Spectators rising to their feet to witness a miracle Manly try have been blamed for an NRL timekeeper missing referee Matt Cecchin signalling time-off in the dramatic final minute at Brookvale Oval on Sunday.

Fairfax Media has learnt the timekeeper – who is a casual NRL employee – was forced to stand on a chair inside the timekeeping box at Brookvale Oval because his view from within the main grandstand was obstructed when fans rose from their seats as Tom Symonds scored the match-winning try against the Panthers. It is understood the error cost the Panther up to 14 seconds of staging an unlikely comeback.

Nice day for it: Fans enjoy the sun at Brookvale on Sunday. Credit:Getty Images

Penrith skipper Jamie Soward labelled the failure for the clock to stop as "disgraceful" as Symonds scored with 68 seconds remaining. Soward believed that time should have been stopped well before it eventually was – with 11 seconds left.

Cecchin told Soward on the field that he had asked time to be stopped 15 seconds earlier.