Oct 10th, 2019

Oct 10th, 2019

The NRL is adamant that ultimately the decision to overturn the 'six again' call that altered the course of the grand final was correct but four days later fresh questions are being raised after a review of the Laws of the Game by The Canberra Times.

Speaking immediately after the Roosters' clinched back-to-back premierships, the NRL's head of football Graham Annesley was adamant referee Ben Cummins had "got the decision right" albeit after an initial stuff up.

However, as revealed by The Canberra Times report, that's not necessarily the case based on the wording of Rule 16.9 in the NRL's official 2019 Rugby League Laws of the Game.

NRL Press Conference: Graham Annesley - Grand Final

That rule states: "The referee judges on matters of fact and shall not subsequently alter those judgments.

"He may cancel any decision made if prior foul play of which he had no knowledge is reported to him by a touch judge."

When Cummins made his initial 'six again' ruling he was clearly making a judgment call on whether a high kick had deflected off a Roosters player or a Raiders player before being scooped up by Emre Guler.

By altering that call thanks to a tip from assist referee Gerard Sutton, it could be interpreted that Cummins contravened Rule 16.9 given there was no unseen foul play to allow an alteration to his decision.

Having seen Cummins signal six again, Raiders five-eighth Jack Wighton went to ground with the ball after receiving it from Guler.

He admitted after the game that his decision at that moment would have been different had he been aware of the change in call, which made it a last tackle play for the Raiders.

Either an attacking kick or an attempt to force a drop out would have been two likely scenarios, but instead the Raiders were caught on the hop by a handover in possession and the Roosters went the length of the field in the ensuing set to score the decisive try.

The revelation puts Annesley's post-match comments in a new light.

"I think everyone would ultimately prefer that they get decisions right but in this case I do believe the decision not to re-start the tackle count was the right decision," he said.

"Did they do it in a way that was acceptable and in a way that didn't create confusion among the Raiders players? No, they didn't.

"But the decision not to award six tackles I believe to be right."

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The NRL has since stated that it will review several rules that impacted the grand final in the off-season.

While the six again call was the game's biggest flashpoint, there was also the fresh set of six the Roosters were given that led to the match's opening try after a charge down of a Luke Keary kick cannoned into their own trainer, who was trailing behind play.

The rule under which that decision was made has not been reviewed for decades with the NRL admitting it was no longer relevant to the modern game which values possession above field position.