Another bunker howler has officially put South Sydney's NRL finals hopes to bed, with the Rabbitohs going down 20-12 to Manly in Sydney.
The Rabbitohs playmaker Adam Reynolds. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The defeat was Souths' seventh in a row and means they will miss the finals for the first time under coach Michael Maguire.
The Rabbitohs were poor in a first half dominated by Tom Trbojevic and trailed 18-0 at the break.
They surged back into the contest in the second stanza through tries to Adam Reynolds and Cody Walker before the bunker controversially disallowed a Joe Burgess try in the 59th minute.
The four-pointer was referred as a try but the bunker turned it down, claiming Burgess dropped the ball, despite no clear evidence he did.
That stopped Souths' comeback in its tracks.
A Jamie Lyon penalty goal soon after gave Manly an eight-point buffer they held for the rest of the contest.
The win was Manly's third in a row and keeps intact their September dreams.
They are four points behind eighth-placed Penrith but face Newcastle and Parramatta over the next fortnight.
So after 18 rounds the Warriors are ninth.
-AAP
