LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
Melbourne Storm bigwigs come clean in the midst of NRL grand final no-try drama
Fans are adamant the Storm got dudded, despite the NRL's findings.
The CEO and chairman of the Melbourne Storm have reportedly admitted that there was no funny business surrounding the decision to disallow a controversial try in the NRL grand final.
The Panthers' 14-6 triumph over the Storm has stirred up some controversy, with fans adamant that Melbourne were unfairly deprived of a try by Jack Howarth in the second half.
A photo making the rounds on social media seems to show the ball touching the ground, but the NRL has debunked this by proving it was actually Howarth's arm.
The NRL has rolled out fresh camera angles to demonstrate that Howarth failed to get the ball down, which was exhibited to the press and Storm honchos on Sunday night.
As per reputable journalist Brent Read, Storm CEO Justin Rodski and chairman Matt Tripp viewed the new footage right after the match on Sunday night, and agreed that the Storm were not wronged.
The imagescirculating on social media are a bit of a trick of the eye, with what looks like the ball actually being Howarth's arm.
NRL's head of football Graham Annesley stated on Sunday night: "When I initially saw it, I, like everyone else, thought the ball had hit the ground.
It wasn't until we took a closer look that we noticed the contrast between the arm and the ball.
The ball was perched on top of the arm, which was then lifted up."