Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt has been slammed for diving to earn the controversial penalty that sealed a dramatic 27-26 win over the Wests Tigers on Sunday.
Feldt collided with Asu Kepaoa when attempting to gather the ball from the restart after North Queensland kicked off with one second on the clock and trailing by one point.
Contact between the two appeared minimal and referee Chris Buttler did not stop the game, but bizarrely allowed the Cowboys to use captain’s challenge.
Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt won a controversial penalty late in the game against the Tigers
The Bunker subsequently ruled Kepaoa escorted Feldt and awarded the home side a penalty, which Valentine Holmes duly converted to snatch an unlikely win for North Queensland.
While Buttler and video referee Ashley Klein were slammed for the decision, Feldt has also come in for some criticism.
‘What we saw last night was a shocking indictment on our game,’ Panthers great Mark Geyer told Triple M.
‘Kyle Feldt took a dive, and you know what, he has got every right to, he is trying to win the game for his team, but then it was out of his hands. […] I am sorry but this is a bad day for rugby league when this is a penalty to the Cowboys, it really is.’
![Referee Chris Butler awarded a controversial late penalty to the Cowboys after the Bunker intervened and deemed Asu Kepaoa had taken out Feldt](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/07/24/10/60630039-0-image-a-1_1658655633938.jpg)
Referee Chris Butler awarded a controversial late penalty to the Cowboys after the Bunker intervened and deemed Asu Kepaoa had taken out Feldt
Meanwhile, the NRL has admitted the Bunker got it wrong by awarding North Queensland the penalty.
After the Tigers issued an official ‘please explain’ and said they might appeal the result, the NRL stood by the Cowboys’ right to lodge a captain’s challenge over the incident, but admitted error in the eventual call.
Down 26-25 with one second to play, the Cowboys claimed Kyle Feldt was escorted off a short kick off and obstructed from reclaiming the ball.
No penalty was blown on-field but Cowboys captain Chad Townsend made his case to referee Chris Butler before the challenge was allowed.
![The North Queensland winger was accused of diving from NRL great Mark Geyer](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/07/25/10/60659839-0-image-a-18_1658739898689.jpg)
The North Queensland winger was accused of diving from NRL great Mark Geyer
Bunker official Ashley Klein then ruled that Tigers outside back AJ Kepaoa impeded Feldt, but on Monday the NRL’s head of football Graham Annesley admitted that ruling was wrong.
‘We’ve examined that carefully this morning from all available footage, and we’re just not satisfied there was enough in that incident to warrant the decision of the bunker,’ Annesley said.
‘Yes there was contact, yes there was a collision.
‘But we believe the Wests Tigers player was heading towards the ball, he didn’t look over his shoulder to see who was behind him.’
![Valentine Holmes made no mistake and kicked the Cowboys to a 27-26 win](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/07/24/10/60630051-0-image-a-3_1658655902435.jpg)
Valentine Holmes made no mistake and kicked the Cowboys to a 27-26 win
![The win lifted North Queensland up to second on the NRL ladder behind Penrith](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/07/25/10/60630059-0-The_win_lifted_North_Queensland_up_to_second_on_the_NRL_ladder_b-a-19_1658739971178.jpg)
The win lifted North Queensland up to second on the NRL ladder behind Penrith
But Annesley was adamant the Cowboys were within their rights to challenge, despite no call being made by the referee on the field.
‘You won’t find anything in black and white in regards to what happened yesterday,’ Annesley said.
‘In our view it was allowable in those circumstances.
‘The rules around a captain’s challenge talk about you can challenge any decision for the referee to stop the game.’
![NRL head of football Graham Annesley admitted the Bunker got it wrong](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/07/25/09/60632423-11043701-NRL_head_of_football_Graham_Annesley_will_likely_be_under_pressu-a-1_1658737611761.jpg)
NRL head of football Graham Annesley admitted the Bunker got it wrong
The feedback will do little to please the Tigers, who are still weighing up whether to launch legal action to try to overturn the result.
‘We believe the officials got it wrong, plain and simple,’ CEO Justin Pascoe said in a statement.
‘That decision has cost us victory and we want answers.
‘I’m not here to bash officials, I know they are doing their best, but the bunker is there to avoid “howlers”.
![Rugby league great Greg Alexander](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/07/25/10/60629993-0-Rugby_league_great_Greg_Alexander-a-20_1658740116421.jpg)
![Ashley Klein was the Bunker official on Sunday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/07/25/10/60630171-0-Ashley_Klein_was_the_Bunker_official_on_Sunday-a-21_1658740116423.jpg)
Rugby league great Greg Alexander (left) was incensed by the decision and slammed referee Ashley Klein (right), who was the Bunker official on Sunday
‘We would like an explanation from the NRL, and our members and fans deserve that.’
The Tigers also received support from other coaches on Monday, including arch-rival Ivan Cleary who claimed the incident was cringeworthy.
The Panthers coach also said he had believed teams could not challenge the full-time whistle.
![Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe said the club wanted an explanation from the NRL](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/07/25/10/60660011-0-image-a-22_1658740148379.jpg)
Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe said the club wanted an explanation from the NRL
‘But just because I didn’t know about it, doesn’t mean everyone else didn’t know,’ he told reporters.
‘It’s just a really bad call, that’s how I would look at it. I was just cringing watching it.
‘I feel like the captain’s challenge is getting more muddled by the minute.’
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