Secret meeting where NRL proved contentious Bunker call was correct
Updated . First published
The NRL called journalists into a room on Sunday night to show new vision which proved the Bunker made the correct no-try decision that lit a fuse during the grand final.
But Storm young gun Jack Howarth believes he got the ball down in a moment that left rugby league icon Andrew Johns - among thousands of fans - furious.
The Storm were trailing Penrith when a pinpoint kick by Cameron Munster found Xavier Coates in the corner, who flicked the ball back to a charging Howarth.
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Toppling over four Penrith defenders, Howarth looked to have scored but referee Ashley Klein was not convinced, sending it to the Bunker with a soft no-try decision.
The Bunker proved Jack Howarth did not get the ball down. Nine
Bunker official Grant Atkins agreed Howarth did not get the ball to the turf, but the vision showed on Nine's broadcast at the time did suggest the ball made contact with the grass.
NRL officials quickly moved to kill the uproar by taking several journalists into a room at Accor Stadium to show the vision that Atkins used in his decision.
The journalists who saw the vision agreed Howarth did not score the try.
The Bunker has access to more than 20 camera angles, whereas the TV broadcast generally only shows two or three.
"He gets that down," Johns said in commentary on Nine.
"The ball gets down on the ground."
Watching the video replay on the field, Howarth raised his arm and smiled as the ball appeared to hit the ground.
Storm legend Billy Slater feared the ball was caught on top of the Storm star's arm.
"Is that his own arm underneath it?" Slater said.
Johns interjected: "No, the ball hits the ground. I'm sure the ball gets down."
Watch a replay of the 2024 NRL grand final on 9Now.
Penrith hold Howarth up in goal. Getty
Much to the dismay of Johns, Howarth was denied the four points and Penrith regained possession.
"When you go into the Bunker there is about 20 or 23 camera angles," Brad Fittler said.
"Whoever is sitting up there now, which will be Grant Atkins, he will have every possible view. From the one I saw, I have to say his own hand was underneath the ball."
Speaking to Wide World of Sports in the sheds post-game, Howarth said he was left confused by the decision from the Bunker.
"I thought I got it down - I don't know what they see differently," he said.
"We can't change it now, but it did hurt when that one was disallowed."
Craig Bellamy addresses the Jack Howarth no try in his post-match press conference. Nine
Storm coach Craig Bellamy didn't offer his opinion on whether it was a try.
"It is what it is," he said in his press conference.
"It went up to the Bunker and came down no try. It doesn't matter what I think.
"With all due respect whether it was the right decision or wrong decision, I don't know.
"At the end of the day that's not in my control, we're always preaching our way is to control what we can control."
