St Helens have been “robbed” of a try according to Sky Sports pundit Danika Priim with the ex-Leeds Rhinos prop baffled by Saints not being awarded a try against her former club.
Priim’s claim was corroborated by ex-Saints captain Jon Wilkin who also claimed that St Helens had clearly scored a try through Curtis Sironen in their clash against Leeds Rhinos.
The forward was deemed short of the line and to have lost the ball by the on-field referee and the video referee failed to overturn the decision, something that Wilkin claimed should have happened if they had used the correct angles.
With St Helens trailing 6-0 at the time and the teams going into the break split by only six points, Sironen’s score would have been crucial in making it a two-score lead.
Wilkin argued at half-time: “I have no idea why the on-field referee has to give try or no try because from this angle you can understand why the referees made the on-field signal no try. There’s an angle or two here that shows that maybe that was no try.
“There’s absolutely zero benefit of having these angles that look like they corroborate the referee’s decision and the video referee has to look at this final angle, which clearly shows Curtis Sironen getting the ball down on the line.
“It should have been given a try. This is a try isn’t it?”
To that, Priim responded: “I wholeheartedly think Saints have been robbed of four points, potentially six because it was so close to the sticks.”
She suggested that doubt could be what triggers the video referee to fear overturning their colleague, something that Jon Wilkin has argued needs to be overturned as a rule.
He argued: “Why though? That’s crazy. Change the wording. Just change the wording to say that you can overturn the on-field referee if there is still some doubt.”
You can see the incident in the clip at the bottom of the article.
Were St Helens robbed of a try?
Credit: Imago Images
As mentioned in commentary by Barrie McDermott, it was a fifty-fifty call that should have ben a try.
It is further weight to the argument that the on-field try or no try call should be scraped before the decision is sent up to the video referee.
Because the decision was sent up as no try, it seemed clear from the start that the video referee was reluctant to overturn the decision.
If the call was sent up as a try or without any input from referee Lam Moore, the try would have been awarded.
RFL Head of Referees Phil Bentham hinted earlier this month that this rule would be scrapped next season.
What we witnessed here show that without a shadow of a doubt they are making the correct decision.
The on-field call has become a cop out for video referees and it needs to change.
Curtis Sironen is denied a Try. pic.twitter.com/e2zZ3u93f0
— Sky Sports Rugby League (@SkySportsRL) May 24, 2024
