LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
NRL fans are expressing their frustration with Liam Martin following his decision to pull out of a tackle on Jed Stuart, a moment that proved costly for the Panthers as Nathan Cleary admitted Penrith should not have found themselves in such a precarious position. The match against Canberra in Mudgee culminated in one of the most thrilling golden point finishes in NRL history, with Cleary's field goal attempt striking the post just under two minutes from the end.
The ball rebounded to Raiders winger Stuart, who leaped to secure it. As he descended, Martin was poised to tackle him. However, indecisiveness led Martin to withdraw from his challenge, allowing Stuart to offload the ball to rising star Ethan Strange. Strange then evaded Dylan Edwards and sent the ball back inside to Kaeo Weekes, who scored a decisive try, sealing victory for the Raiders and greatly enhancing their chances of clinching the minor premiership.
The Panthers were left dejected after suffering their second consecutive golden point loss, having also fallen to the Storm the previous week due to Harry Grant's genius play in extra time. Following the match, focus shifted to Martin's critical moment of hesitation on that final play.
Both Martin and Izack Tago had positioned themselves adequately to tackle Stuart, who was suspended in mid-air after the ball's bounce. Tago made an attempt to catch the ball and appeared to go past the airborne winger.
Ultimately, Martin made contact but chose to withdraw from the tackle. It seems he hesitated, likely due to concerns about tackling Stuart while he was airborne. This season, players have faced significant penalties for tackling in dangerous positions.
However, according to the rules, a player is permitted to tackle an opponent if the ball has bounced and the player has jumped in the air to catch it. Since the ball had already rebounded off the upright and Stuart voluntarily jumped to gain an advantage, tackling was within the rules.