LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
Manly Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold is seeing red after what he described as the "softest penalty ever" gifted the Broncos a win at Magic Round.
The Broncos sneaked away with a 13-12 victory on Friday night, leaving Seibold in disbelief.
After clawing their way back from a 12-0 deficit, Manly had leveled the scores in the 71st minute with a Raymond Vaega try, setting the stage for a thrilling finale.
But with just five minutes remaining, controversy struck as the Broncos spread the ball wide on the fourth tackle.
As Deine Mariner received the pass, the cover defense scrambled to shut him down, with Tommy Talau slipping off the tackle and inadvertently bringing down the Broncos winger.
Jaxson Paulo quickly swooped in to contain the play, but to everyone's surprise, referee Todd Smith deemed the tackle as high and awarded a penalty.
Seibold was left seething at the decision, calling it an "absolute farce" and sparking uproar among Sea Eagles fans.
The outcome has left a bitter taste in Manly's mouth, as they were on the cusp of a hard-fought comeback victory.