The Magic Round finale was expected to be an epic mismatch, but the St George Illawarra Dragons pushed the reigning premiers far harder than many anticipated in their clash with the Penrith Panthers, with half-time ending in controversy.
Sitting at opposite ends of the ladder, the Dragons entered the contest widely tipped to suffer a heavy defeat.
Instead, they trailed just 12-0 at halftime in a gritty display that nearly included a Dragon's try.
In the dying seconds of the opening half, Panthers winger Brian To'o appeared to fumble while attempting to retrieve a Dragons kick, with the clock showing zero and indicating last play.
Veteran hooker Damien Cook chased through, got a foot to the loose ball, grubbered ahead and grounded it over the line. The try was initially awarded, which would have cut the margin to 12-6 heading into the sheds.
However, after a Bunker review, the decision was overturned, with officials ruling To'o had possession and Cook had illegally kicked the ball from his grasp.
Penrith were instead awarded a penalty.
"He doesn't have possession, no way," Cook argued with the referee during the incident.
Interim coach Dean Young did little to hide his frustration after the match, questioning both the ruling and the consistency of decisions his side has received this season.
"It would have been nice to go in at half time, 12-6 against the best team in the comp.
"They [Penrith] certainly don't need any help, because they've been the best team for the last five years - but I can't control that.
"Did it go up a try? They needed evidence to say it wasn't a try. Who was in the Bunker?
"It feels like there's been some calls early in the season that could have gone our way and could have made a difference.
"We're not walking away from the responsibility of where we're sitting, that's on us - but we're not getting the 50/50s at the moment."
Cook also believed the four-pointer should have stood, admitting he may have been biased but insisting many others shared the same opinion.
"I'm a bit biased, but I thought it was a try," he said.
"Like you (journalist) said, you agree, other people on the way in here said it was a try as well.
"Just give the fans what they want," Cook smirked.
"It's massive - if we go in 12-6 against the best team in the competition, I feel like we deserved that."
Despite eventually falling 28-6, the performance showed significant improvement from the Dragons, who remained competitive against the four-time premiers for long periods of the contest.
While the club's difficult season continues, Young remained optimistic about the direction the side is heading after a far more spirited display against one of the competition's heavyweights.
