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Klein faces axe as NRL admit crucial refereeing error
Scott Bailey, AAP •  September 21st, 2026 8:35 pm
Referee Ashley Klein faces the axe for a contentious non-call in the Warriors' loss to Newcastle | Photo: Mark Evans/AAP
The NRL is set to axe top referee Ashley Klein for the preliminary finals after admitting the Warriors were wrongly denied a crucial late penalty in their 12-10 semi-final loss to Newcastle.
NRL officials confirmed on Monday the Warriors should have been awarded a penalty with a minute left in Sunday's Eden Park thriller, for an escort infringement by the Knight's Tyson Frizell.
Had the penalty been awarded, the Warriors would have had the chance to level the scores at 12-12 via a penalty goal from just to the side of the posts and send the match to extra time.
But the call was instead missed on the field, with the bunker unable to review the play despite a stoppage for an injury soon afterwards.
A comprehensive NRL review of Newcastle's 12-10 semi-final did, however, back the bunker over two other contentious calls.
First, it was deemed that bunker official Chris Butler was right to rule Warriors centre Ali Leiataua got a thumb to a ball before it went to ground late in the match.
The NRL also supported the bunker's decision to stick with the on-field call of a strip against Warrior Te Maire Martin.
Sam loses it at The Bunker following Warriors' elimination final loss to the Knights | Warriors Live
But it is the non-call on Frizell that will annoy the Warriors more.
The Newcastle veteran appeared to get in the way of Leka Halasima as he chased through on a kick in the Warriors' last attacking raid of the match.
Given the seconds that would have come off the clock while the Warriors lined up the shot, there would likely not have been time for a restart.
"I thought they were trying to find ways to take it off us," Warriors coach Andrew Webster said after the game.
"The last one, two points would have drawn the game, he is going across Leka, pretending to try and catch the ball which they've told us you can't do."
AAP understands Klein will pay for the error by losing his spot in the preliminary finals, with Grant Atkins or Gerard Sutton likely to be called up.
Sumo on the ugly post-match scenes at Eden Park | Scotty & Izzy
Klein has overseen every game of the past five State of Origin series and two of the last four grand finals.
He had been expected to referee last year's decider, before losing out to Atkins following 18 penalties in a Melbourne-Cronulla preliminary final.
Meanwhile, the NRL have threatened bans for fans who threw projectiles at Klein as he walked off Eden Park on Sunday night.
Vision showed a mass of bottles and rubbish being thrown at the long-time official, with Warriors great Shaun Johnson labelling the fans' behaviour "embarrassing".
