THE decision not to award the Warriors a penalty try during Sunday's 14-8 loss to the Newcastle Knights on Sunday appears even more bizarre after the incident was analysed by the NRL's head of elite competitions, Graham Annesley, on Monday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
With the Knights clinging to an 8-6 lead late in the first half, Warriors winger Dallin Wateene-Zalezniak flew high to catch a cross-field kick, only to lose the ball when he was hit in a mid-air tackle by his opposite number, Greg Marzhew.
Referee Chris Butler consulted the bunker and the Warriors were awarded a penalty.
When veteran halfback Shaun Johnson appealed for a penalty try, Butler was reported to have told him: "It's just a penalty, we don't give penalty tries for that.
"I agree with you, but our interpretation which is comp-wide, is we don't give penalty tries in those circumstances ... we have to be consistent through the year."
Speaking at his weekly media briefing on Monday, however, Annesley denied any such policy existed.
"I just want to make it absolutely clear that there is no policy from the NRL - from the Commision, from the management, from anyone else - that stops an incident like that from being considered for a penalty try," Annesley said.
"It's still a decision for the match officials. It's still up to them to decide what took place."
Annesley said the match officials, in this case the bunker, had to decide "whether they believe that, had it not been for the illegal play of the defender, a try would have been scored, in their view.
"Not could have been scored. Would have been scored."
Annesley added that because Watene-Zalezniak lost control of the ball as he crashed to earth, "clearly the bunker felt there was too much doubt".
Not surprisingly, Warriors coach Andrew Webster offered an alternative view at his post-match media conference.
"The only reason he didn't score is because he got tackled in the air," Webster said.
"I don't understand if there's a clause for that particular play if you're attacking and tackled in the air, but it looked like he was deadset going to score for all money.
"I thought a penalty try is if someone is about to score, and they're not allowed to through a penalty [infringement]."
Knights coach Adam O'Brien said at his post-match press conference that he was unconcerned about a penalty try potentially being awarded.
"No, I think it's policy now, isn't it?" he replied.
"I think it's new."
O'Brien added: "It's very hard for Greg to completely disappear, too.
"If a guy jumps on him, well you can't just shrink."
