The NRL has excluded referee Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski from officiating in round three following a controversial decision during the Canterbury match where a try was disallowed due to his obstruction of Cronulla’s Braydon Trindall.
Przeklasa-Adamski won’t be refereeing any of the NRL’s eight matches this weekend. Instead, he’ll serve as a touch judge for the Wests Tigers vs. Cronulla game at Leichhardt Oval. There’s a possibility he might step in as referee if Chris Butler is unavailable for Saturday’s match.
The contentious moment arose when Bulldogs player Viliame Kikau seemed to score a try, only for it to be referred to the bunker after Przeklasa-Adamski collided with Trindall. Despite the ruling of a mutual infringement, which nullified the try, questions were raised about whether the collision truly constituted such an irregularity according to NRL rules.
Graham Annesley, NRL’s head of football, disagreed with the officials’ decision, arguing that Przeklasa-Adamski couldn’t be faulted for the collision as Trindall’s defensive movement caused the contact. Annesley expressed concern that accepting such a ruling could set a precedent for similar incidents in future matches.
Despite the controversy, Cronulla emerged victorious with a 25-6 win, rendering the decision inconsequential to the game’s outcome.
