LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
Nathan Cleary has raised concerns regarding the referee's decision that denied the Panthers a potential game-winning field goal against the Melbourne Storm during their recent match. He expressed his belief that Harry Grant may have intentionally exaggerated contact to draw a penalty.
The Storm emerged victorious in a closely contested grand final rematch, winning 22-18 after golden point play, with Grant securing the winning try through a clever dummy that deceived the Panthers' defense.
Controversy struck just minutes before the game's conclusion when Cleary executed a field goal that would have given Penrith a 19-18 advantage with only two minutes remaining. Referee Ashley Klein penalized Moses Leota for obstructing Grant, which he argued prevented Grant from pressuring Cleary's kick.
The decision to penalize Leota seemed justified, as he occupied a blocking position and slightly impeded Grant's path. However, the call incited negative reactions from fans and commentators alike, who accused Grant of diving to gain the penalty.
Post-game, Cleary voiced his dissatisfaction with the ruling and Grant's behavior. He highlighted that the NRL had claimed to be stringent on players attempting to "milk" penalties, particularly regarding obstruction fouls; yet, it seems that enforcement has become more lenient.
"If that was in the field of play and you run a block shape, it wouldn't have been an obstruction because they ruled that out," Cleary remarked. "If you're typically defending at that 'three man' and you play for an obstruction, they don't want that in the game. But for some reason, it's different for a field goal."
He continued, "I thought the blocking rule was brought in so that people wouldn't stand next to the play the ball, but Moses wasn't in that position. I don't believe that everyone can get behind me on that field goal, and then essentially Harry played for it because he knew he was going to get the penalty. I don't believe that Moses moved, so it was pretty frustrating."