Why crucial Hull KR try was awarded as Sam Burgess slams ‘wrong decision’

Warrington Wolves coach Sam Burgess insisted the decision to award Tom Davies’ try in the final minutes of the Challenge Cup final was the ‘wrong’ call: but the rules suggest it was perhaps right.

Davies grounded a Tyrone May kick with three minutes remaining at Wembley Stadium, before Mikey Lewis kicked what proved to be the winning conversion to seal an 8-6 win for Hull KR.

Replays showed young winger Arron Lindop had appeared to ground the ball with his stomach, leading to a question post-match about whether it was the right decision to allow play on.

And Burgess admitted while he didn’t want to labour the point or use it as an excuse, he couldn’t pretend he felt the decision was correct.

When asked about it in his press conference, he said: “My point is what’s the letter of the law in the rules? I’ve just read the letter of the law in the rules and it says grounding from the waist up below the neck with downward pressure on the ball is classed as grounded.

“I’m not making anything about that call, it’s kind of a big call. Am I off the mark there, is that the rules, do we all agree with that?

“I can’t do anything about that and I didn’t come into the room to talk about that. I’m obviously upset about the decision and I thought it was the wrong decision. The rules tell you it’s the wrong decision, that’s not just an emotional response. I’m just telling you the truth.”

But the RFL clarified the situation post-match. The devil in the detail here appears to be that Lindop was a defender, not an attacker.

Had he been attempting to score a try and the ball had already been on the ground, then contact with his stomach would have been sufficient to stop play.

But the rules state: “A goal line drop out is awarded if a defending player touches down in the in goal area. Touch down is the intentional grounding of the ball by a defending player in their own in goal area

“In any case, this separate from the law that covers scoring a try which relates to the ball can be grounded by an attacker with the torso if it is already on the ground.”

That means that, technically, the video referee appears to be correct in awarding the try and allowing play to go on after Lindop grounded the ball with his stomach.

Not that it will take the edge off another disappointing afternoon for the Wire, though.

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