D.D. wrote:
By the letter of the rules as they stand, he quite clearly ripped it out. I could not comprehend how it could have been seen any other way. I was amazed when they gave a try but then again, I shouldn't have been. Video refs get more hopeless by the week.
In my opinion this rule has got to be looked at because it's far too difficult for a referee to decide whether it's a strip or lost possession, especially without the benefit of TV. It should be the responsibility of the carrier to keep hold of the football. Ball stealing is an art and if a man can't keep hold of the ball, then he doesn't deserve to get a penalty.
One of the biggest indicators for me whilst watchin it live was how the ball sprung out quite a way forward from Gleeson. He's stopped moving by that point and so for the ball to get flicked that far our it must have been stripped.
The replays clearly show it was a strip though, how it was given i'll never know.
I thought on first viewing though that a couple of our tries were fortunate, but then on the replays there's nothing wrong with any of them.
