Dragons coach Shane Flanagan was furious at the referees and Bunker for some calls that he believes robbed his side of victory in their 20-18 loss to the Bulldogs.

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The Dagons led 18-16 heading into the final 10 minutes, but Flanagan took issue with a number of calls that led to Lachlan Galvin setting up the match winning try for Jethro Rinakama in the 78th minute.

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“It was a tough one,” Flanagan said.

“I was really proud of the effort they put in and the way they played, but the game was taken away from us from I believe wrong decisions.

“With 10 minutes to go there was a forward pass in the middle part of the field, but the Luciano Leilua decision was outrageous.

“That was five minutes and 30 seconds to go on their 30 or 40 metre line. The player never got to his feet. Ball planted on Luciano who doesn’t have to disappear, Luciano can hold his ground.

“He’s got to get to his feet before he plants the ball. It has been the rule all year and it cost us today.

“And then we go downfield off the back of that, Kikau passes the ball, hit Sloan and goes forward, so in the collision, that’s a knock-on. Ever since 100 years, that’s a knock-on and that was at the 78 minute mark.

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“As I said, they’re trying so hard. They’re a good side the Bulldogs, they compete hard, but it was some decisions tonight that cost us two competition points and could cost us an opportunity to play semi-finals.”

Dragons skipper Damien Cook also took issue with Tyrell Sloan being denied the first try of the game which proved crucial.

“I don’t think he pushed him, I think it was just a collision thing,” Cook said.

“I don’t think you ever see his hand sort of pushing motion. It was just part of the game. They’re both looking for the ball. I don’t think there was any intention there.”

Flanagan will now go to the NRL looking for answers but he stressed it won’t get the two competition points back.

“I’ll go through those channels, but in the end, we don’t get these two competition points,” Flanagan said.

“We can’t come back and rectify them. We can’t get back out there again and go.

“The Luciano Leilua one, that was penalty on the field and then the Bunker took it away. And seriously, that one there it riles me more than anything because you have got to get to your feet to play the ball. You’ve got to be balanced.

“We can see it every week. I get emails from the NRL about things that they’re concentrating on and it is about balance and you can’t fall forward. You can’t be falling sideways. You can’t ball plant.

“But tonight we ball planted and we lost the game because of it. And then the bat on from Kikau and I can go on and on about it, but I’m just so disappointed that we lost the game, not from effort.

“We did some things wrong. We could have gotten some things better, but some other decisions cost us the game I believe at vital points.

“Five minutes, 30 to go and the 78 minute mark we get possession on our try-line, probably game over.”

Flanagan warned the NRL they face a nightmare scenario in the finals, but believes his side deserve the same consistency as the top teams in September.

“And can you imagine if this was a semi-final?” Flanagan said.

“It would be drama. But it’s the Dragons and we’re fighting really hard to stay in touch.

“It should be the same. It should mean the same. It’s two competition points for a side. A group of 17 men in there that went as hard as they could and got it taken away from them.”