The NRL has acknowledged a mistake made by bunker official Wyatt Raymond in the awarding of a try to Adam Pompey during the New Zealand Warriors' victory against the North Queensland Cowboys in Christchurch this past weekend.
This try occurred when the Warriors were maintaining a ten-point lead, which later expanded to an 18-point advantage by the end of the match.
Despite the incident not altering the game's outcome, it sparked frustration among fans and coaches alike. Taine Tuaupiki appeared to have clearly knocked the ball on while airborne, yet Raymond ruled there wasn't sufficient evidence to overturn the on-field call, granting the try to Pompey.
Today, the NRL confirmed through a report from the Sydney Morning Herald that there was indeed enough evidence to contest the decision, affirming that the try should have been disallowed.
A spokesperson elaborated, "The bunker official [Raymond] did not believe there was sufficient evidence to reverse the on-field decision of a try, however, on review of all available camera angles, the NRL has formed the view that the try should have been overturned."
In light of the ruling, Cowboys coach Todd Payten expressed his displeasure during the post-game interview, articulating the frustration shared by many fans and confirming plans to reach out to the NRL regarding the decision.
"Those moments, that's the difference," he remarked in the press conference.
"I'm pretty certain Tuaupiki touched that ball. I don't know if it was checked, but … I was pretty certain it was touched. The margin was 10 points there at the time."