LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
'Unlucky': Referee's apology after hindering Eels skipper's heroic try-saving effort
Eels skipper Clint Gutherson has spilled the beans on what referee Peter Gough muttered after unintentionally obstructing the fullback from pulling off a potential game-changing tackle.
In a moment reminiscent of a prop charging through the defensive line, Gutherson revealed that Gough expressed his sympathy, lamenting the collision which thwarted Gutherson's attempt to thwart Greg Marzhew's try.
As the halftime siren loomed closer than a winger chasing down a breakaway try, the Knights winger snuck over in the corner, all while Gutherson collided with the on-field referee in the heart of the battlefield.
In a classic case of footy fate, Gutherson not only missed the tackle, but also found himself tangled up in a tangle of apologies and explanations with the referee post-try.
"He just said it was just unlucky, I was asking what was the go there, I could have got there a step earlier and maybe made the tackle," lamented Gutherson in the post-game presser.
"But I was just asking, but that's the way it went.
That's footy… he just said it is one of those things, it's an accident."
In the game of Rugby League, sometimes the bounce of the ball or a chance collision can change the course of a match, leaving players and referees alike to simply shrug their shoulders and say, "it is what it is."