Michael Maguire Left Reeling by ‘Unusual’ Interference Decision That Doomed Broncos

Brisbane Broncos coach Michael Maguire has labelled the decision to penalise Gehamat Shibasaki due to a disruptor in a pivotal moment of their match against the Cowboys as “bizarre.”

With just 16 minutes remaining, the Broncos had a 34-24 lead following Brendan Piakura’s try. However, that was nullified after Shibasaki was deemed to have interfered with Tom Chester, who had misjudged a kick.

Commentating for Nine, Johnathan Thurston remarked, “It’s simply a clean drop,” while Cameron Smith echoed his confusion regarding the ruling.

“The point I would raise is that Tom Chester had a clear view of the ball throughout,” Maguire stated. “He has the right to catch the ball, yet he failed to do so. If Shibasaki had approached with his arms raised and obstructed Chester’s view, I could understand that. But in this instance, Chester still had sight of the ball.”

Post-match, Maguire expressed his disbelief. “I can’t fathom it, it’s absurd,” he remarked. “As outside backs, catching the ball is part of our training. From what I observed, Shibasaki was not anywhere near Chester when he attempted the catch; in fact, he was further away from him.”

“I find that ruling unbelievable—it’s downright peculiar. If they are going to enforce such calls, they need to ensure consistency,” he added.

On Nine’s Friday Night Footy, Paul Gallen also expressed his astonishment. “I believed the disruptor call against the Broncos was a poor decision,” he stated. “To me, that was a try… at no point did he obstruct Chester’s view; it was simply a dropped ball on his part. I can’t fathom how they overturned that.”

The decision to deny the try wasn’t the only contentious call for Maguire. Shortly after the break, Cory Paix had to exit the field for a concussion assessment deemed category one by an independent doctor. His substitute, Blake Mozer, then had to leave just 10 minutes later, suffering what appeared to be a fractured jaw while attempting to tackle Jason Taumalolo.

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Despite falling and struggling to stand, Mozer was classified as a category two concussion. Maguire was taken aback by the decisions, especially since Paix felt fit to return to play. “That’s certainly something we’ll need to review,” he noted. “Paix was in the change room, he hurried off and was eager to come back. I don’t quite get that… After discussing with Paix, he couldn’t believe it either. But on the other hand, Blake’s jaw could indeed be broken.”