NRL admits bunker mistake

Batmans Parents said:
This. At this stage, the two points are irrelevant. This is about taking a stand and holding the referee's and the NRL accountable. The fact is that a match offical went against clearly stated rules to interfere in a game and literally decide the winner. This isn't a case of a wrong call at the 60th minute or even the 75th minute.

If they had nothing to hide, Lee would have the tapes.
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Agree 100% with every word of this.
 
tig_prmz said:
Wests Tigers has decided not to pursue a course of legal action following the club’s loss to North Queensland Cowboys in Round 19 of the Telstra NRL Premiership.

Last Thursday, our Chairman, Mr Lee Hagipantelis, and our CEO, Mr Justin Pascoe, met with the NRL for the purpose of making representations that it needed to intervene to overturn the result of the Wests Tigers and North Queensland Cowboys match played on Sunday, 24 July 2022.

The argument put forward on behalf of the Wests Tigers centred on what was perceived to be the absence of a decision by the referee which was the subject of the Captain's Challenge as well as a determination as to when the game was actually concluded. Robust and earnest discussions were undertaken together with a detailed review of the relevant NRL and International Rules of the game.

It was conceded by the NRL that there was sufficient ambiguity within the rules, as currently drafted, to give support to the argument put forward by the Wests Tigers. Conversely, the ambiguity in the rules also provided support for the argument put forward by the NRL that what occurred on the conclusion of the match was permissible.

As to the conclusion of play, the NRL took comfort in the NRL's Operational Rules which provided that it was the referee who was vested with the sole discretion as to when the game was to conclude at either half-time or full-time following the sounding of the siren. It was also provided in said rules that the referee may extend a match, to either award a penalty or complete the play, and that same again fell within the referee's discretion.

As to the Captain's Challenge, the NRL argued that it was the decision of the referee to stop play that was being challenged. That is, the Cowboys took the point that the decision to stop play was an incorrect one in light of the earlier indiscretion alleged to have occurred, to wit, the alleged escort.


Wests Tigers has taken independent legal advice and in light of same, the Board has determined, albeit reluctantly, not to take any further action so far as the NRL is concerned with a view to overturning the result of the match. The essence of the advice received from Senior Counsel is as follows:

“I agree with your legal analysis in the note to the Board. Especially in noting that there are very cogent arguments available both ways. The difficulty would be in persuading the Supreme Court that:

• despite the ambiguity, there was here a clear case of ultra vires such that the Court could determine the justiciability of that;

• is there any utility in the grant of declaratory relief, when, apart from who ends up in the Top 4, very little else turns on the outcome.”

Litigation is, at best, inherently risky and Wests Tigers is not prepared to commit to what would be speculative litigation particularly in light of the cogent arguments which are available to both parties. Wests Tigers is also cognisant that pursuing the matter through the courts will be a distraction for the NRL, particularly as we approach the end of this season and may therefore not be in the best interests of the game as a whole.

The arguments which have been put forward have, quite properly, identified deficiencies within the Rules which will now receive appropriate attention. On season's end, Wests Tigers, other Clubs and stakeholders, will be consulted for the purpose of re-drafting the rules to remove any ambiguity, to the extent that same is possible, so that there is no opportunity of there being a repeat of the matters of which complaint has been made.

All of us at Wests Tigers have been overwhelmed and humbled by the support that we have received from our members and fans. We readily accept that the decision not to take this matter further may prove to be disappointing to many. We are hopeful that our reasons for same will be understood.

We have made our point to the NRL and made it forcibly. We did so on behalf of our members and fans and gave voice to their legitimate concerns that the outcome of the match was not just nor fair. We extracted a concession from the NRL that the obstruction penalty which was given was erroneous and therefore, by implication, Wests Tigers should have won that match. We know it, everyone knows it. Unfortunately, the history books will not record it that way.


