As for whether Davies’ try should have counted or not, the international laws of the game defines ‘grounding the ball’ as:
(a) placing the ball on the ground with hand or hands or
(b) Exerting downward pressure on the ball with hand or arm, the ball itself being on the ground or
(c) Dropping on the ball and covering it with the part of the body above the waist and below the neck, the ball itself being on the ground.
Former England and St Helens forward Jon Wilkin told BBC One that although Warrington’s Lindop appeared to have grounded the ball with his chest before Davies’ final touch, that intervention would not prevent the try.
“Warrington fans might say was it grounded by the defensive player with his chest,” said Wilkin.
“The ball cannot be grounded by a defensive player by his chest, it has to be grounded by an attacking player with his chest in a genuine attempt to score a try.
“Defensive players cannot ground the ball in a similar way to attacking players, hence the decision.”
The RFL confirmed that Wilkin’s comments were correct and the right decision had been made, saying an attacking player can score a try with their torso but a defending player can only make the ball dead by touching it down.
