Marshall fires up over 'outrageous' refereeing in loss to Cowboys

Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall expressed his frustration over the refereeing decisions in the team's loss to the North Queensland Cowboys. The Cowboys claimed a 24-10 victory at Townsville Stadium on Saturday night, securing their place in the finals for the second consecutive year. However, the win was marred by a series of controversial calls that went against Wests Tigers.

Marshall's five-eighth, Jarome Luai, had a try ruled out in the first half due to a rake, and prop Terrell May's try was also denied after Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater was impeded, despite being far away from the ball. Marshall claimed that the level of some refereeing decisions was "outrageous" and that his team suffered a "raw end of the stick all night."

The coach added that Wests Tigers would send in questions and request an explanation from the NRL, as they often face penalties for contesting, while the opposing team goes unpunished. He felt the need to stand up for his players, as they were fighting tirelessly, and the way they were being treated was not right.

Tragically, the joint venture exacerbated the situation as five-eighth Jarome Luai hobbled off the field in the second half and was subsequently placed on report in his penultimate game for the club. North Queensland, on the other hand, celebrated their spot in the top eight after securing a 13-10 win over South Sydney earlier in the day.