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The race for the NRL top eight will go down to the final day of the regular season but referees remained under the spotlight after coming under fire this weekend from coaches feeling helpless heading into the finals.
Manly boss Des Hasler and Canberra's rookie mentor Neil Henry both unloaded on the men in the middle after their sides went down on the back of several contentious decisions.
The Sea Eagles were denied a try to winger Michael Robertson, swinging the momentum of their match against New Zealand Warriors, while the Raiders were left fuming when an alleged knock-on denied halfback Todd Carney a try that would have put his side up 19-6 against Brisbane.
The Raiders went on to lose 30-19, the Broncos moving back into the top eight on points differential ahead of the Wests Tigers, who slumped to a 37-12 loss to South Sydney at Leichhardt Oval.
Hasler, who was also scathing in his assessment of referee Sean Hampstead's performance in Manly's loss to the Bunnies last Monday night, said the inconsistency in the obstruction rule was driving coaches mad.
Robertson was denied with the Sea Eagles trailing 12-10, the Warriors going down the other end of the field to score minutes later en route to a 36-14 victory.
"I am almost embarrassed for (referees' boss) Robert Finch because now there is obviously some clear confusion among the NRL refs and officials," Hasler said.
"In my view in the last couple of weeks I have seen a referees coach and Bill Harrigan (Finch's assistant), who in my opinion allows tries from shepherds, and today this ruling on the Manly no try at 12-10 was clearly a momentum turner for us.
"I have got no idea as to why the NRL official would disallow that try. There was no-one obstructed. No-one was touched. No decoy runners went through the line.
"So it is a shame because what scares me is, and is worrying me now, is we are going into a semi-finals series and to me that decision turned that match."
Henry was equally as livid, even though the result had little bearing on his side's finals chances with the Raiders already out of the running.
"We're not going to figure in the finals but I think there's going to be eight coaches in the finals out there going 'I don't know what's going to happen", Henry said.
"It will cost someone further down the track."
Despite thumping the Tigers, Souths are yet to confirm their first finals appearance in 18 years as they joined Parramatta and the Bulldogs on 26 competition points.
The Eels can book their spot with a win over St George Illawarra on Monday night, when they would join Melbourne, Manly and North Queensland in being guaranteed finals footy, the latter three to have home ground advantage in the first week.
Souths will confirm a spot in the eight with a win over bitter rivals Sydney Roosters on Saturday night at Telstra Stadium, halfback Joe Williams claiming he was already counting down the days until the showdown.
"It's going to come down to that last game against the Chooks - what better way would you want it - fierce old rivals, at home, in front of a packed crowd," Williams said.
"It's going to be a cracker ... they don't want to get beaten in the last game of the year by us, they want to knock us out purely and simply because it's us."
Defending premiers Brisbane (24 points) can also confirm their spot in the finals with a win over Parramatta on Sunday, the Broncos enjoying a points differential of over 100 points on the ninth-placed Tigers who are also on 24.
The Tigers need to beat Newcastle on Friday night to be any chance of qualifying, then hope Brisbane lose.
Their only other chance of qualifying is if they beat the last-placed Knights by a cricket score and hope one of Souths or the Bulldogs also lose by big margins.
Source: AAP
Manly boss Des Hasler and Canberra's rookie mentor Neil Henry both unloaded on the men in the middle after their sides went down on the back of several contentious decisions.
The Sea Eagles were denied a try to winger Michael Robertson, swinging the momentum of their match against New Zealand Warriors, while the Raiders were left fuming when an alleged knock-on denied halfback Todd Carney a try that would have put his side up 19-6 against Brisbane.
The Raiders went on to lose 30-19, the Broncos moving back into the top eight on points differential ahead of the Wests Tigers, who slumped to a 37-12 loss to South Sydney at Leichhardt Oval.
Hasler, who was also scathing in his assessment of referee Sean Hampstead's performance in Manly's loss to the Bunnies last Monday night, said the inconsistency in the obstruction rule was driving coaches mad.
Robertson was denied with the Sea Eagles trailing 12-10, the Warriors going down the other end of the field to score minutes later en route to a 36-14 victory.
"I am almost embarrassed for (referees' boss) Robert Finch because now there is obviously some clear confusion among the NRL refs and officials," Hasler said.
"In my view in the last couple of weeks I have seen a referees coach and Bill Harrigan (Finch's assistant), who in my opinion allows tries from shepherds, and today this ruling on the Manly no try at 12-10 was clearly a momentum turner for us.
"I have got no idea as to why the NRL official would disallow that try. There was no-one obstructed. No-one was touched. No decoy runners went through the line.
"So it is a shame because what scares me is, and is worrying me now, is we are going into a semi-finals series and to me that decision turned that match."
Henry was equally as livid, even though the result had little bearing on his side's finals chances with the Raiders already out of the running.
"We're not going to figure in the finals but I think there's going to be eight coaches in the finals out there going 'I don't know what's going to happen", Henry said.
"It will cost someone further down the track."
Despite thumping the Tigers, Souths are yet to confirm their first finals appearance in 18 years as they joined Parramatta and the Bulldogs on 26 competition points.
The Eels can book their spot with a win over St George Illawarra on Monday night, when they would join Melbourne, Manly and North Queensland in being guaranteed finals footy, the latter three to have home ground advantage in the first week.
Souths will confirm a spot in the eight with a win over bitter rivals Sydney Roosters on Saturday night at Telstra Stadium, halfback Joe Williams claiming he was already counting down the days until the showdown.
"It's going to come down to that last game against the Chooks - what better way would you want it - fierce old rivals, at home, in front of a packed crowd," Williams said.
"It's going to be a cracker ... they don't want to get beaten in the last game of the year by us, they want to knock us out purely and simply because it's us."
Defending premiers Brisbane (24 points) can also confirm their spot in the finals with a win over Parramatta on Sunday, the Broncos enjoying a points differential of over 100 points on the ninth-placed Tigers who are also on 24.
The Tigers need to beat Newcastle on Friday night to be any chance of qualifying, then hope Brisbane lose.
Their only other chance of qualifying is if they beat the last-placed Knights by a cricket score and hope one of Souths or the Bulldogs also lose by big margins.
Source: AAP
