NRL 2023: Eels defeat Cowboys, kicker contact, Chad Townsend, captain challenge, news, video, results, ranking

Fans officially announced that the pressure on the kick had ended after one of the most baffling decisions threatened to turn the Eels’ 24–16 victory over the Cowboys on its head.

In the 68th minute, the Eels were leading 18–6 and seemed to finally get rid of the Cowboys after winger Sean Russell had scored from a corner a few minutes earlier.

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The Cowboys, fresh from a 48-point loss to the Tigers last week, showed much-needed defensive savvy but struggled to threaten the scoreboard after a seventh-minute Scott Drinkwater attempt.

With what was fast approaching their final roll of the dice, the Cowboys were close to the Eel line as Chad Townsend kicked to the left, but Russell defended the kick.

However, referee Liam Kennedy awarded a penalty, which caused confusion in the commentary booth as callers from the Fox League believed it was an escort of Eel center Will Penisini.

Rather than win back what seemed to be a pretty clear penalty kick, the Eels called the captain on a challenge.

But bunker official Ashley Klein, who will referee Wednesday night’s State of Origin I game in Adelaide, never looked at the game.

Instead, he looked at Eels debutant Luca Moretti’s late tackle on Townsend after his hit.

Although the debutant was definitely late, commentators argued that it was far from strong, even though Townsend was on the ground.

It can be argued that in most cases when the kickers are held down, it is late and will have stronger contact against them.

“Isn’t there a lot of power in that?” Dan Ginnan said on Fox League.

After the penalty was awarded, Michael Ennis added: “Strut, what has it come to?”

There was much confusion and Klein said he was “supportive of the decision on the pitch” and stated that “the contact was belated”, but said that “Parramatta retains the right to call”.

This confused commentators as Jinnan thought it meant that this was what the penalty was awarded for, but the captain’s challenge was considered “no result” despite clear angles on both potential penalties.

And if you’re confused, social media was equally baffled by the odd review.

Western Weekender and Parra News managing editor Troy Dodds wrote, “How do eels keep their calls out there? Regardless of the call, how was it ineffectual when the vision was intact?”

An Eels fan added: “How is that a penalty?”

Another fan wrote: “What is a game where linebackers are more defensive than quarterbacks in the NFL? It’s so stupid.”

Another said, “What was that dog breakfast. Challenge something and give a penalty to something else and keep challenging.”

This isn’t the first time this season that the NRL has taken the kicker defense too far.

Earlier that year, Cowboys’ Coen Hess was briefed despite a fairly simultaneous hit on Nicho Hines Cronulla.

And there were many other examples that caused bewilderment.

But the penalty seemed to turn the tide as the Cowboys scored quickly after a failed pass from Drinkwater to winger Kyle Feldt that put the visitors back in the game.

The team scored a few minutes later when Drinkwater handily beat the opposition to give Feldt the lead again to make it 18–16 with five minutes left in the game.

But a try by Mitchell Moses gave the Eels two consecutive wins for only the second time this season.

Originally published as ‘Is this what it’s all come to?’: NRL lost plot due to kicker contact