The St. George Illawarra Dragons claimed a memorable Anzac Day victory over the Sydney Roosters on Monday afternoon, but a contentious refereeing decision has taken some of the spotlight post-match.
The incident occurred midway through the second half when Daniel Tupou struck a breakaway Mikaele Ravalawa above his neck, hitting his face.
Referee Adam Gee opted not to sin bin the Roosters winger, but placed him on report and awarded a penalty.
Despite the decision, the Red V held on to claim a hard-fought 14-12 win.
Dragons coach Anthony Griffin made his opinion on the matter clear following the game.
"You would have gotten two years in jail at Magic Round last year for that ... I'm serious," Griffin said.
"[Tupou] had 30 metres ... to decide where to tackle [Ravalawa].
"It was direct contact with the head. I don't understand the rules.
"[Tupou should have been] at least in the bin."
#NRLDragonsRoosters Match Highlights 🎥
— NRL (@NRL) April 25, 2022
The @NRL_Dragons reclaim the ANZAC Day Cup with a hard-fought win over the Roosters! pic.twitter.com/ZqlPUu5eu5
Griffin then went on to highlight the inconsistency of the decision, noting the confusion that could arise as a result of the incident.
"I'm not here to bag anyone or make that the story of the night, but it's just black and white to what's been happening. It's not even a question," he said.
"I feel for everyone - I feel for the players, I feel for the coaches.
"Because if you're not going to put that in the bin - for some of the things that have been in the bin over the last four or five weeks - I don't know where we go now."
Roosters coach Trent Robinson declined to comment on the issue in his press conference.
