NRL admits to major wrong call which helped decide close game

In their Round Three clash, New Zealand Warriors edged Wests Tigers 16-12 in a close and titanic battle between two sides who have endured difficult starts to 2022 but have their hearts set on play-off rugby.

A big win for the Warriors and a disappointing defeat for Wests, but it could have been a different story had Luciano Leilua’s try been given in the first half. However, rookie referee Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski ruled no try without referring it to the video referee believing that the second-rower had failed to ground the ball from a grubber kick instead awarding the Warriors a restart.

You can watch the incident here.

The decision helped condemn former Wigan Warriors coach Michael Maguire to a third consecutive defeat to start the season as pressure begins to mount on the Tigers.

Making matters worse is that the NRL have come out and stated that the wrong call was made with Head of Football Graham Annesley making a statement on the matter.

According to the Daily Mail, Annesley said: ‘He (Przeklasa-Adamski) thought he saw it clearly and made a judgment call.

‘He didn’t think it was as close as what it ultimately turned out to be.

‘He thought he was in a good position, had a clear view of it and made the call.

‘He was wrong. He should’ve referred the decision, he didn’t refer it and we’ll never know what decision the bunker would’ve made.

‘By no means am I trying to justify it, but he’s only in his third game as a single referee, but the only way people get experience is to bring them into play – much like a player.

‘He’s going to learn a pretty hard lesson out of this, a self-inflicted lesson because he’s doing it quite tough this morning, knowing full-well he’s made the wrong call.

‘I know that is no consolation to anyone that is a Tigers official, fan or player, but he realises his error.

‘No one goes out there trying to make errors.’