The NRL has backed the bunker's decision not to overturn Penrith's game-winning try against Parramatta, despite a Panthers player clearly knocking over an Eels defender in the build-up.
The Eels were left furious over what they believed was an apparent obstruction from Liam Martin on Deajarn Asi in Penrith's 36-34 win on Friday night.
Trying to create a break out of their own end, Martin ran through as a decoy runner and bowled over Asi, who was left sprawled on the turf and unable to take part in the play, as Daine Laurie sprinted down field and put Izack Tago over.
Parramatta captain Clint Gutherson immediately raised the issue with referee Peter Gough, and the play was reviewed by the bunker before the try was confirmed.
Laurie caught the ball beyond the outside shoulder of Martin, but the Eels were adamant the contact still impacted their defensive movements.
"How that happens with the officiating that we’ve got and how many people are looking at it, I don’t know," Eels coach Trent Barrett said.
"Daejarn Asi just got knocked over by Liam and it shouldn’t have been a try."
But the NRL's head of football operations Graham Annesley said an incidental collision with Blaize Talagi caused Martin to trip over and unintentionally interfere with Asi.
Then as play continues, the ball-carrier does not benefit from the collision as he does not run back into that area of the field.
"I'm the first to acknowledge that there'll be different points of view on this," Annesley said on Monday.
"But is this an obviously incorrect decision by the bunker? No, it's not. It's a perfectly valid explanation by the bunker of why they reached the decision that, in their view, this was not an obstruction that required intervention."
Annesley did acknowledge a refereeing blunder cost Canberra a try in their 46-24 loss to Manly on Saturday.
The Raiders were disallowed a try when referee Grant Atkins blew the whistle prematurely with utility player Adam Cook clean through for a try.
What had appeared to the naked eye to be a clear knock-on turned out to be a deft grubber kick on replay.
The Raiders were successful in challenging the on-field call, confirming Cook had scored a legal try.
But Atkins' early whistle meant it could not be awarded, as it prevented Trbojevic from attempting to chase Cook, even if he would not have been able to track him down.
Annesley said it was fair to ask whether the referee should have allowed play to continue before blowing the whistle, although that could then run the risk of not being able to call play back in case Trbojevic made the tackle and it did turn out to be a knock-on.
But he opened the door for the NRL to review the rule at the end of the season.
"No doubt this situation will be looked at. Could the laws of the game be changed to cater for this in a different way? Of course, because we changed it a few years ago," he said.
