A few minutes before midnight on Saturday, the NSW Waratahs made no secret on social media of their frustration at a controversial refereeing decision that went against them at Suncorp Stadium.
The post, which remained live on Sunday, featured a photo of NSW winger Triston Reilly diving near the corner post alongside a screenshot showing a ball appearing to touch the grass – not the sideline – accompanied by a shrugging emoji.
Waratahs winger Triston Reilly dives for the corner. The try was later disallowed by the TMO. Credit: Stan Sport
Trailing 19-17 with a little more than seven minutes remaining, the Waratahs thought they had clawed their way back into the lead against the Queensland Reds when referee Ben O’Keeffe awarded the try.
Enter television match official (TMO) Richard Kelly, who told O’Keeffe, with absolute conviction, that the ball had made contact with the line and the five-pointer could not stand.
Dan McKellar’s stunned reaction in the Waratahs coaching box was priceless – his mood not helped by the eventual 26-17 scoreline – and after the match he invited reporters to share their view of the decision, clearly mindful of not wanting to attract a fine.
“If you speak to how they’re refereeing and using the TMO, if the referee awards the try, unless it’s clear and obvious, it stays a try. Is that not right?” McKellar asked.
Dan McKellar couldn’t believe Triston Reilly’s try was disallowed.Credit: Stan Sport
On Sunday, figures at the franchise, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Waratahs remained “baffled” by the call in a clash between Australian rugby’s longest-running rivals.
The photo shared by the Waratahs – and confirmed with vision provided by Stan Sport – represents the clearest evidence that NSW may have been hard done by. These are small margins, of course, but the TMO on this occasion did not take a great deal of time coming to a decision.