The decision to send Manly star Jake Trbojevic to the bin with 13 minutes to play was one of the biggest calls made by a referee all season, but the NRL believes it was the right one.

Trbojevic was binned for a professional foul on Dane Gagai, as Souths were on the break and looking for a way back into the match.

Manly led 26-20 when Trbojevic was given his marching orders, although the Bunnies scored twice while he was on the sidelines, storming home to a 34-26 win.

Despite Des Hasler blowing up at the decision, NRL head of football Graham Annesley backed in the decision, saying Trbojevic left the referees with no choice.

"It was a professional foul in a try-scoring situation," Annesley said post-game.

"Last week I publicly criticised a referee for not using the sin bin in similar circumstances.

"If Jake doesn't grab the support player, the consequences don't occur."

Hasler said his side were "dudded", suggesting the penalty was fair, but the sin-binning was too much.

"Do I think we were dudded? Yep, I think we were dudded," Hasler said.

"The call on Jake in the second half was a bit tough.

"Was it a penalty? I don't mind a penalty. I can handle a penalty. Did he deserve to get sent off? No, I didn't think he deserved to get sent off.

"You don't want to see the game coming down to crucial calls like that."

The Rabbitohs will now face Canberra next weekend for a spot in the grand final.

14 COMMENTS

  1. Of course it was a sin bin.
    Since when is it ok to grab an opposition players jersey who is trying to back up in support?
    100% correct decision.
    Troubledvich made a conscious effort to grab at Gagai knowing he wouldn’t be able to match him for speed to get to the play.
    BTW, if the bunker bothered to take more than 1 look at the Roberts trip they would have seen him reach out and touch the ball on the way down and made an no argument decision for a penalty try.
    Poor ref decisions against will show that at the time Jakey was sin binned Souths should have been in front by around 12-14 points and the binning inconsequential.

  2. Though it was a tough call, it was the right one. Watching it live had Gagai not been interfered with, he could have received the back on the inside and he could have scored pending on whether Jakey T could tackle him or not. Unfortunately for Jake T though he did actually grab onto his jersey but only to try get around him, if you watch the video it was actually his boot that tripped Gagai, but everyone is looking at the jersey pull hence why people are calling it soft. That has been a professional foul for as long as I remember. I do feel sorry for Jake though, bloke looked like he was about to break down in the post match interview.
    Credit to Manly where credit is due, down on troops and they kept turning up for each other. fans should be proud of their team, Some good recruitment and a good off season and they’ll go deep in the finals next year.

  4. take your maroon glasses off ManWar and stop blaming the refs. Manly had every opportunity to win that game last night. Perfect example was the repeat set turned penalty because of Gosiewski. Had they got that repeat set I believe Manly would have scored and they would have run away with it because Souths were cooked by that point.

  6. Your team was just not good enough ManWar78. Suck it up and move on. I guess it was the refs fault also for Captain DCE’s brain explosion – maybe they should have reminded him he was running out of time

  9. There were atleast 10 calls all went against manly last night.
    Gagai wasn’t getting near anyone to help so wasn’t in a scoring opportunity so bout shouldnt be a sin bin.
    Then the last kick, he’s literally dropping the ball as siren goes off, no different to most kicks each week and same as when everyone drops the ball insches over the line when they do drop outs. Refs just need some common sense.
    No one seems to be mentioning first half when Parker was chasing through an attacking kick and looking likely to get there when he is clearly taken out, wasn’t even 1 replay of that.
    Manly could of won the game they were clearly the better team and shouldn’t of let it get that close. But rabbits won’t be troubling raiders at all, raiders wouldnof been in their loingerooms laughing and cheering all night when these refs decided last nights game and raiders opposition for them.

  10. Hey bobfoolton
    Gagai wasnt given a chance to support.
    BTW no mention Sam, Douehi and Johnson off for Souths and Manly still couldn’t pull it off.
    Just accept they choked.

  11. No panes talking to you cause you just jibber crap.
    So players went off they weren’t short a player like manly. And they way surgess was playing rabbits were better off without him.
    Manly never choked, they got beat, by 2 referees who once their reviews are done won’t do anymore games this year.

  12. In my opinion Jake should not have been sent to the bin. He at no stage tried to take the player out, he was just trying to get around him. At worst he cops a penalty, but seriously a professional; foul & warranting an sin bin???

    The problem with the NRL is not the referees by by the NRL not:
    Allowing them to run a free flowing game
    poor adjudication
    using a system that does not interpret the rules properly.

    To balance for both sides, Walker should not have gone to the sin bin either!! Are the NRL trying to sanitize the game??

    It was a good game of football and an intense and passionate semi final, but did we really need the time penalty at the dropout with a minute to go??????????

    Please that will do me………………….. get some people in at NRL headquarters that have some commonsense in running the game.

  13. From a neutral perspective I think the sin bin was a little harsh. I thought Jake was just trying to position himself on the inside shoulder of Gagai. I think they clipped boots (accidentally) but a very big call considering there was 13 mins to go.

    Manly were bloody gutsy and reminded me of Saints in 2018 ( $hit call against McInnes at dummy half from the SAME REF when Saints were in control late in the game ) against the same opposition with similar injured troops. Hard pill to swallow but you can’t possibly expect Graham Annesley to come out today and say his refs were wrong!!! That was never going to happen.

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