Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan claimed the NRL Bunker was not resulting in more correct decisions after his side survived two obstruction calls to down a James Tedesco-inspired Wests Tigers 34-26 at Campbelltown Stadium on Saturday.
Flanagan had to send a message to his players to cool it late in the second half as they became frustrated over a disallowed try to centre Ricky Leutele and a four pointer awarded to Tedesco at the other end within minutes.
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Brilliant Tedesco not enough for Tigers
The Cronulla Sharks overcame a couple of controversial bunker calls to finish on top.
Sharks captain Paul Gallen was involved in both incidents and insisted on the field and later at the post-match press conference that he had not impeded Tigers centre Kevin Naiqama but had been prevented from tackling Tedesco by Wests backrower Chris Lawrence.
Both decisions were referred to the bunker by referee Adam Devich and Flanagan said review officials Luke Patten, Ben Galea and Matt Cecchin had got the calls wrong.Â
"The bunker hasn't made better decisions, it has just made the rulings come a bit faster," Flanagan said. "It has sped the game up a little bit but it is still not making the right decisions.Â
"It could have been costly. We just want the right decisions to be made and we have got a tool to use in the bunker and they came up with two dud calls today.
"I have been around footy all my life, coaching kids and coached rules and for me ... it was a try every day of the week and then to go down the other end of the field, that was a 12 point turnaround.
"Gal was behind Chris Heighington and he was supporting the player but the Tigers player made a decision to tackle Gal. Then a player stands in our defensive line and obstructs Gal getting to the player [Tedesco]. It doesn't matter how much he obstructed him. That's the rules and they got it wrong."
Tigers coach Jason Taylor said he hadn't looked closely enough at either incident to have an opinion and was more concerned by his side's lack of discipline to concede 12 penalties to seven after overcoming the loss of Tedesco in the opening minute with what was initially feared to be a fractured cheekbone.
Tedesco returned in the 16th minute to demonstrate why he is favourite for the NSW No.1 jersey by setting up a try for Naiqama and scoring twice himself but the Tigers let the game slip from their grasp in the second half.
The Tigers star had a lump under his right eye after collecting the knees of Luke Lewis while fielding a grubber kick from Cronulla halfback Chad Townsend in just the 44th second of the match and he said afterwards he had also suffered bruised ribs.
"I think I was a bit lucky it wasn't too high in the temple but it was disappointing to start the game like that," Tedesco said.
"I just thought I had to get out there and do something because we were down 6-0. We had a pretty good first half when I got back out there but we are starting our second halfs a bit too slow and letting them back in the game too easy."
The return of Tedesco in the 16th minute changed the momentum of the game as he put Naiqama over with his first touch of the ball and then crossed seven minutes later after running off halfback Luke Brooks and shaping to pass before pushing off Chad Townsend to score and put the Tigers ahead 10-6.
When Lawrence ran into a yawning gap on the Cronulla line off an inside Brooks pass, the Tigers were suddenly leading 16-6 but the Sharks gave a glimpse of what was to come when five-eighth James Maloney finished a brilliant 50-metre movement in the 38th minute.
In the end it was Maloney's boot which proved the difference as he kicked three of four penalty goal attempts and converted four of the Sharks five tries but fullback Ben Barba was the star of the win, scoring the match winning try in the 70th minute and playing a key role in Maloney's try and another to winger Sosaia Feki just after halftime.
"I think we turned it on ourselves with some decisions we would like over again," Taylor said.
"We just did it to ourselves tonight. We are talking about discipline, too many penalties and penalties late in the tackle count which put pressure on us."
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