Brad Fittler and Billy Slater defend referee call over Manly try amid swift fan backlash

NRL legends Brad Fittler, Billy Slater and Andrew Johns have all gone against the fanbase and defended the bunker and touch judge having claimed Tommy Talau's drop ball against the Panthers was called correctly. Panthers fans have been fuming ever since Tolutau Koula ran 90 metres to score a score in the first-half against the their team after Talau put the ball down going for an intercept.

The ball went to ground and under the current interpretations in the NRL the drop ball would generally be considered a knock on. Manly centre Koula played the whistle and scooped up the ball to run the field and score. Maroons great Corey Parker could not believe the try was awarded and suggested Talau had clearly knocked the ball on.

“That’s a knock on, I don’t understand how Todd Smith has let that play on,” Parker said in Fox Sports commentary. Commentator Dane Ginnane was left stunned when the Bunker confirmed the try. “I think this is confirmed, it is, high drama at Brookvale," he added.

Most of the NRL world agreed and couldn't quite believe Manly got away with the call at Brookvale. While many may agree the ball was dropped straight down, or slightly backwards, most fans are accustomed to the referee still calling a knock on against their team. However, against the popular opinion, Slater, Johns and Fittler have claimed the referees have got it right.

Speaking on Channel Nine's Sunday Footy Show, Fittler claimed the ball went backwards out of Talau's hands and the referee was right to let play continue. "When you watch it, it just went backwards. I sort of don't know how it went backwards. Straight away I went knock on, but once you watch it," Fittler said. Johns agreed with his former Roosters rival.

"The rotation of the ball was going back towards their try line, so it was an indication the ball went backwards," Johns added. Slater admitted looking back at previous examples this would normally be ruled a knock on in the modern game. But the current Maroons coach said the referee used interpretation and got this call correct in his eyes.

"History would say that is a knock on. We judge drop balls as a knock ons these days. This is why the whole rugby league fraternity has gone 'well that's a knock one', because it has been judged a knock on for so long. But it actually went backwards," Slater said.

NRL fans let rip at the NRL after controversial Manly try

Panthers coach Ivan Cleary believed the ball was knocked forward, but admitted it didn't matter with his team not deserving the win after a Daly Cherry-Evans masterclass. But many can't let the ruling go with the inconsistency in the NRL a major issue for fans.

While the angle makes it very hard to determine if the ball went backwards or not, the interpretation of the knock on rule in the NRL would normally Talau's drop ball called back. And fans were left stunned the try was awarded.