NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / League

NRL: Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston angry at lack of explanation over disallowed try in Broncos thriller

Herald online
25 Mar, 2016 07:29 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Cowboys skipper Johnathan Thurston's try was disallowed after a knock-on was ruled by the referee and video match official. Photo/Getty.

Cowboys skipper Johnathan Thurston's try was disallowed after a knock-on was ruled by the referee and video match official. Photo/Getty.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

If only the Broncos played the Cowboys every week.

In their first meeting since the heart-stopping 2015 grand final, Brisbane played host to North Queensland in what promised to be a match of epic proportions. And it certainly delivered.

Described as "one of the great games of rugby league", the match-up once again went to golden point, with Johnathan Thurston providing one of the highlights of the match when a cross-field kick nearly turned into his own match-winning try.

However Good Friday was not to be Thurston's day, with the try disallowed after a knock-on was ruled by the referee and video match official.

The hero of this year's derby came in the form of 21-year-old Broncos five-eighth Anthony Milford.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

With the scores locked up at 20-all and just a minute of time left in the golden point block, Milford slotted a drop goal from 40 metres out to give his side victory.

"Anthony Milford from 40 metres out has landed the drop goal. This is truly incredible. This is stupendous," commentator Ray Warren said.

"It's one of the great games of rugby league. Absolutely sensational, the players are out on their feet," Peter Sterling added.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The outcome of the match would have played out much more reminiscent of last year's final had Thurston been awarded a try in the 83rd minute.

With nothing on in attack, Thurston kicked from midfield towards the right-hand touchline. The ball looked set to run into touch, only to be knocked back infield by winger Kyle Feldt, and carried over the line by a diving Cowboys skipper.

The original call of "no try" was made by the referee, however replays showed the ball was knocked backwards by Feldt, and failed to show conclusive evidence of a knock-on by Thurston over the line.

After review, officials stuck with the referee's call and the try was disallowed.

Discover more

Warriors

Warriors could use Hurrell in forwards

25 Mar 09:28 PM

#NRLBroncosCowboys 20-20 82' JT is claiming a TRY. Referee says NO. Thoughts? #9WWOS pic.twitter.com/X5wBvOEcIg

— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) March 25, 2016

Speaking after the match, the 2015 Dally M winner was furious at the officials' inability to provide an explanation as to why no try was awarded.

"Yeah I was just asking for an explanation and, as usual, they couldn't give it to me so, they said it was a knock-on, but I was questioning who it was a knock-on by - Feldt or myself - and he couldn't answer, so I'm not sure what they were saying in the box up there in the commentary," Thurston told Channel Nine.

"We had a chance to win it, that's what the fans came to see, a match like that. I'm proud of the boys, but we just weren't good enough tonight.

"We just need to be better at closing out games. We will wait for an explanation from the refs but it doesn't help us now.

Thurston was adamant he hadn't lost control of the ball over the line.

"I was very confident I didn't knock it on," he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"So I don't know who he's said that knocked it on. If I knocked it on before the line, I was pretty sure I was over the line so it would have been a 20-metre restart. But if he said that Feldt's knocked it on, well, I don't know, he's got no explanation so, standard."

Brisbane had led the match 10-0 midway through the first half, with a 12-6 lead at the break. The Cowboys managed to pull back two tries to take the lead 18-14 with 10 minutes to go, only to succumb to a James Roberts try in the 75th minute to leave them two points behind.

A Thurston penalty kick locked the scores up in the final minute, sending the match into overtime.

The rest, as they say, is history.

- news.com.au

Save

    Share this article

Latest from League

League

Against the odds: Maroons triumph in epic State of Origin decider

09 Jul 12:05 PM
Warriors

'Confident in his ability': Webster backs Boyd to fill Metcalf void

09 Jul 06:00 AM
Warriors

Tanah time: Boyd to make Warriors debut against Tigers

08 Jul 06:27 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from League

Against the odds: Maroons triumph in epic State of Origin decider

Against the odds: Maroons triumph in epic State of Origin decider

09 Jul 12:05 PM

Queensland stunned NSW 24-12 to clinch the State of Origin series.

'Confident in his ability': Webster backs Boyd to fill Metcalf void

'Confident in his ability': Webster backs Boyd to fill Metcalf void

09 Jul 06:00 AM
Tanah time: Boyd to make Warriors debut against Tigers

Tanah time: Boyd to make Warriors debut against Tigers

08 Jul 06:27 AM
'One of the great games': Former Warrior and Queenslander's Origin prediction

'One of the great games': Former Warrior and Queenslander's Origin prediction

07 Jul 02:01 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP