Cooper Cronk has questioned a crucial late penalty awarded to the Bulldogs, believing Panthers winger Brian To’o didn’t make high contact on Canterbury centre Bronson Xerri.
It was a big decision by the match officials in the context of the game, with the Bulldogs trailing by two points with just over two minutes remaining and within kicking range for a penalty goal.
If Canterbury had opted to go for the penalty goal to level the game, they would have had a shot from the sideline, just under 30 metres out.
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But given the difficulty of the penalty attempt, the Bulldogs chose to kick for touch and go for the try instead, a decision that backfired when Matt Burton made an error on just the second play of the set, with the Panthers holding on for a thrilling 8-6 win.
Cronk, however, didn’t feel as though To’o hit Xerri high, even though the Blues winger was placed on report.
“I would challenge that,” Cronk said on Fox League, of the referee’s decision to award the Bulldogs the late penalty.
“I don’t think there’s high contact.
“Yes, there’s whiplash but I don’t think that shoulder hits the chin of Bronson Xerri.”
Moments later, the Bulldogs came ever so close to snatching victory on the last play of the game.
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But captain Stephen Crichton couldn’t find winger Marcelo Montoya with a pass.
Montoya was unmarked, and would likely have scored the try if Crichton’s pass found him.
But the ball went behind Montoya and into touch, in heartbreaking scenes for Bulldogs fans.
