Cooper Highlights Bunker Anomaly
NORTH Queensland captain Gavin Cooper has highlighted an anomaly in the operation of the Bunker which came to light with a disallowed Javid Bowen try in the four-point loss to St George Illawarra.
The on-field officials referred to would-be touchdown because of uncertainty over the grounding, only to have it disallowed for a Lachlan Coote strip 60 metres upfield.
"The ref said he was happy with it up that end of the field so if Javid had have got tackled before the tryline, they wouldn't have been able to review it," said second tower Cooper.
"So I was actually hoping he'd get caught so we could play on. He was actually happy with that so I thought he sent it up to the Bunker saying he was happy with that, just check the grounding.
"I don't know how much control they've got."
Coach Paul Green said while he disagreed with the call, he wasn't blaming it for the defeat. Asked if he was happy with Lachlan Coote at five-eighth, Green answered "no".
"The players we lost are key positions in our team," he said. "It's difficult to work up combinations .... our attack just wasn't as fluent as what it was.
"I'm not blaming Cootey. I'm not blaming any individual."
Marshall Negotiations "Out Of My Hands" Says McGregor
ST GEORGE Illawarra coach Paul McGregor says the course of negotiations with off-contract playmaker Gareth Widdop is out of his hands.
Marshall, 31, returned from injury in the 14-10 win over Origin-depleted North Queensland tonight but remains without a club for 2017.
"I think he's got to - we all do - play some consistent footy in the next month," McGregor said when asked about the Kiwi's future. "It's good to have him back but unfortunately for Benji, and for the team, he's only put two games together at a stretch this year.
"So it's important he plays three or four games in a row so he can play at his best. It's very hard for a halfback to play one week out the next, play two weeks and out for three. You can't get any momentum."
Asked about contract talks, McGregor said: "That's something out of my hands. It's up to our recruitment and retention guys but I've always said I really enjoy coaching Benji.
"He brings a lot to our side. At the moment we're just trying to get him to stay on the football field, more than anything else."
The Dragons won despite being forced by the Cowboys to make six line dropouts.
"They had a lot of possession in our 20 - I think it was 44-8 in the second half and their kicking game was spot-in," McGregor said.
"When we went to Auckland we missed a really good opportunity when they had a few players out and we wanted to make sure we didn't do that again.
"The first 15, 20 minutes was the best footy we've played but for some reason in the second half two different referees came out. I'm not sure who they were.You could do anything you wanted on the ground and that suited them (Cowboys) a little bit."
Fulltime at WIN Stadium: ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA 14 NORTH QUEENSLAND 10
A EUAN Aitken try with 17 minutes remeaining has helped St George Illawarra down an Origin-depleted North Queensland at WIN Stadium.
In a penalty-strrewn encounter, the Dragons were forced by pin-point Cowboys kicking to to make six line dropouts but still managed to tackle the premiers into submission.
Aitken beat Javid Bowen one-on-one for the clincher. Bowen had a try disallowed in the first half when the Bunker detected a knock-on.
COMMENT: Stirling defence from the Dragons against a side that had plenty of ball in a dangerous position. Not a classic but an important and much needed two points for Paul McGregor.
The Cowboys just keep forcing line dropouts. There've neen six to zero.' There's a stoppage but no penalty when Gavin Cooper is hurt in a tackle. St George Illawarra 14-10
5 minutes left on the clock. Dragons 14 Cowboys 10. #ridemcowboys #NRLDragonsCowboys
— NQ Cowboys (@nthqldcowboys) May 28, 2016
63 min: Aitken try
Scotland international-elect Euan Aitken steps inside Javid Bowen and plants the ball for appears certain to be another Dragons try. The Bunker is making sure Aitken reached the line. He did. The Dragons edge ahead once more. Gareth Widdop can't convert. St George Illawarra 14-10
The Cowboys are over but there seems a clear knock-on n the lead-up. It's gone up to the Bunker. The knock-on is confirmed. Ethan Lowe is the offender. No try. Scrum win to the joint venture on their own 10m line. 10-10
58th min #NRLDragonsCowboys
— NRL Bunker (@NRLBunker) May 28, 2016
No Try @nthqldcowboys
Lowe knocks the ball on.#NRL
47 min: Hughes try, Lowe goal
North Queensland tyro Jahrome Hughes scores a magnificent solo try, gliding through a gap and shrugging off defenders like Steve Renouf in his prime. Hughes previously played just one first grade game - for Gold Coast in 2013. This time Ethan Lowe is spot on with the conversion. 10-10
And we're back underway in the second half with St George Illawarra attacking the southern end of WIN Stadium. Crowd 10,032 St George Illawarra 10-4
Saturday night in the @NRLBunker Thanks for having us @Todd_Greenberg pic.twitter.com/tf25Axb7ry
— Yvonne Sampson (@yvonnesampson) May 28, 2016
'
Halftime at WIN Stadium: ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA 10 NORTH QUEENSLAND 4
St George Illawarra are doing their best to capitalise on North Queensland's origin depletion as they lead by a converted try in Wollongong.
