'Look, it gets down!': Legends stunned as Storm burned by Bunker in ...
The NRL has moved quickly to prove that Storm centre Jack Howarth was correctly denied a crucial try in the second half of the grand final.
The Bunker controversially denied Howarth a go-ahead try in the 50th minute before the Panthers scored next to clinch a historic fourpeat on Sunday night.
A crossfield kick was batted back infield by winger Xavier Coates into Howarth’s arms, who then appeared to burrow through four Penrith tacklers to score.
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Bellamy addresses Storm's no-try call | 09:17
"He got it DOWN!" Storm denied try | 00:45
However, referee Ashley Klein sent it to the Bunker as held up, a decision which the video official Grant Atkins controversially upheld.
Replays appeared to show Howarth grounding the ball but journalists at the ground were taken into a room by NRL officials to show high definition footage of Howarth not scoring.
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During the game and speaking on Channel Nine’s coverage, Andrew Johns said: “Let’s have a look here. I am sure the ball gets down. Now. It is down. It’s on the ground.”
“He gets the ball down there. The ball gets down on the ground right there.”
Had the try stood it would have levelled the scores at 10-10, and could’ve potentially given Melbourne a two point lead with half an hour to play.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy was questioned about the call in the post-match press conference.
“It is what it is, it went up to the bunker and came down no-try so at the end of the day it doesn’t matter what I think,” he said.
“Whether it was the right decision or wrong decision, I don’t know but that’s not in my control.
We’re always preaching our ways to control what we can control and that’s not in our control.”
Social media, meanwhile, erupted following the controversial Howarth no try, with many feeling both Klein and Bunker official Grant Atkins got the decision wrong.
