It will come as no comfort to Melbourne Storm fans that the most controversial moment of the NRL grand final – a “no try” decision from the bunker – was completely fair according to the league’s head of football. Or that a captain’s challenge was also turned down with eight minutes to go when the video said no.
After their 14-6 loss in Sunday night’s grand final, we break down the key moments that went against the Storm. Did the bunker get it right? You decide.
The Howarth no try
(Penrith 10, Storm 6; 48th minute)
Jack Howarth catches a pass from Xavier Coates and tries to burrow his way over the try line with four desperate Panthers players hanging off him. Referee Ashley Klein says Howarth did not get the ball down, and though one replay makes it look like Howarth has scored, the bunker rules no try. On commentary for Nine, Andrew Johns vehemently disagrees. Everyone, including Howarth, thinks it’s a critical moment in the match that would have swung the grand final the Storm’s way had bunker official Grant Atkins come to a different ruling. But later on Sunday night, NRL head of football Graham Annesley shows footage to suggest the bunker got it right. “At no stage did the ball hit the ground,” Annesley says. “When I saw it in live action I thought I saw the ball on the ground. It’s when we go back and look at it clearly we can see a different colour between the arm and the ball. The ball is sitting on the arm.”
A Papenhuyzen shocker
(Storm 6, Panthers 4; 29th minute)
This was a rare mistake from Ryan Papenhuyzen, and a smart piece of play from Scott Sorensen. Papenhuyzen’s kick-off sailed wide, and late inclusion Sorensen had the presence of mind to plant his foot out of bounds as he caught it. Penalty to Penrith.
A Panther hand on the ball?
(Panthers 14, Storm 6; 73rd minute)
Storm had been pushing hard, but kept running into a wall of pink Panthers. Then, with eight minutes to go, Cameron Munster launched a high kick that fell through the arms of Paul Alamoti and Coates. Harry Grant mounted a captain’s challenge to find out whether there was a Penrith hand on the ball in the contest. There wasn’t, according to the bunker, which instead ruled that Coates had knocked the ball on, and handed the ball back to the Panthers.
Munster cleared of biting
(Panthers 14, Storm 6; 75th minute)
With five minutes left on the clock, Penrith’s Paul Alamoti made a complaint after Munster’s jaw was pressed into the Penrith centre’s right arm. The bunker checked the incident but wasn’t able to make a definitive call, and no penalty was paid in the moment. “I can’t be certain, I just saw saliva,” referee Klein said. Munster was adamant he didn’t bite Alamoti and on Monday morning the NRL match review committee cleared the Melbourne five-eighth. But within minutes of the incident the Panthers sealed their four-peat, leaving Storm to lament the moments that didn’t go their way.
Cameron Munster was accused of biting Paul Alamoti.Credit: Nine
