NRL elite football operations manager Graham Annesley has rejected calls from Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart for a penalty try that may have changed the course of his defeat to NZ Warriors last Friday.
After squandering a 10-point lead over the final moments of regulation, the Warriors salvaged victory with a goldenpoint drop goal from Shaun Johnson in extra time, but Stuart was left fuming over a first-half incident he claimed should have swung momentum the Raiders' way.
As Canberra fullback Sebastian Kris crossed the tryline to seemingly put his team ahead just before halftime, Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak swooped from nowhere to knock the ball free, contacting Kris' head in the process.
Moments later, fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad scored to put the Warriors ahead 14-6 at the break and seize momentum.
Afterwards, Stuart fumed over the tackle that went unpenalised, despite a bunker review.
"In regards to that decision before halftime, with Kris' no try - that was a high shot," he insisted. "It should have been a penalty try - it should never have even got to golden point."
Annesley disagrees, contesting Stuart's view in his weekly review of the NRL round.
"In the view of the bunker, that's incidental contact," he said. "It's not forceful in its nature, it didn't have an impact on Kris in terms of any... movement of his head.
"It did hit the ball, which is what caused the possession of the ball to be lost.
"I know there will be people who say any contact with the head should result in a penalty or a penalty try, as has been suggested here, but if this was in general play, I put it to you that there would be no action on this incident.
"If there was no action in general play, why should there be action when you're scoring a try."
The accusations smacked of desperation from Stuart, who has repeatedly suffered at the hands of the Warriors in recent meetings. Six weeks ago, the Auckland side wrecked the 300th-game celebration of Raiders centre Jarrod Croker, inflicting a 36-14 defeat at Canberra.
In April 2022, Stuart blamed a forward pass for his team's 21-20 defeat at Redcliffe, after they lead 20-12 at halftime.
The latest result elevated the Warriors above the Raiders and Melbourne Storm to third on the competition table, a spot they're likely to retain after this week's bye round. They begin a home stretch of five games against losing teams, when they face Gold Coast Titans on August 4.
