Titans coach Justin Holbrook conceded the Broncos were the “better side” but believes the Gold Coast were on the wrong end of a “harsh” call that “ruined” the Queensland derby.
Speaking to reporters in a press conference after the 43-26 defeat, Holbrook was asked about one of the game’s bigger and more contentious turning points — Tino Fa’asuamaleaui’s sin bin.
Holbrook reluctantly admitted he believed it was a “harsh” call and then actually pointed towards another decision beforehand that he also thought was questionable at best.
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Cleary CLOTHESLINED but still bags win | 00:51
“Obviously I thought it was harsh,” Holbrook said.
“It’s hard to ask me that because then I’ll get caught whinging because we didn’t win but I actually thought the minute before him going, when we were trying to score a try and Reece Walsh batted the ball 100 miles an hour that way and they raced to the 20 and let them tap it and go the other way and at the end of that set he’s in the bin.
“We talk about the players winning moments to win games and I thought that was a huge moment in the game. We go from attacking their line to having our captain in the bin and them running riot. I think it ruined what was a good game of footy.
“When the ball goes out they’re actually meant to check how it went out before they let them get on with that and the end of that set we’re in the bin. Anyway, we didn’t play good enough. They were the better side.”
A frank Fa’asuamaleaui, meanwhile, said that he “let the team down” as he took full responsibility for his ill-discipline, regardless of whether he agreed with the call.
“I’ve got to watch it back,” the Titans captain said.
“But I let the team down in a crucial moment like that where we were on the backfoot and I just sort of let the team down by being sent to the bin, made it hard on the boys with 12 men and that’s when the floodgates opened.
“Whatever decision was made on the field is whatever, that’s football. I’ve just got to be better as a leader and a captain and not get sent off for something stupid.
“I didn’t purposely do it. I just thought it was an incomplete tackle and went in wrong. “Looking back I wish I never did [it] because obviously it panned out the way it did. It’s frustrating. It’s football, sometimes you get the calls, sometimes you don’t. You’ve just got to live with it and as I said, I let the football team down tonight.”
