NRL admits the Canberra Raiders were robbed by forward pass

The NRL came out and said what all but three of the 13,456 people at Canberra Stadium on Saturday already knew - Kodi Nikorima's pass to Ben Murdoch-Masila was forward.

Unfortunately it was the three that mattered that didn't see it that way - the officials.

Nikorima's pass appeared a long way forward with Murdoch-Masila having to reach out to catch it in his fingertips.

But play was allowed to continue as the New Zealand Warriors forward scored. A wounded Raiders would only lose by three points.

In his weekly debriefing on Monday, NRL head of football Graham Annesley confirmed what all Raiders fans already knew.

Annesley spoke to Raiders chief executive Don Furner about it, while NRL referees boss Jared Maxwell spoke to coach Ricky Stuart.

"This decision's been reviewed by the refereeing department and [referees boss] Jared Maxwell, and they believe it's a forward pass," Annesley said.

"We put up our hand up on this one ... until we can get technology that can absolutely give us the answer beyond any doubt there'll always be a question mark over it.

"Does it look forward? Yes it looks forward ... and if it looks like a forward pass then it's a forward pass."

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Annesley said the technology required to rule on forward passes had progressed and the NRL could look to trial it later this year, but it won't be introduced in the 2021 NRL season.

Those trials wouldn't take place during an NRL game, but rather in a training situation.

"We are making good progress in terms of a potential development that would help solve this problem," Annesley said.

"It's a problem that's been around the game for as long as it's been covered on television and prior to TV coverage.

"We have been talking to a company for quite some time and I'm hopeful we're not that far off a trial of the technology.

"Then if we can get to that point and we can be convinced it's accurate then it becomes a business case we have to mount to the commission to justify the expenditure.

"It's not something that would be introduced mid-season because it's not at that point of development."

Raiders prop Sia Soliola likened the news confirming the forward pass to playing golf - you just had to accept wherever your ball ended up.

"What can we do? Tomorrow it will be fish-and-chips wrappers you know. You just get on with it," he said.

"It's what happens. Like in golf. Sometimes you get good breaks, sometimes you get bad breaks, but you've still got to play your shot."

The NRL were yet to conclude their investigation into comments Stuart allegedly made about referee Henry Perenara while on the sideline.

It could be finalised on Tuesday.

Stuart has a $10,000 suspended fine hanging over his head from last season.

Annesley said it was a matter for the NRL integrity unit and not for him as the head of football.

"They are matters that I'm not directly responsible for. They are matters that go before the integrity unit and the CEO for a decision on those," he said.

"From what I'm told those matters are still being looked into."

NRL ROUND FOUR

Saturday: Canberra Raiders v Gold Coast Titans at the Gold Coast, 7.35pm.