Legends, Kevvie puzzled by denied tries in Panthers win

By Chris De Silva and Lachlan Harper

A trio of league greats person been near baffled aft the Bunker disallowed a effort to Scott Sorensen successful the archetypal fractional of the Panthers' clash against the Broncos.

Penrith went connected to triumph the crippled 15-4 successful a objective show with Nathan Cleary making history, becoming the youngest subordinate to people 1,300 points, but the crippled wasn't without controversy.

Sorensen thought he'd scored his team's 2nd effort of the nighttime successful the 32nd infinitesimal aft swooping onto a escaped shot adjacent the effort line, but the Bunker ruled that his near manus had knocked the shot connected contempt replays appearing to amusement a cleanable gather.

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"If that ball's touched the crushed it's a try," Maroons large Paul Vautin said connected Nine's NRL coverage.

"He's gathered that successful I reckon. He gathered it into his chest, that's not a sound connected champ! You're gathering."

Vautin doubled down post-game, continuing to explicit his disorder astatine the decision.

Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston were besides unconvinced by the ruling, with Thurston saying the Panthers were "very hard done by".

"I thought it was a try," Thurston said.

"He's done a tremendous occupation gathering the shot in, Sorensen. He's conscionable picked the shot up there, nary sound connected successful my eyes. They're precise hard done by there, the Panthers."

"I don't cognize if immoderate of america thought that successful the commentary box. It looked similar helium scooped that up clean," Smith added.

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The Sorensen effort was 1 of 2 Panthers tries chalked disconnected by the Bunker successful the archetypal fractional arsenic the reigning premiers took an 8-0 pb into the sheds.

Like Vautin, Thurston excessively doubled down post-game, continuing to explicit his disorder astatine the Bunker's determination to disallow the Sorensen try.

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"He's dived connected the ball, I didn't spot immoderate different question that (would suggest) the shot has slid disconnected his manus and travelled forward," helium said. "It's similar he's got power the full clip there."

The knock-on incidental wasn't the lone arguable Bunker telephone of the night, with Broncos fullback Reece Walsh deemed to person taken retired Tyrone Peachey erstwhile teammate Kotoni Staggs looked to person scored successful the 62nd minute.

In a bizarre acceptable of circumstances, the Bunker cleared the interaction past went backmost connected the determination erstwhile referee Adam Gee indicated helium didn't similar the look of it.

"In the archetypal instance, however did the dude successful the Bunker get that wrong?" Vautin said passionately connected Nine's coverage.

Broncos manager Kevin Walters expressed his absorption to the telephone post-match.

"I thought it was a effort but you triumph immoderate you suffer some, we're not having a batch of a joyousness with the decisions astatine the infinitesimal but I'm OK with that," helium said.

"It was a spot weird though ... I'm not definite what Reece is meant to do? He went to drawback the ball, his eyes are connected the shot and past what if Reece catches it? Is it a nary effort due to the fact that helium took the absorption out?

"I'm not going to bang connected astir that ... it was a unusual one, but immoderate of our players bash unusual things connected the tract and I question what they're doing."

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