Updated May 19, 2026 — 12:50pm, first published May 17, 2026 — 3:26pm
The NRL has conceded Damien Cook should have been awarded a try on the weekend as Penrith’s Brian To’o never had possession of the ball.
North Queensland were also told Reuben Cotter should not have been sent to the sin-bin for a professional foul, a decision that could have ruined their gritty win over the Sydney Roosters.
The NRL ruled Brian To’o never had possession of the ball Fox Sports Cook chased his own chip kick and appeared to get a boot to the ball before To’o could take a hold of the ball, then started celebrating what he thought was an important four-pointer just before the break in his 250th game.
Bunker official Grant Atkins ruled To’o had possession and awarded a penalty to Penrith.
Sources with knowledge of the situation not authorised to speak publicly confirmed the NRL informed the clubs the Cook and Cotter calls were incorrect.
Cook was annoyed on the night and after the game, and preferred to focus on the Dragons sealing their first win of the year against the New Zealand Warriors on Saturday.
Damien Cook discusses the Bunker call with referee Jarrod Cole. Getty Images “Is it consolation? I guess it’s irrelevant now,” Cook told this masthead. “We were actually told it was the wrong call before we walked into the press conference the other night. I maintain things could have been different had we gone into half-time down 12-6. People were writing us off and expected us to be on the end of a big scoreline.
“I thought it was a try. Every man and his dog have told me since they also thought it was a try. We’re just not getting those close calls. We were better, but as Dean said in t
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