The Warriors fell just short of levelling with the Penrith Panthers after having three tries ruled out in a gripping 20-18 defeat.
An offside call and a forward pass saw two first-half tries disallowed as the Panthers edged the contest despite missing key players Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, and Brian To’o.
However, the most contentious moment came with six minutes remaining when a third try was overturned.
Dylan Edwards dropped a long, hopeful kick from Chanel Harris-Tavita, and Te Maire Martin pounced to score what appeared to be the go-ahead try for the Warriors.
Referee Gerard Sutton immediately referred the decision to the Bunker to determine whether Jackson Ford had committed a knock-on while challenging Edwards for the ball.
The try was thoroughly reviewed, and Ford was judged to have touched the ball by the slimmest of margins. The Warriors forward brushed the ball with his pinky finger, leading to the try being overturned.
That decision proved crucial as the Panthers held on to win by just two points.
Fans expressed outrage on social media, believing the Warriors were hard done by. One fan wrote, "I don’t think that was knock-on from the Wahs. Pinky finger your a*** that was knock back by Dylan Edwards for sure. Wahs got robbed." Another added, "Warriors were robbed tonight." A third commented, "Clear try everyday of the week." And another remarked, "Ref near on blew it no try while they were still in the air! Yet takes six replays to confirm a fingernail touched the ball."
The Warriors being denied at the death meant Paul Alamoti emerged as the hero, scoring the winning try moments after costing his side. His slip under a kick allowed Alofiana Khan-Pereira to cross the line and put the Warriors ahead in the 58th minute. But Alamoti was on hand to finish a brilliant flowing move in the corner, extending the Panthers' winning run to seven games.
