LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
NRL legend Andrew Johns has recently voiced concerns over the obstruction rule following incidents involving the Newcastle Knights and Manly Sea Eagles, leaving fans confused about the game's standards. The pressure mounts on Manly's coach, Anthony Seibold, after his team suffered a fourth consecutive loss, with the West Tigers outplaying them in a 26-12 defeat.
The Sea Eagles now find themselves at 24 points and face a challenging path to finals, needing other teams to lose for a chance at qualification. Dejected captain Daly Cherry-Evans expressed his disappointment in the loss, with criticism from fans directed at his performance. Many believed they were wronged during a key moment in the match when Tom Trbojevic found himself unable to tackle Taylan May adequately.
May made a crucial run after receiving a smart pass, with Samuela Fainu supporting in a concurrent run. Fainu slightly advanced ahead of May as Trbojevic attempted to make the tackle. Ultimately, May chose to sidestep to the right of Trbojevic, who was caught off guard.
While there were doubts among fans about whether this constituted obstruction, the Bunker approved the Tigers' try. Some argued that Trbojevic could have performed better, though Fainu's positioning added to the confusion. This incident wasn't the only controversy that day. The Knights faced further scrutiny during their match against the Cowboys, which ended in a devastating 38-4 loss.
In that match, Jaxon Purdue broke through the line and sprinted 45 metres to score, with Jake Arthur potentially obstructing his path. Captain Dane Gagai confronted the referee, asserting that Arthur was impeded. However, the Bunker ruled that Arthur committed to the tackle, dismissing it as a misreading that allowed the break. NRL great Billy Slater weighed in, stating, "It's irrelevant. You've taken that chance away from him."