NRL to investigate shot clock confusion that infuriated Warriors during loss to Sharks
Monday, 15 June 2026
Warriors coach Andrew Webster was furious at “embarrassing” confusion over the shot clock in their 10-8 defeat to the Cronulla Sharks on Saturday night.
Webster was unhappy with the NRL officials in what he called “the most unprofessional thing for the game I’ve seen”.
His gripes centred on two incidents in the first half when the Warriors were timed out and penalised.
The NRL will investigate the controversial penalty that followed the shot clock confusion and angered the Warriors during the 10-8 loss to the Cronulla Sharks on Saturday night.
A penalty was awarded against Warriors player Chanel Harris-Tavita after he was timed out from a dropout in the NRL match at Go Media Stadium in Auckland.
The decision from referee Gerard Sutton gave the Sharks an easy chance for two points that Braydon Trindall nailed the kick for a 2-0 lead.
Australian media organisation Code Sports has since revealed the NRL will investigate the incident.
The investigation is expected to focus on whether the countdown was displayed correctly and whether communication between officials and players contributed to the error ultimately influenced the result.
After the match Warriors coach Andrew Webster said Harris-Tavita believed he had more time and asked Sutton for clarity because an advert meant he couldn’t see the shot clock on the big screen.
“He says, ‘ref, how long have I got? I can’t see the clock’,” Webster said.
“He says you’ve got five seconds. He kicks it in two. He blows his whistle and gives a penalty. Two points, straight in front. They question it. He says ‘not my fault’.
“He gifted them two points, and they don’t even know how long to go.
“When you ask the question because you can’t see it on the clock, and the response is ‘you’ve got five seconds’, and kick it in two… I never blow up, [but] that’s embarrassing.”
Webster added: “When the referee tells you that, surely common sense says let’s redo [it]. Something has gone wrong, or you just say play on.
“Common sense.”
An advert covering the timer on the big screen appeared to be the issue.
In the NRL, dropouts and scrums have to be completed inside 30 seconds.