LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
The NRL has hit back at claims that the Melbourne Storm were hard done by in their grand final clash against the Penrith Panthers, releasing new footage to prove that Jack Howarth never actually grounded the ball.
The Panthers emerged victorious with a 14-6 win on Sunday night, securing their fourth consecutive premiership in a gritty battle.
The controversy arose when Howarth appeared to score a try in the second half, only for on-field referee Ashley Klein to refer it to the Bunker as a no-try.
Despite Channel 9's angle suggesting the ball had touched the ground, the Bunker upheld the decision, sparking outrage on social media that the Storm were unfairly treated.
However, the NRL swiftly shut down these claims by unveiling a frame-by-frame analysis to the media, showing that Howarth's arm was actually positioned underneath the ball the entire time.
It seems that a trick of the camera angles and social media screenshots made it look like Howarth's arm was the contact point with the ball, creating a false perception of events.