LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
NRL fans have expressed outrage similar to that of Dragons coach Shane Flanagan following a disputed obstruction call in the Dragons' 14-10 defeat to the Warriors on Friday night. The incident bears a striking resemblance to a controversial play involving the Panthers the previous evening. Adam Pompey scored a pivotal second-half try despite the Dragons' claims of obstruction, which were ignored by officials.
The prior night, Penrith's Nathan Cleary had accused Harry Grant of 'playing' for a penalty that denied him a chance to kick a winning field goal. Many fans believed that Grant had exaggerated the impact of contact from Moses Leota, who was penalized for obstructing the Storm captain as he attempted to pressure Cleary's kick.
On Friday, Dragons' playmaker Lyhkan King-Togia faced similar accusations of play-acting after seeking an obstruction penalty when he was contacted by Marata Niukore. Following King-Togia's fall, Pompey seized the opportunity to score a controversial try that leveled the game.
The decision led to a lengthy review by the Bunker, which ultimately awarded the try to the Warriors. The Dragons' frustrations mounted when Pompey scored the match-winning try ten minutes later, prompting Flanagan to criticize the obstruction decision in his post-match remarks and to question the inconsistency of officiating decisions.
"I know you haven't asked the question but I am going to give an answer," Flanagan said, visibly frustrated. "It was really tough for us that what was an obstruction last week is not an obstruction this week."
He added that his players had repeatedly sought clarification on the field, only to be dismissed, expressing his confusion about the rules. "I started playing footy when I was four years old... I don't know the rules anymore, I dead set do not know the rules."
Flanagan concluded with a rallying call for his team, stating, "It is tough, but we are a tough club and this is a really connected unit. We will fight really hard for the next three weeks." Fans echoed the sentiment, highlighting the disparity in officiating between the two games-questioning why Grant was awarded a penalty for a blocking call while King-Togia was not granted an obstruction penalty despite the similarity of the incidents.