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‘I hated the decisions’: Richie Barnett reflects on inconsistent officiating in Eden Park eliminator
Sport Nation • September 21st, 2026 2:23 pm
Erin Clark and James Fisher-Harris find themselves in disbelief after a ruling from Ashley Klein | Photo: Brett Phibbs/Photosport
The NZ Warriors’ season ended in bitter fashion at Eden Park, with Newcastle’s dramatic victory overshadowed by a series of controversial referee and bunker decisions.
The Knights secured a win over the Warrior to bring an abrupt end to a season that had promised so much for the New Zealand club.
For the Warriors and their fans, it was a bitter pill to swallow — made even harder by several controversial and inconsistent calls late in the match.
Rugby league analyst Richie Barnett admitted he was unhappy with several decisions, while still crediting Newcastle for the win.
“I hated the decisions, to be fair,” Barnett expressed.
Speaking with Sport Nation Mornings on Monday, the former Kiwis captain looked back on the moments that had Warriors Nation fuming.
72’ - Ali Leiataua’s ‘finger on the ball’ bunker decision
The bunker was called upon after Warriors centre Ali Leiataua attempted to intercept a pass from Kalyn Ponga intended for Bradman Best, with referee Ashley Klein initially ruling that Best had knocked the ball on.
The Knights then challenged the on-field decision, and after repeatedly reviewing the same two angles, the bunker determined that one of Leiataua’s fingers had made contact with the ball, overturning the original call and awarding Newcastle a successful challenge.
“Leiataua with the finger on the ball, oh, my goodness, like, seriously, the first camera angle showed all, let's have a look at a different angle. The second angle, clear separation. And then they go back to the first camera angle, which showed the wrong angle," Barnett recalled.
“I just cannot believe that, that was a disgrace.”
76’ - Te Maire Martin’s ‘strip’
Greg Marzhew lost possession of the ball, with Ashley Klein penalising the Warriors for Te Maire Martin supposedly stripping the ball.
The Warriors challenged the decision, but the bunker upheld the on-field ruling, leaving the ball with Newcastle.
“In the most important phase of the game, from an experienced player, it is mind-blowing, isn't it?”
79’ - Tyson Frizell’s obstruction
And the most pivotal of all came with just 50 seconds remaining.
Tyson Frizell appeared to obstruct the Warriors’ kick chase, but no penalty was awarded. Had Klein ruled against Newcastle, the Warriors would have had the chance to take two points and level the scores and potentially continue to golden point.
“The Tyson Frizzell deviation, he was nowhere near the ball and it was well clouded to be fair, he did it well, he's a good actor, but that was a blatant foil, that was so bad it was ridiculous and if you looked at every single commentator across the globe, they were saying the same thing.”
With the match on a knife-edge, the no-call left the Warriors with no opportunity to tie the game, leading to a 10-12 defeat.
The sequence of inconsistent decisions, along with the lack of referee intervention for high tackles and what many believed should have been six-agains, led Barnett to say he understood the Warriors’ extreme disappointment with the match officials.
“I can understand why the Warriors get frustrated with the TMO and the refereeing decisions.
“Ashley Klein has sort of been that person that fronts up every time and they just get a raw deal, unfortunately.”
But while he understood the anger in the stands, Barnett condemned the decision by some supporters to throw objects towards the officials.
“He doesn't deserve to be thrown the bottles at the end, that was a bit of a disgrace, but emotions are high.”
He also admitted the Warriors loss didn't just come down to match official decisions, but it was also a performance that was far from the side's best.
Listen to the full interview below:
