Bennett questions controversial Slater 'drop-kick' try ruling

Broncos coach Wayne Bennett said Storm fullback Billy Slater "definitely lost the ball" in the act of kicking for himself in a controversial try in Melbourne's 34-20 win over his side at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.

Slater drop-kicked the ball for himself close to the line to set up the Storm's opening try in what the NRL has since deemed to be an initial correct ruling by the on-field referee Ashley Klein.

Klein sent the ruling to the Bunker which confirmed the try. Klein then explained to Brisbane captain Darius Boyd that Slater was entitled to drop-kick the ball and didn't have to necessarily kick for the posts.

NRL referees boss Bernie Sutton explained why the correct ruling was made (see video below).

Bennett said if it was a try, the likes of which he could not recall seeing before, then it would be a "game changer".

"That is a tough one. I'm not sure. I don't know the rule well enough," Bennett said.

"But that is a game changer if that is to be the standard going forward. It was never intended to be a drop-kick and the ball hit the ground. So what are we saying now – if we knock the ball on and it hits the ground and we still kick at it, it's a drop-kick?

"He definitely lost the ball. He went to kick it. He missed it. It hit the ground."

Bennett said his initial instinct was that Slater had dropped the ball. "And after that I didn't think it was a try," Bennett said.

Bennett said his side was brave after fighting back from 18-4 down at half-time.

"We had some good moments and some poorer moments but I just liked the way we hung in there when it was all running against us," he said

Bennett said the extent of the elbow injury to hooker Andrew McCullough, suffered in the 51st minute, was not known at this stage

Squad member Jake Turpin has a broken ankle and is not an option although Bennett said Kodi Nikorima, who had a strong game off the bench, may be a possibility to fill the role.