NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster was so confident Dylan Walker's tackle on Melbourne Storm's Eliesa Katoa was fine, he had already started planning for the next play.
Walker was sent to the sin-bin for a head-slam tackle on Katoa right before halftime in the Warriors' 30-22 Anzac Day defeat to the Storm.
While Webster's main concern will be the growing injury toll, he admits he was left puzzled by the call to place Walker on report.
"My reaction was Dylan was taking him to the ground and unfortunately, his head slammed and Dylan came over the top," he said. "Because they wanted to check it, I looked and thought 'he's sweet'.
"I wanted to have a good look at it, and watched the replay and thought 'awesome'. Then I started turning to talk about the next part to the staff and when I turned around, they gave him 10 [in the bin].
"I just initially thought it was a really good tackle driving him to the ground, I didn't see any arm around his head.
"I don't know what you guys think, but I didn't see him slamming his head to the ground, I didn't see that. Trust me, when you're in the box, you're probably not seeing things clearly, because you're a bit biased, but I thought Dylan was fine."
Walker now faces a minimum two-week suspension for the dangerous contract, leaving Webster with a decision to make over who partners Shaun Johnson in the halves.
Another contentious call came during the Storm's go-ahead score, with fullback Nick Meaney grabbing his second try. Meaney pounced on the loose ball from Jahrome Hughes' kick, after two Warriors players collided to claim possession.
Replays suggested Reimis Smith may have got a hand to the ball and knocked it forward, as he challenged the Warriors in the air.
Webster wouldn't be drawn into any further criticism of the officiating and would rather his team look at themselves first.
"I'm skating on thin ice," he said. "I wish it wasn't a try, but it was and I'll take the call - the call is what it is.
"They're the moments we have to be in charge of. Two players collide, there's a loose ball on the ground and we're not there to clean it up, they are.
"That's us saying to ourselves 'let's not make excuses'. That's what the players are coming to me in the changing room saying.
"It's all well and good, things might not have gone your way at times, but we've got to own that bit.
"Why weren't we on the loose ball and why were we colliding in the air? Then, you take it out of the referee's hand, if that's the case.
"I'm not critical of the decision, I don't know. I'm just saying we have to own it."
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