So far as the Wests Tigers is concerned, it is now onwards and upwards. We will put this matter behind us, look forward to finishing out the year on a high note and then turn our attentions to what will no doubt be a very exciting 2023.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

I don't mind this explanation- clearly a lot of thought has been put into this whole thing. There was never going to be a legal case here anyway. However, I am very surprised that the Tigers have not said anything about the referee's audio tape.
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They could have just written that we are happy to take it up the poo shoot again. No lube supplied.
 
Now the club has given us a long winded account of the final chapter in Kliengate…I wonder what really transpired to get the Tigers to meekly roll over and put the white up. There must have been blood money or a deal done, but We are talking Weststigers with a long history of rolling over, just ask Mr Cleary, Matterson and Moses
 
Weak as piss, but did we really expect anything different.

It should of all been about the tapes, it all looks so obvious that the NRL are hiding something.

Wouldn't surprise me if this gutless mob fold on the Papali'i contract as well.
 
supercoach said:
Now the club has given us a long winded account of the final chapter in Kliengate…I wonder what really transpired to get the Tigers to meekly roll over and put the white up. There must have been blood money or a deal done, but We are talking Weststigers with a long history of rolling over, just ask Mr Cleary, Matterson and Moses
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$100 Bunnings voucher
 
Ultimately whether we finish 14th, 15th or dead last doesn't alter the fact that this whole season has been a complete disaster. Inconsistent performances (but mostly poor), no real depth, head coach sacked mid season all compounded by an horrendous injury toll that began last season when Douehi was injured. Official incompetence has arguably cost us at least 2 games this year. The recent NQ one and Round 3 against the Warriors when that freshman referee Ziggy whatever his name is decided to ignore the bunker on a try Luciano Leilua appeared to score from a kick (he just waved play on)
 
tig_prmz said:
Why can't the audio be made public? The fact that no one has brought this up, the journos, the club and all those supposed independent media people makes it look very dodgy.
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Just all swept away hoping time will forget it all
Very predictable

Jesus christ... Robust and earnest discussions?
Please 🙄
 
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hank37w said:
Weak as piss, but did we really expect anything different.

It should of all been about the tapes, it all looks so obvious that the NRL are hiding something.

Wouldn't surprise me if this gutless mob fold on the Papali'i contract as well.
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Winners are strong, losers are weak
 
tigertuff said:
They could have just written that we are happy to take it up the poo shoot again. No lube supplied.
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WT will not take legal action against Isiah Papali’i, in fact we will pay him $20,000.00 per game to play for parramatta in 2023. We are proud of the way we have fought for an outcome for our fans in this matter. As a Board we will continue to bend over at every moment where buggery presents as an opportunity.
 
Really, that's probably the closest to an apology the club could hope for. The nrl has practically said the tigers won the game, but we're still not giving them the points.

I'm actually quite over the whole thing, but disappointed real justice will never be served.

Two last little points from me though:

1. "it was the decision of the referee to stop play that was being challenged. That is, the Cowboys took the point that the decision to stop play was an incorrect one"

Makes no sense.

Referee stops game (an admission in itself the game had finished).
Townsend: Now that the game is officially over, I challenge that the game is officially over!

2. Morgan Freeman: But the tigers never did get to hear the audio... In fact, mystery remains to this day as to why this is, or what ever happened to it. Perhaps some things are best left unsaid...

Or perhaps the nrl is run by dodgy scum bags....

Maybe both are true... Maybe...
 
Neither the NRL or our club have mentioned the audio tapes.
Were they released and if so what did they reveal. Funny how both sides have completely brushed the subject in their final press release on the matter.

They probably amounted to nothing, but the silence leaves a smell
 
This result disappoints from the perspective that the NRL now have public licence to alter the result of any game at their discretion. There is no real oversight possible and no recompense for aggrieved parties. When an overseeing body can very publicly compound error upon error without accountability or penalty, simply whitewashing it away and that is an acceptable result, so much for the "sport" of Rugby League.
 
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