Bulldogs centre Josh Morris has vented his frustrations after being denied a potentially match-changing try in the 60th minute of his side's 28-12 elimination final loss to the Penrith Panthers on Sunday afternoon.
With his side down by 10 points, Morris was dragged towards the tryline and appeared to be help up by Penrith's defence, but after being asked to play the ball by referee Jared Maxwell, replays showed that the ball had in fact reached the chalk.
Instead of the Bulldogs pulling within a try of their opponents, Penrith marched downfield and scored from the following set to extend the lead to 16 points and effectively put an end to Canterbury's season.
"I spoke to the touchy and said 'it's on the line'. I spoke to the ref and I said 'I got it down' but they dismissed it and two sets later they score a try," Morris said after the game.
"In the context of the game it doesn't mean we win but it certainly changes it.
"He (Maxwell) didn't say anything. He just deadpanned me and said 'play the ball'. It's pretty disappointing. I said to the touchy that I got it down. He had a clear view of it and he just shook his head as well and dismissed it.
"It didn't cost us the game but it could have changed the context of it.
"I felt like we were building some pressure. We had a set down on their line and we hadn't been down there for a while. It's difficult, but like I said it didn't cost us the game but it certainly could have changed it."
It was the second time in 2016 that Morris had been at the centre of controversy after he was denied a crucial try in Game One of the Holden State of Origin Series that NSW ultimately lost by two points.
"You can't steal a try off anyone. It is frustrating but you've got to swallow that pill and get on with it," he said.
"In finals time you've got to get it right, don't you? Teams' seasons are on the line and you want to know that they're making the right decisions and getting them right all the time. I thought they got that one wrong.
"I probably spat the dummy after that try a little bit and probably dropped my bundle a bit. I think two sets later they scored and they get the momentum and the upper hand.
"That's the way finals goes; whoever has momentum at that stage scores some points and that's what they did to us."
