LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
NRL icon Cooper Cronk has taken a stand, asserting that the Bunker official correctly denied the Warriors a potential match-winning try against Parramatta on Friday night. The player at the heart of the dispute, Demetric Vaimauga, has since confessed to knocking the ball on.
The match was filled with controversy when the on-field referee's initial decision was overturned, resulting in the Warriors losing what could have been a crucial try. The Bunker investigation determined that Vaimauga had made contact with the ball, knocking it on during an encounter with Isaiah Iongi, right before Adam Pompey picked it up and believed he had scored. Although the try was initially awarded, it would have put the Warriors ahead 28-26 in the closing moments of the match.
Following a lengthy review of multiple replays, the Bunker ultimately disallowed the try. In the commentary for Fox League, both Warren Smith and Greg Alexander expressed skepticism about whether there was sufficient evidence to overturn the on-field decision. "I don't think his hand went anywhere near the ball," remarked Alexander, while Smith added, "How is that conclusive enough to change the initial call? I don't think he touched it. A game with plenty of controversy."
Veteran journalist Phil Rothfield criticized the ruling on social media, labeling it as a "disgraceful" call, a sentiment echoed by many. However, Cronk defended the Bunker's decision during his post-match commentary, stating, "You can see the slightest of touches as it brushes his fingers. And you can see the finger moves."
Moreover, the 'NRL Central' social media account noted, "Not sure what all the debate is about - the ball clearly grazes Vaimauga's fingers before hitting Iongi. That's a knock on every day of the week. Not sure what the commentators were on about."
Most importantly, Vaimauga admitted in a post-game TV interview that he did, in fact, touch the ball, though Warriors coach Andrew Webster expressed disbelief that it constituted enough evidence for the call to be overturned.