Marshall no-try sparks more bunker controversy
The NRL’s controversial obstruction rule has sparked more controversy after the bunker disallowed a try to Benji Marshall during St George Illawarra’s clash with New Zealand.
With the Dragons trailing 12-6 in the first half, Marshall touched down for what appeared to be a four-pointer following a backline spread in the 26th minute.
But with the decision sent for review with the bunker, officials denied the Kiwi playmaker after ruling that Warriors backrower Ryan Hoffman was impeded by Dragons decoy runner Tyson Frizell.
Replays of the incident show Frizell make an early decoy run ahead of the pass to Marshall, with the backrower colliding with Hoffman.
However, the New Zealand veteran appears to have plenty of time to recover after the minor contact and re-position himself to potentially make a tackle.
Fox Sports commentators Andrew Voss and Mark Gasnier were adamant the try should have been allowed.
But with the bunker adopting a black and white approach to obstruction the call went against Marshall.
The decision proved particularly costly for the visitors with the Warriors marching downfield after the ensuing penalty and scoring a try to extend their lead to 18-6, before winning 26-10.
The no-try came amid weeks of debating the merits of the black and white obstruction rule with most experts believing discretion should be applied, particularly in cases where a try is scored a long distance from any player contact or if a defender appears to milk contact.
The issue reared its head on Saturday night when the Cowboys were denied a try for obstruction after Manly captain Jamie Lyon hit the deck following minor contact with a North Queensland player.
That decision prompted Cowboys coach Paul Green to declare Lyon deserves a BAFTA acting award for his dive.
