NRL legend Cameron Smith has revealed his frustration with the league’s officiating on obstructions in the last couple of weeks after a significant uptake in tries being disallowed as a result of controversial rulings.
In recent weeks, players defending in try-scoring situations have been seemingly throwing themselves at attacking players out of position in order to get an obstruction call and to potentially save their side from conceding.
The method has paid dividends several times this year and has directly resulted in wins for both the Penrith Panthers and Parramatta Eels in the last fortnight.
“There’s been a couple (that) I think we need to look at it and go, ‘Is that player really obstructed a defender? Is he going to stop his opportunity to go and make a tackle?’,” Smith said on SEN 1170 The Captain’s Run.
“The one that comes to mind is the Manly-Parra game, I think, for all money, I don’t think the defender is going to get to Tommy Turbo when he made that break and went downfield.”
Smith’s anger at the obstruction calls is shared by many in the NRL community as it reached fever pitch during the final stages of the Eels-Sea Eagles clash.
Should this have been called NO TRY for an obstruction? 🤔
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“I think we need to be able to make a judgment call there and say look, ‘There is a defender who makes contact with an attacker but he’s not going to get to where that line break was made and make that tackle’,” Smith added.
“I think on the Dylan Edwards one as well, (Graham Annesley) has come out and (said that Manu try should have been given), in those situations I think they need to be able to make that call.
“They’ve gone down the line of, ‘It’s black and white’, to try and keep consistency but it’s frustrating at time, it’s frustrating.
“When you actually sit down and look at it and go, ‘Well, that’s not going to have any impact on that line break or try, where contact was made with a defender, really it’s not’.
“I think the person sitting in the bunker should be allowed to make a judgment call.”