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Brad Fittler has questioned the calls behind the Queensland Maroons two opening tries after centre Valentine Holmes and winger Murray Taulagi both scored in controversial circumstances.
The NSW coach took the opportunity is his post-match press conference to call the latter effort a “bad call” after a huge 32-6 loss.
In the lead up to the Holmes four-pointer, Daly Cherry- Evans put up a cross kick to Xavier Oates who contested the ball with Josh Addo-Carr.
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The ball stayed alive when no player could get a hold of it, with Holmes picking up the scraps to score.
Referee Ashley Klein sent the decision up to the Bunker, calling it a no try.
“This is close, did he get some sort of fingertips of Xavier Coates?,” Maroons great Cameron Smith said on Nine’s coverage.
”I don’t know.”
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Holmes scores controversial first try
The Maroons had an unlikely ally in Andrew Johns who was in favour of Coates.
“I don’t think he gets a hand on it, if you watch the fingers … he doesn’t touch it,” he said.
After Coates was cleared to have not touched the ball, Holmes’ put down was then under scrutiny. The Bunker didn’t see any problem with it and awarded it a try.
The Maroons attacking opportunity came after Blues five-eighth Jarome Luai kicked the ball dead the set before, with Johns critical of the play.
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“You can trace it back to the poor kick on the last play from NSW, the ball went dead, seven tackle restart to Queensland who marched the ball down and got an attacking kick,” he said.
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“Those attacking kicks, you cannot get those wrong.”
The Maroons then had their second four-pointer of the night in the 33rd minute, which created more controversy.
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Queensland went from the right to the left side after a Daly Cherry-Evans line break with David Fifita delivering a pass to Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow which Smith described as “line ball”.
The centre then had a two-on-one with Murray Taulagi scoring his first Origin try.
Fittler didn’t believe the second four-pointer should’ve been awarded.
“The second try, I thought the touchie was in a really good position to call it as well so that was a bad call but they beat us by more than a try,” he said.
“I’m not sure that would have made much of a difference, they just ticked the scoreboard over pretty consistently all night. The first couple were questionable but at the end of the day it wouldn’t have made a difference I don’t think.”
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