The uproar in Australia began almost immediately after Penrith Panthers lost the World Club Challenge for a second year in a row, this time Matt Peet’s Wigan Warriors.
Peet masterminded the victory with Wigan defending immensely for the full match, Man of the Match Bevan French even claiming on the BBC that it felt like they were defending their line for the full 80 minutes.
Whilst it may have felt that way they did manage to score three tries and French himself had a genius play scratched off too, but it’s the winning try of Jake Wardle that has ignited uproar down under regarding the World Club Challenge.
Wigan Warriors went into halftime 12-10 down with Nathan Cleary capitalising on an Abbas Miski mistake and Dylan Edwards burrowing over the two Penrith scores.
Miski had opened the scoring with Kruise Leeming restoring the lead after Cleary’s score, but it was the sole score of the second-half that made it 16-12 that is most contentious.
Harry Sunderland Trophy winner Jake Wardle cut inside off his left and he looked to be short of the line even after attempts to promote the ball that seemed like double movement, however, Liam Moore’s on-field call of try could not be overturned.
That decision has prompted uproar down under with the face of last year’s memes Phil Gould labelling Wardle a “fibber” and even Englishman James Graham claiming that Moore guessed on the call.
Reactions have now turned to accusations of robbery though as the rage continues with the Panthers losing a World Club Challenge clash for the second year in a row.
“The officiating has been abysmal” – World Club Challenge defeat hits Australians hard
Graham was working on the Fox League broadcast down under when he called into question Liam Moore’s decision but he didn’t go as far as some others down under.
Fox League themselves wrote up the match report and accompanied it with a graphic asking ‘Were the Panthers robbed in the WCC’, something that former Aussie international Mark Geyer clearly believes.
Geyer posted on X: “Ya gotta beat more than the 17 in Wigan jerseys! 3 shocking decisions from the dude in the blue shirt wearing a balaclava.”
Ya gotta beat more than the 17 in Wigan jerseys! 3 shocking decisions from the dude in the blue shirt wearing a balaclava 👀
— Mark Geyer (@markMGgeyer) February 24, 2024
Many of his followers agreed with responses ranging from suggestions that no NRL teams will head to England whilst another blamed the groundsman for “soaking the pitch for the last few days”.
Fox employee Warren Smith asked: “How good is guessing that a player has scored?”, in reference to the Jake Wardle awarded try and the Taylan May no try.
How good is guessing that a player has scored??#WCC #WarriorsPanthers
— Warren Smith (@WarrenSmithFOX) February 24, 2024
Journalist Martin Gabor joked: “I think I got closer to the line than Wardle and I’m sitting on my couch in Sydney. That’s a shocking decision.”
I think I got closer to the line than Wardle. And I’m sitting on my couch in Sydney. That’s a shocking decision
— Martin Gabor (@MartinJGabor) February 24, 2024
He followed that up with: “Congratulations Penrith Panthers for a thoroughly deserved moral victory. The officiating has been abysmal.”
Congratulations @PenrithPanthers for a thoroughly deserved moral victory. The officiating tonight has been abysmal
— Martin Gabor (@MartinJGabor) February 24, 2024
Last year they weren’t prepared, this year the referees robbed, perhaps next year a Super League side might manage to beat the Aussies fair and square?
