NRL

A frustrated Craig Fitzgibbon has raised real concerns about the role and inconsistency of the NRL bunker following his side’s last-second 24-20 loss to the Melbourne Storm.

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Heading into a home elimination final next weekend against the Cowboys, the Sharks coach was unimpressed with several questionable calls that included a forward pass in Storm’s first try to Hugo Peel and a bunker overrule that saw Storm fullback Sua Faalogo awarded a try that had been originally ruled out by referee Gerard Sutton.

“We did everything we could to win the game, the only thing telling us lies is the scoreboard,” Fitzgibbon said after the match.

“Sometimes it’s not the ref, either,” he added alluding to interference from the bunker.

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“If you don’t know what a forward pass looks like at this current point of your career, I don’t know either,” Fitzgibbon continued.

“I just thought we’d played well enough to win the game today. And then you have that.”

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‘If you’re going to back the referee, back the referee’

While frustrated by his side’s latest loss, their fourth in the last five matches, Fitzgibbon accepted complaining is unlikely to improve things as the NRL finals begin.

“It’s not going to change what happens next week either… in fact, if I’m sooking about it, it will put pressure on me next week,” he said.

“I don’t want to do that, because I don’t want to challenge the integrity of the game, but I would like to see the integrity of the game remain what it should be.

“A forward pass is a forward pass, and if you’re going to back the referee, back the referee… don’t back him some weeks and then the week after, don’t do it.”

The 5th-placed Sharks will host next week’s elimination final against the 8th-placed Cowboys.

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Venues and match times are yet to be confirmed by the NRL.