the first test at Hull 31-8, and Britain the second at Leeds 9-3.
The Swinton match was a tough one with neither side being able to score, not until the brilliant half-back Joe "Chimpy" Busch dived over in the corner late in the match.British lock Butters dived vainly at Busch, hit the wooden corner post and tore an ear so badly that six stitches were required to sew up the wound.
The touch judge ruled it was Busch who hit the post and landed out of bounds.
Referee Robinson, one of Britain's greatest ever refs was right on the spot and noted fair try Australia. But i can't give it to you, the linesman is the sole judge of touch.
The match finished in anil all draw.
Even the crowd was upset and many spectators wanted to sign a petition demanding Busch's try be allowed. British officials were also disturbed and offered to play a fourth test. The British winning 3 nil and the Ashes remaining where they had been for the previous nine years in England.
Cheers Retread

 

[imported_Lord Ted]

Probably not the most controversial,but the famous Changa Langlands non-try off the Denis Ward kick in France.It has lived in my memory as the best play in rugby league.
I saw it again on T.V. the other day and even allowing for teenage hero worship(as it was then) it still gave me goose bumps.The year was 1967.
Apart from that there are a couple of incidents where the Dragons were robbed.
The '99 G.F.(this issue has already been addressed).
The'84 final where that bastard Roberts disallowed a perfectly fair try by Robert Stone.This meant Parra won and then went on to win the G.F..Saints would have shit it in that year.
Not controversial,but just fabulous.Mick Cronin missing the conversion in the '77 G.F. because Parra got flogged in the replay.They deserved to get flogged because they were cheating.i.e.Graham Olling taking steroids.
There are heaps of controversial incidents,but they depend on one's bias.
Wally missing out on the tour because he was recovering from a broken arm and couldn't satisfactorily complete a series of one arm push-ups was a rort of the biggest kind.

 

[TheSaint]

The details are a bit sketchy but what about that bloke who is the oldest Living Kangeroo, who scored a fair try in a test and the ref told him it was fair but he couldn't award it.

 

[TheSaint]

For mind, giving the Sharks a spot in the comp was pretty controvercial, not to mention the anti Saints based rule changes that season.

 

[pepe]

bigbopper

so unofficially souths have only won 19 premierships,by the way who won the churchill medal that year.

saint

you poor bastards just won let 99'' rest,the aerial shotrecorded from the goodyear blimp showed the ball travelled in a backwards motion before floating forward(fair try),ainscough almost decapitated the poor guy,not only was the correct call made but heshould have been sent off,harrigan gave you every chance to score in that final minute with ainscough remaining on the field.

cheers pepe

 

[Bryce]

Undoubtedly, the Traitor League was was THE most controversial moment. All others pale in comparison.

I'm glad that you Dragons remember being ripped off in 1999. However, Parra cheating in 1977? I thoink not. Shovells Olling was NOT on 'roids in that game. It ws an off season thing in 1976.
besides, if any cheating wsa done it was your thug forwards. The fat prick Stone virtually DINED on Shovells. When Stone wanted to go to the dentist for Root Canal work, he brought Olling along and asked him to take off his shirt! Not to mention the blatant thuggery of Rod Reddy on Price. If only Ray Higgs had been allowed to retaliate, friggin Reddy would still be in hospital!

 

[Willow]

Pepe, we are not talking about the blimp you were in nor are we talking about the head high that you stood next to. We're talking about Harrigan's 20 minutes of shame.
And what about Nikau? How could you possibly justify the pepped up nonsense he got up to?

 

[pepe]

willow

nikau did'nt actually hit anyone,he just stood his ground like those pancy afl players do,just marking his terriortory so to speak,we sadly miss nikaus aggression at the storm,why we did'nt extend his contract another year could possibly be another controversial moment in leagues history,at least down here anyway.

i've gone over the tape many times and you got maybe 4 tough calls in the 2nd half,ones which stick out are the chip kick ahead where ross and mackay dispute over the ball,nickau on the above paragraph,a knock on from dummy half when we got a roll on.

the sad thing for saints fans is basically your team lost concentration which gave us a sniff,we were the best finishers in the league that year,i think almost half our points came in the final 20 mins that year.

 

[Willow]

Nikau was pepped up, doped out, zonked, stir crazy, looney, mad as cut snake and completely off his tree!!!
For every fight he picked, Harrigan popped him another sweetener.
Don't tell me it didn't happen because I was in the blimp too!!!

 

[imported_Bigbopper]

Pepe,
Souths were dead unlucky in 1909. if the Super League rule had been in force (the side that scores kicks off) we could have kept kicking off and kept scoring tries under the posts. We would have had time for 40 or 50 converted tries for a 200+ scoreline.
The sad thing is (and no Tigers have pointed this out yet) it was the only time Souths beat Balmain in a premiership deciding match (whether called a final or grand final). They always had the wood n us after that.
So maybe God agreed that they we robbed!
Cheers
Bigbopper

 

[imported_Bigbopper]

Lord Ted,
I remember the Langlands try as if it were yesterday. It was a real rort.
Thanks for bringing it up.
Cheers
Bigbopper

 

[Ramit54]

I remember that try as well, it cost us the World Cup.
It would of been the most spectacular try ever recorded in International Rugby League. Australia's half-back Dennis Ward had made a break and, almost caught by the defence, punted high towards the tryline. Langlands showing a great burst of speed and anticipation, shot through and in one movement leapt in the air grabbed the ball and fell across the line. The Frenchref called him offside, although film of the incident indicate Langlands was well behind Ward when he kicked.
The year was 1972 at Lyon's Gerland Stadium in France. The score ended 10 all after extra time, but Britain's better showings in the preliminary rounds gave it the title.
Cheers Retread

 

[imported_TaxiDriver_]

From a Saints perspective

99 Grand Final - forward pass and penalty try

96 Grand Final - the Matt Ridge "non tackle my arse" try

 

[Ramit54]

In 1926 when Brothers in Brisbane won their first premiership, their players had refused to appear under the chosen referee, and only some tough talking by club officials changed their minds. After 10 minutes of the match at Davies Park, the grandstand caught fire and players rushed off to save clothes in the dressing room. They returned to finish the match when the blaze was out.
Cheers Retread

 

[imported_The One]

The Super Leaguedebacle would obviously be at the top of the pile when it comes to controversial incidents in the history of league. I don't think I need to go on any further with that one.

Some more recent incidents I can think of:

-The advent of the Brisbane Broncos to the NSWRL in 1988. Of course, this was always going to be acontroversial issue.

-Wally Lewis. Controversy always seemed to follow the 'King' where ever he went, especially down south. His omission from the 1990 Kangaroo tour, the release of'King Wally' to the public,the 'Beer Can'incident at Lang Park in 1988 (I still can't understand why the Sydney media got so hyped up about this) I could go on and on.

 

[legend]

I would also have to say Super League and the Ainscough/Smith penalty try. I still agree with the decision and I watched a replay of the match about a month ago. Craig Smith(Melbourne) clearly had the ball and had Ainscough let him be Melbourne may have missed the kick at goal. What else could poor old Bill Harrigan do?

Another was the sending off of Phil Sigsworth in the 86' gf for a unintenitonal high shot on Brett Kenny.

 

[mud n blood]

Tigertread .... my man !

That is indeed a great story .... the match went on, too after the fire was under control. Legendary !!

See this thread on the Qld forum ....