Lewis Martin was controversially denied a try in Hull FC’s defeat to Hull KR this afternoon, a call Jon Wilkin labelled “outrageous”.
Martin looked to touch down in the left corner, in a score that would have drawn the Black and Whites level with their fierce rivals, and a shot at goal could have potentially seen them lead for the first time in the game.
The beginning of the set couldn’t have got much worse for Hull, with John Asiata suffering what looked to be a significant injury that forced him from the field with the help of the physios.
Just 30 seconds later, the ball was spread to Martin’s wing and he acrobatically tried to touch down, however Jack Broadbent looked to have done just enough to dislodge the ball from the winger’s grasp, however the replays were all but conclusive.
On-field official Aaron Moore sent it up as a try, but after a lengthy stoppage for video referee Liam Rush to check all available angles, he deemed there to be enough sufficient evidence to overturn that call and give possession back to the Robins.
“I think it’s an outrageous decision for a number of reasons,” exclaimed Wilkin as he analysed the game post-match on Sky Sports. “It took nearly two minutes to get to the point at which the video referee decided to review it, and if after two minutes he was still requesting more camera angles and wanted to see the angles of it…
“It’s gone up as a try, which is crucial. There is absolutely zero evidence of all of these angles that there is separation. The angle which the referee claimed showed it doesn’t show it and the fact after two minutes he’s still asking for more angles, I thought it was an outrageous call and it led to Jez Litten’s try.”
Litten would finish off a line break from Tyrone May to put the eventual winners 10 points ahead, before two late tries from Joe Burgess saw out the game for Willie Peters’ side.
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