Referee Gerard Sutton did a "sensational" occupation successful the NRL expansive final, according to fable Andrew Johns, contempt a mates of precocious calls that South Sydney fans mightiness beryllium scratching their heads over.
Penrith won a 14-12 epic implicit the Rabbitohs successful what was a thrilling and adjacent contention for the afloat 80 minutes.
It was a frantic last fewer minutes aft the Bunnies scored a effort past missed the conversion to permission the borderline astatine 2 points.
With 4 minutes near connected the clock, South Sydney fielded a Penrith footwear and Dane Gagai was bringing it retired from heavy successful his ain fractional erstwhile helium was whacked precocious by Matt Burton.
Play was stopped arsenic Gagai was injured but neither Sutton oregon the bunker officials decided to penalise Burton for the precocious contact.
Johnston sets up thrilling climax
"They've fixed penalties for those each year," Phil Gould told Channel Nine's coverage.
"They've been giving penalties for those each year. Even though he's falling helium does marque interaction with the head. I don't deliberation that's a penalty, but those person been giving penalties each day."
Andrew Johns was pleased to spot the referee not penalise Burton for the precocious shot.
"This is however it should beryllium refereed. He's been sensational," Johns said of Sutton.
The crippled restarted and 3 plays aboriginal the Rabbitohs went adjacent to scoring, erstwhile Cody Walker ran it near and looked to his 2 extracurricular men.
Cleary rubs Walker's look successful it
But erstwhile Walker passed the shot it went down Gagai and dribbled into touch. Walker and his teammates appealed to the referee the shot had been touched by a Penrith player, but Sutton ignored their pleas and awarded Panthers the ball.
"It's our ball. He touched it," skipper Adam Reynolds pleaded, to nary avail.
Replays were inconclusive. Penrith got the shot and they were capable to tally down the timepiece to the full-time siren.
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