By WYNNE GRAY
In 1995, Auckland won the NPC with a controversial penalty try, and there were many suggesting on Saturday night that Canterbury should have been similar beneficiaries.
Deep in injury time, Wellington lock Dion Waller deliberately knocked down a Canterbury pass which would have given the home side a four-on-one
overlap with 15m to the tryline.
It was the fourth penalty concession in extra time, indicating a trail of professional offending as Wellington tried to hold on to their five-point lead.
Referee Paul Honiss had to make the judgment. He is a man not shy of dishing out penalty tries as he showed with three in one match last season.
"There was a deliberate knock down. Waller was already on a warning and he had also been penalised early in the game for a couple of silly things," recalled Honiss.
"I had told the players no more silly or intentional stuff so that is why he went to the bin. But there was never a situation where they had in my eyes and in my view what would have been a probable try," said Honiss. "There was just too much defence there from Wellington.
"So in my view a penalty try was never an option."
Naturally Wellington followed that line.
"It was a big call that far out for a penalty try," said victorious coach Dave Rennie.
A variety of Canterbury players reckoned they should have been given the penalty try, while Wellington captain Norm Hewitt said the idea never crossed his mind.
Honiss said composure, position and communication with players and his fellow officials were the keys to situations like the boiling last few minutes of the NPC final.
The referee earlier denied Wellington a couple of tries when he ruled that interference had helped Christian Cullen to score and then a slight knockon as Jason O'Halloran touched down.
