Why the Sydney Roosters believe referees cost them a win against Penrith despite trailing 24-0 at half-time

A frustrated Trent Robinson believes match officials made a mistake by making a crucial decision on a forward pass in the 30-10 loss to Penrith that condemned the Sydney Roosters to a sudden-death semi-final.

The Roosters had reduced a 24-0 deficit to 14 points just after half-time in Friday night’s qualifying final when winger Daniel Tupou broke free down the left edge at BlueBet Stadium.

The ball was passed through the hands of James Tedesco to Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, who would have had free passage towards the try line had referee Ash Klein not called for play to be replayed following a forward pass from Tupou.

Penrith second-row Luke Garner crossed eight minutes later to put the game out of reach for the Roosters and send the three-time reigning champions into a preliminary final.

As regulation time expired, Roosters coach Robinson was left to rue what might have happened had his side conceded a third unanswered try as the second half began.

“I didn’t think it was forward. I don’t think anybody thought it was forward except the referee,” Robinson said.

‘Even looking at the replays and the angles of the pass, it’s a big decision at the time and you can’t get it wrong.

“I was disappointed… that should have been a try and that would have made it 24-16 and then it started to get closer.”

The referee blew the whistle for this pass from Daniel Tupou to striker James Tedesco on an offensive run

Captain Tedesco, who had received the pass from Tupou, agreed.

“I didn’t think it was going forward. We probably would have scored after that and the game would have been different,” Tedesco said.

But Tedesco was hesitant to excuse the Roosters after each of Penrith’s four first-half tries came as a result of a mistake, penalty or poor decision by the visitors.

“We can’t go into a final and give them so much possession and so much ball because it’s difficult to run at them,” he said.

“We have to run for 80 minutes.”

However, many football fans disagreed that the decision cost the Roosters the game, saying the Panthers’ first-half attack had ended their chances long before the forward pass decision.

“22-0 after 20 minutes is why the Roosters lost… that’s embarrassing. It wasn’t a forward passing foul,” posted one.

‘(Luke) Keary, the Roosters player, should have been sent off ten times for professional misconduct,’ said another.

“They also failed to give away a penalty try or penalty in the first half to Penrith, which should have put the Roosters completely out of contention with the score already 22-0,” another added.

The Roosters will now face an elimination final against either Manly or the Bulldogs.

Others defended the call, saying Klein was right.

“Which one of them was the one who took the lead? Because they were both looking forward from the grandstand row,” posted one Penrith fan.

“Did you put X to indicate that the referee had called a forward pass a forward pass?” asked another football fan.

“The referee was in the spotlight. There were too many ‘flat’ passes in the game. It’s good to see it disallowed, but again there’s a lack of consistency,” added another.

The Roosters now prepare for a home semi-final against the winners of Sunday’s elimination final between Canterbury and Manly.

Veteran forward Jared Waerea-Hargreaves will return from suspension for what would be his final game for the Roosters if the team were to lose.

“You lick your wounds, you pick up your lessons and you move on, and then you face the next week with positivity and you move on,” Robinson said.

“That’s what we do.”