Michael Ennis says the Bunker made a “blunder” in not awarding Penrith a crucial try in a tight first half against the Bulldogs.
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In the 24th minute Thomas Jenkins and Jacob Kiraz were competing for a bomb when the Penrith winger came down with it and scored.
Going up to the Bunker as no try, referee Gerard Sutton said: “I believe that Jacob Kiraz has taken possession and that Thomas Jenkins strips it out.”
The rules state that as long as a player makes a clean catch in the in-goal, they can’t be stripped of the ball when caught on the full.
Cooper Cronk said at the time: “He needs to secure this because if there’s any bobble, then it’s play on.
“That doesn’t look particularly secure,” caller Dan Ginnane added.
Unfortunately for Penrith, the Bunker ruled that Kiraz had control of the ball leading to a 20-metre restart.
“It looked like he did secure it, but then there was a bobble,” Cronk then said.
To make matters worse for Penrith, the Bulldogs then went the length of the field and scored after Lachlan Galvin threw a perfect pass to Matt Burton after drawing in multiple defenders.
At the halftime break, Fox League’s Ennis disagreed with the Bunker’s decision, arguing it looked like a try in real time.
“I think it’s a blunder from the Bunker,” Ennis said.
“When it was played in full speed on first look, I thought it was a try. But we slowed it down and there were still frames to show that momentarily Jacob Kiraz caught the footy. When you watch it in full speed, it’s in one motion. He steals the ball brilliantly.
“It’s a great frustration from all of us that we don’t watch replays in full speed to get what it’s actually like in that moment.”
Fellow commentator Kevin Walters hoped the decision wouldn’t decide a tight game as Penrith went into the sheds up 8-4.
