The Warriors have recorded their fourth-straight loss, defeated by the Newcastle Knights 14-8 at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
After a slow start, the visitors looked certain to take the lead in the shadows of half time, but were denied by a head-scratching bunker call.
Shaun Johnson put in a pinpoint kick to Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, who caught the ball cleanly then spilled the ball as he was tackled in mid-air by Knights winger Greg Marzhew.
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The Bunker penalised Marzhew for the tackle, but did not award a penalty try, which left the Warriors and commentators equally as confused as each other.
Shaun Johnson was seen questioning the Bunker’s decision, with referee Chris Butler responding: ”We never give a penalty try for that.”
Fox League commentator and Sharks legend Michael Ennis said he believed the Warriors should have got the four points.
”Our game throws up some doozies sometimes in terms of the rulings – and this is certainly one of them,” he said.
“In the in-goal area, the Bunker clearly says Watene-Zelezniak takes a clean catch, but is tackled in the air by Greg Marzhew.
“If he catches that cleanly and falls to the ground, he scores every day of the week.
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“I’m not sure how that’s not a penalty try in this day in age.”
The Warriors struggled to maintain possession in the opening 15 minutes, completing only five from nine sets, as the Knights powered over the line to gain an early lead.
Marcelo Montoya added another strike to the Warriors growing error tally, with a dropped bomb kick swept up by Dylan Lucas who powered over to score.
However, the try was denied by the Bunker, as Knights captain Dane Gagai was seen pushing Roger Tuivasa-Sheck in the back in the lead-up to the play – with the Knights picking up an extra two points after a penalty goal moments later.
“I can live with the call, as long as Tuivasa-Sheck kept his line towards the ball and that’s what they proved he did there”, Andrew Voss said on Fox League.
Dylan Walker etched four points onto the scoreboard for the Warriors with Johnson converting to make it six.
The Warriors entered the final 40 minutes without star second-rower Kurt Capewell, who was taken to the bench and later ruled out of the match with a suspected calf injury.
Watene-Zelezniak was denied for the second time early in the second half. He looked to have scored a stunner in the corner, but the Bunker again intervened and ruled on an obstruction from earlier in the play.
Daniel Saifiti sealed the Knights victory with 15 minutes left on the clock, charging over two Warriors defenders to score.