{"id":88576,"date":"2025-08-22T22:50:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T22:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/88576\/"},"modified":"2025-08-22T22:50:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T22:50:10","slug":"nrl-referee-adam-gee-roasted-for-penalising-storm-winger-grant-anderson-over-headgear-pat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/88576\/","title":{"rendered":"NRL referee Adam Gee roasted for penalising Storm winger Grant Anderson over headgear pat"},"content":{"rendered":"

A decision by NRL<\/a> referee Adam Gee, during the fiery clash between the Melbourne Storm and the Canterbury Bulldogs<\/a>, has totally baffled fans and experts.<\/p>\n

During the second half of Friday night\u2019s thriller at AAMI Park<\/a>, a fight broke out after the Storm\u2019s Nick Meaney tackled Bulldogs five-eighth Matt Burton and forced a knock-on.<\/p>\n

But Gee then reversed the decision when Storm winger Grant Anderson decided to let Burton know all about it and patted him on the back of his head … or rather, his headgear.<\/p>\n

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A frustrated Burton then threw the ball at Meaney as the Bulldogs\u2019 Viliame Kikau entered the picture and started throwing his weight around.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile Gee decided to penalise the Storm, and his mic picked up what he was thinking.<\/p>\n

\"ViliameViliame Kikau enters the picture as tempers flare during the Storm and the Bulldogs clash. Credit: Getty<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happens is the touch on the back of the head instigates (the melee),\u201d Gee said to Anderson.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what that reaction is. It\u2019s going against you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Commentator Greg Alexander said on Fox League: \u201cGrant Anderson just oversteps the mark.\u201d<\/p>\n

But fellow commentator Dan Ginnane was shocked: \u201cWow. What would have been a knock-on against Canterbury becomes a penalty to the Dogs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Veteran NRL reporter Phil Rothfield was also in disbelief.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never in my life seen a player penalised for touching a rival\u2019s head,\u201d he vented on social media.<\/p>\n

The Storm took a 12-0 lead into halftime but \u2014 with skipper Harry Grant sin-binned for a no-arms shot on Harry Hayes \u2014 the Bulldogs managed to get back into the game, with the Storm holding on to win, 20-14.<\/p>\n

However, fans were fuming with Gee (and not just because of the decision against Anderson).<\/p>\n

\u201cRetire Adam Gee \u2026 softest penalty in league history. Pat on the head after a knock-on, we are going to see a lot of penalties if that is now the new standard,\u201d one fan blasted on social media.<\/p>\n

And another: \u201cThat is disgraceful by the ref. On what earth is patting an opposition player\u2019s head a penalty? It happens all the time! You\u2019re rewarding the Dogs player for overreacting!!\u201d<\/p>\n

And another: \u201cPenalty for rubbing a head in NRL is crazy<\/p>\n

And another: \u201cMight be one of the worst penalties ever. Penalising a player for geeing up after a knock on? Games gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

While another said: \u201cThat\u2019s the most pathetic penalty I reckon I\u2019ve witnessed in rugby league. If Kikau didn\u2019t react nobody would have cared.\u201d<\/p>\n

More drama followed, when the match also almost went to golden point.<\/p>\n

Canterbury looked to have scored with just over a minute remaining off a Matt Burton bomb, which would have locked up the match with a successful conversion.<\/p>\n

But the bunker ruled a knock-on by skipper Stephen Crichton, sparking outcry from some fans (although it was the correct call under the rules)<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019You have to re-grip it\u2019. What a ridiculous rule. I am a Storm fan and I think that should be a try for Crichton,\u201d one said.<\/p>\n

And another: \u201cIt\u2019s so funny how often footballers don\u2019t know the rules of the sport they are paid to play. Stephen Crichton had no idea of the \u2018re-grip\u2019 rule there haha.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, it was a gutsy effort from the Storm, who also lost prop Tui Kamikamica to a head knock.<\/p>\n

And with Jahrome Hughes poised to return, they will now consider resting some of their other stars for the remaining two rounds after sealing a top-two spot and moving four points clear of the third-placed Bulldogs.<\/p>\n

Melbourne still have two tough top-eight encounters to complete their regular season. They host the Sydney Roosters next Friday night before a Thursday clash against the Broncos in Brisbane.<\/p>\n

But with their points difference 144 better than the Bulldogs, they would need to suffer two monumental losses to lose their top-two spot.<\/p>\n

Coach Craig Bellamy said the players, as well as medical staff, would have some input into who gets a rest.<\/p>\n

Forward Trent Loiero clocked 48 tackles against the Bulldogs while fellow State of Origin forward Stefano Utoikamanu has played 21 matches in his first season with Melbourne.<\/p>\n

Second-rower Eli Katoa has also been a workhorse, scoring 11 tries in his 22 matches, while the Storm usually take a cautious approach with their thoroughbred winger Xavier Coates, who against Canterbury bagged his 19th try from 18 games.<\/p>\n

Cameron Munster has carried a heavy load in recent weeks with his halves partner Hughes sidelined after a shoulder dislocation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to lose our two games and probably get beat by a fair bit to get out of that top-two position so we\u2019ll have a bit of a sit down and chat about it,\u201d Bellamy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully, we\u2019ll get a chance to rest some players. Some players feel that they\u2019d like a rest and then there\u2019s others that don\u2019t, and sometimes if we\u2019re strong that a rest will do them good then we\u2019ll sort of force that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s something we\u2019ll work out over the next two weeks and take it from there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Initially forecast to return in week one of the finals, Hughes is confident about being available for the Broncos match as he continues his rehabilitation on his shoulder that he hurt against the Roosters in late July.<\/p>\n

The Storm have only had their first-choice spine on the park for eight matches this season, with fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen also missing a number of games through injury.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think he needs to play as far as combinations and things like that, but just, I suppose for his confidence, and having confidence in the shoulder,\u201d Bellamy said of Hughes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d hate for him to go into a final with a bit of doubt.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo if we could take that doubt out of it by playing him in our last round, we\u2019ll look to do that, as long as the physios and the medical people think he\u2019s 100 per cent right to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

– With AAP<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u2018Ridiculous rule\u2019 rocks final minute of NRL thriller<\/p>\n

2 min read<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

NRL commentators floored by once-in-a-lifetime thriller<\/p>\n

2 min read<\/p>\n

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