North Queensland Cowboys head coach Todd Payten has become the latest NRL head coach to join the bunker pile on, questioning how they could have missed a dropped ball on Sunday afternoon in Christchurch.
The Cowboys ended up losing by 18 points in a 38-20 fixture at the new stadium in the city. It was just a ten-point game as the second half progressed.
With a little over ten minutes to go, it appeared Adam Pompey had scored a try, only for replays to apparently show Taine Tuaupiki knocking the ball on in the lead-up.
But there was no call from Wyatt Raymond in the bunker, with the try allowed to stand, taking the game to 30 points to 16 and all but beyond the Cowboys.
Tuaupiki iced the game just minutes later with another try, but speaking post-match, Cowboys coach Payten couldn't understand how the knock on had been missed.
“Those moments, that's the difference,” he said during his post-match press conference.
“I'm pretty certain Tuaupiki touched that ball. I don't know if it was checked, but … I was pretty certain it was touched. The margin was 10 points there at the time.
“I'll tell you what will really be frustrating, if we get an apology email through the week or a phone call. When the Bunker has so many angles, I understand there's going to be human error but they're big moments.
“Games can turn on those types of decisions and they're getting too many wrong in the game. We will make a phone call. We'll send an email and see how we go.”
Payten's side out-performed expectations this year, but consistency has been a buzz word at the Cowboys in recent years, and things are heading south again.
After winning four of their five matches to the end of Round 12, the Townsville-based side have lost their last three, dropping games to the Canberra Raiders, Dolphins and Warriors.
It leaves them in ninth spot on the table with 8 wins from 15 games, but they do have two byes up their sleeve and remain firmly in the hunt for a finals spot if they can turn things around, although that will be hardly straightforward.
Jason Taumalolo brings up his 300th game next week at home against the Penrith Panthers, before they travel to face the Manly Sea Eagles and Dolphins after a bye.
The Warriors meanwhile retain second spot on the table with ten wins under their belt, and a shot at a top four position well and truly alive.
