Cowboys add latest chapter to brutal history of NRL finals robberies and near misses IT happened AGAIN. Three years in a row the Cowboys have been sent packing from the NRL finals by the referees. Last night’s disallowed last-minute Johnathan Thurston try was the latest incident in a brutal string of bad luck for North Queensland. Though it appeared there may have been a miniscule knock-on from Robert Lui in the build-up, as referee Gavin Badger ruled, it was an enormously contentious call that could have gone either way. Certainly it left Thurston, his shattered teammates and their loyal fans feeling robbed and enraged for the third finals series running. Here is the rundown of a hat-trick of heartbreakers - plus an earlier one you may have forgotten that also had the Cowboys seeing red. 1st NRL Semi Final - Roosters v Cowboys COWBOYS 30, ROOSTERS 31, SEMI-FINAL 2014 The Cowboys mounted an utterly brilliant comeback after falling to a 30-0 deficit that remained 30-12 by half-time, with that man Thurston instrumental in the resurrection as the scores were locked 30-all 57 minutes in. The Roosters edged ahead by a single point thanks to a cleverly-taken James Maloney field goal in the 76th minute. Then with just a minute remaining the Cowboys found themselves away down the right edge through Kyle Feldt, who threw a desperate pass that Robert Lui couldn’t handle. Thurston picked up the scraps and burst clear to seemingly score, but the decision is sent to the video referee as a “no try” by Shayne Hayne after a call from Badger - a call that is upheld after it is ruled that Lui made a tiny knock-on with his forearm. Thurston and his team were left stunned and shattered yet again after a third straight year of refereeing woes. COWBOYS 18, SHARKS 20, ELIMINATION FINAL 2013 North Queensland scored the first try of the match through Brent Tate, before the most controversial of equalisers to Cronulla winger Beau Ryan. Replays confirmed the try was scored on the seventh tackle, something referees Matt Cecchin and Henry Perenara missed completely. The Cowboys fell to a late try to Sosaia Feki and finished the match so incensed by a second straight year of refereeing calamity that they accused the NRL of a conspiracy to deliver an all-Sydney grand final. NRL boss Dave Smith dismisses the notion - yet is embarrassed enough by the refereeing to apologise to the Cowboys. COWBOYS 12, SEA EAGLES 22, SEMI-FINAL 2012 Whether you called it the Hand of God or the Hand of Foz, it still left the Cowboys enraged. Having already felt hard done by thanks to a marginal Jorge Taufua Manly try, the North Queensland and Thurston exploded when Michael Oldfield scored deep in the second half. After Daly Cherry-Evans put up a bomb, Kieran Foran got a clear touch forward with his right hand before Oldfield pounced to put the ball down. The video referees Steve Clark and Paul Simpkins took more than 20 looks at the incident before ruling it a try through benefit of the doubt. Cowboys coach Neil Henry slammed the officials as incompetent, and Foran admitted days later that he did knock the ball on. AND THIS ONE - COWBOYS 16, ROOSTERS 19, PRELIMINARY FINAL 2004 At the death, the Cowboys sent up a bomb that Chooks fullback Anthony Minichiello dropped just metres from the tryline. Rather than blowing time off for the scrum to form, which would have given the Cowboys one final shot at victory, referee Paul Simpkins let the final seconds on the clock expire. Cowboys players began yelling in his face, but to no avail as the Roosters went to the grand final against the Bulldogs - which they lost.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Sep 2014 08:54:44 +0000
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