In the dying stages of a clash described by Phil Gould as “the craziest game of football I have ever seen”, Wests Tigers captain Apisai Koroisau fumed at the referee after the Raiders were handed a penalty that ultimately decided the outcome of the match, won by Canberra 20-19.
In a frenzied final 11 minutes of the Campbelltown fixture, the Tigers stunned the Raiders with three consecutive tries, all of which were converted, and a Luke Brooks field goal to steal a 19-18 lead with four minutes remaining.
But as Raiders halfback Jamal Fogarty fired off a field goal attempt that missed to the right with two minutes left on the clock, Tigers second-rower Isaiah Papali’i hurtled toward him, dived and crashed into his legs.
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Referee Gerard Sutton penalised Papali’i for “dangerous contact on the legs” and, as was inevitable, Fogarty opted for a penalty goal to give Canberra a 20-19 lead.
The Tigers had one more chance to pluck victory but butchered their opportunity, throwing the ball around aimlessly for 20 seconds before Brooks let rip a shocker of a field goal attempt.
“How’s that his fault?” said a bristling Koroisau after the referee penalised Papali’i.
“Why’s that a penalty?
“He’s on the ground and he lands on him pretty much.”
Sutton gave a clear explanation.
“You can’t make dangerous contact with the legs … Api, that’s what it is,” the whistleblower said.
Andrew Johns backed the referee’s decision on Nine’s post-match show.
“If you go in full-pelt, doesn’t matter if it was an accident, you can’t sweep someone’s legs like that,” Johns said.
“He’s only competing, he’s trying to stop the field goal, but you can’t put an opposition player in danger with that.
“And it was because of the slippery surface; if it was dry he probably would have bounced, wouldn’t have slid.”
Tigers fall flat with atrocious last-ditch play
Brad Fittler commended Papali’i’s effort.
“Well, you know what? He was up there trying to charge it down, so his coach would be sitting there saying, ‘Thanks for the effort’,” Fittler said on the Nine broadcast.
“If he doesn’t go there (Fogarty) kicks the (field) goal.
Stream the NRL premiership 2023 live and free on 9Now
“Like Joey said, the dew, he just slipped.
“He was going hard, he was going hard.”
The Raiders established an 18-0 lead but were left to defend with only 12 men when Tom Starling was sin-binned for a professional foul in the 68th minute.
What followed were three Tigers tries in less than five minutes, scored by Jahream Bula, John Bateman and Brandon Wakeham, as well as the Brooks field goal that pinched a 19-18 lead.
Bateman scores on back of Brooks burst
Fogarty spoke with a tinge of disappointment as he unpacked Canberra’s win.
“Even though we got the win it feels like we lost, to be honest,” Fogarty told Nine’s Danika Mason.
“We got a little lucky in the end there. The boys are obviously just trying to do their job with the charge-down. Unlucky for them and very fortunate for us that they just nicked the legs.
“So, yeah, it’s kind of mixed emotions, I guess.”
The Tigers will face the Titans on the Gold Coast next Thursday night, while the Raiders are set to meet the Warriors in Canberra next Friday night.
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