The Cowboys had the chance to draw level at 6-6 early in the first half when centee Javid Bowen scooped up a loose ball and accelerated away in a 60-metre run to the line.
But on-field officials Grant Atkins and Alan Shortall ruled the ball had been illegally dislodged in a tackle by Lachlan Coote on Tyson Frizell and sent the decision to the Bunker as "no try",
That observation was controversially upheld by Luke Patten and within a couple of minutes the Dragons had scored again and snatched a 10-0 lead.
The World Champs got back into the contest just three minutes before halftime when fullback Lachlan Coote kicked for winger Kyle Feldt to post an unconverted try.
37 min: Feldt try
Kyle Feldt flies high to field a crossfield kick by Lachlan Coote, which came two passes off the ruck and without the Dragons suspecting it, The Bunker confirms Feldt was onside - and he was. This is almost a copybook winger's try from a kick - he swivvels in mid-air. Ethan Lowe's conversion attempt is, however, horrible. St George Illawarra 10-4
North Queensland forces a second consecutive line-dropout from the under-pressure Dragons. St George Illawarra 10-0.
and 7-5. 12 first-half penalties! #NRLDragonsCowboys #ridemcowboys
— NQ Cowboys (@nthqldcowboys) May 28, 2016
St George Illawarra have had some good ball tonight but failed to add to their total. Gareth Widdop's bullet-like pass found Kurt Mann but he had to stop to take it, giving the defence time to recover. St George Illawarra 10-0
30: PEnalty against the Cowboys, PTB: Not Square #NRL #rugbyleague #NRLSgiNql #SANF
— 1895 (@1895blog) May 28, 2016
14 min: Mann try
A nicely worked left-side raid from the joint venture with Gareth Widdop playing a big role and Kurt Mann crossing for the Dragons' second try, The conversion is unsuccessful. St George Illawarra 10-0
Javid Bowen swoops on a loose ball from Tyson Frizell and floors the defence in a 60 metre run but it's no try out on the field as the referee feels it was stripped illegally. Patten agrees with Grant Atkins and Alan Shortall. No try, If the decision on the field had been 'try', I think that would have stuck as well. St George Illawarra 6-0
5 min: Nightingale try, Widdop goal
Gareth Widdop easily fields an attacking kick in the Dragons' in-goal and play instantly sweeps up the other end of the field, where the joint venture receives a penalty. Jason Nightingale, playing fullback slices through in the north-eastern corner, video referee Luke Patten flashes the green light and Gareth Widdop converts. It was a final tackle penalty. St George Illawarra 6-0
And we're underway! Great to do a game live at the ground for a change! St George Illawarra 0 North Queensland 0
Let's do this! #NRLDragonsCowboys #NRL pic.twitter.com/Nc3iyiliTu
— NRL (@NRL) May 28, 2016
The teams are just coming out onto the field. Listen to radio commentary at the lines below.
2GB here
ABC here
Teams - ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA v NORTH QUEENSLAND
SGI: Jason Nightingale; Kalifa Faifai Loa, Euan Aitken, Tim Lafai, Kurt Mann; Gareth Widdop (c), Benji Marshall; Mike Cooper, Joel Thompson, Tyson Frizell Russell Packer, Mitch Rein. Res: Jake Marketo, Dunamis Lui, Will Matthews Josh McCrone.
NQ: Lachlan Coote; Kyle Feldt, Javid Bowen, Kane Linnett, Antonio Winterstein; Jahroeme Hughes; Jason Taumalolo, Ethan Lowe, Gavin Cooper (c), Scott Bolton, Jake Granville, Ben Hannant. Res: Rory Kostjasyn, John Asiata, Coen Hess, Patrick Kaufusi.
Referees: Grant Atkins/Alan Shortall
Your Rnd 12 Cowboys team for #NRLDragonsCowboys #ridemcowboys pic.twitter.com/buyCEg6QxI
— NQ Cowboys (@nthqldcowboys) May 28, 2016
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