'Diabolical disgrace': Refereeing drama overshadows Penrith win
Penrith have overcome two contentious sin bin rulings to launch a late fightback and beat the Warriors 19-18 in an NRL golden point thriller.
Brent Naden scored an NRL try for the ages and James Maloney had the final say as Penrith snatched a dramatic victory in Auckland.
The Panthers unleashed one of the gutsiest performances seen on Mt Smart Stadium, overcoming two contentious sin bin rulings and a 10-point deficit to notch their fifth straight win.
The Warriors appeared destined to end their miserable run of home form when David Fusitu'a crossed after a fuming Penrith had been reduced to 11 players.
Maloney, who had a running battle with referee Gerard Sutton, was firstly enraged by Liam Martin's 10-minute punishment for repeated Panthers offending soon before halftime.
He believed he hadn't been given sufficient warning that a sin bin was looming.
The veteran's blood pressure doubled soon after the break when halves partner Jarome Luai was given his marching orders, reducing the visitors to 11 for three minutes.
Sutton deemed Luai had committed a professional foul for tripping Warriors skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck - a questionable ruling on two counts.
The contact appeared accidental and Tuivasa-Sheck had already knocked on in the lead-up.
Fans from both sides agreed that the officials got several big calls horribly wrong.
Wow. Tough calls? The sin bin and the try are dead set clangers. I think a few officials will be sitting out next week.
— Azwar (@azwar_aj) June 30, 2019
Got my mum from the airport and Penrith lost another man to the sinbin and conceded another try. Madness. #NRLWarriorsPanthers #NRL
— Stephen Gallagher (@SWTGallagher) June 30, 2019
This is an absolute diabolical disgrace.... Where do I officially complain to @NRL ?! Appalling refereeing, appalling video ref reviews awarding tries that aren’t. Down to 11 men. The Luai sin bin is the biggest disgrace i’ve ever seen. I’m livid & this shit needs to stop!!!
— Ben Kirkham (@p_starter) June 30, 2019
This sin bin was almost as bad as the one to Gavet last night. You refs just get worse each week. Do any of them actually understand the game at all? 🤦♂️
— Jarrad Rees (@jrinbulli) June 30, 2019
Stiff call on the sin bin of Luai #NRLWarriorsPanthers
— Late Mail Crew (@NRLLMC) June 30, 2019
A bullshit sin bin and then a try given that wasn’t a try. They LOVE the Panthers clearly #NRLWarriorsPanthers
— Kimberley ❁ (@Kimy1998) June 30, 2019
Doubt you'll see a worse call then that sin bin agains the panthers, 2 plays later the bunker awards them a try that was clearly out... #killedachinaman
— Toothless Tom (@tom49984905) June 30, 2019
I’m as @NZWarriors as they come but that might be the worst refereeing decision and sin bin ive seen. Considering what goes on with no sin bin. Eg George Burgess. Awful#NRLWarriorsPanthers
— ɘʞoЯ ɘʞiM (@ThisMikeRoke) June 30, 2019
Man I hate talking about refs but that’s one of the strangest sin bins I’ve seen
— Lachlan Hancock (@lachlan_hancock) June 30, 2019
I’m so lost? Why did the panthers player go to the sin bin? #NRLWarriorsPanthers
— 🌙 S A M 🖤 (@Samanthamaree16) June 30, 2019
Maloney's men somehow regrouped in the most spectacular win of their mid-season revival.
Rookie centre Naden was the hero with two tries in the final half-hour, including a memorable 90-metre solo try with three minutes remaining to put his team two points in front.
Maloney was deemed offside from the subsequent Warriors short kick-off and Patrick Herbert held his nerve, levelling the scores with a 35m penalty in the final minute of regular time.
A week after his influential State of Origin performance for NSW and without injured halves partner Nathan Cleary, Maloney capped an exceptional game with the winning field goal, after he and opposite Blake Green had both missed earlier attempts.
Maloney also laid on two of his team's three tries, setting up a leaping Naden with a pinpoint bomb to start the fightback from 16-6 down.
With AAP