Because of a thread I read on the Bulls' forum, can I just ask this question about penalty tries?

On Sunday a Bulls player (Halley I think) was steaming up the wing and looked set to score. He was high tacked by one of the Dragons team (don't remember who), but got up, the ref appeared to play advantage and he struggled over for a try in the corner.

The ref goes to the video screen with a view to "looking for a penalty try." Penatly try is awarded.

Obviously, the player scored but in the corner, so with a penalty try, the goal kick was then taken from in front of the posts. To me it seemed a fair decision, but you could argue that if the ref allowed advantage, the player went on to take advantage and score - unless the ref deemed that not enough advantage was taken (i.e. the player would have scored under the posts with out the infringement).

Anyway, as you're a ref I was wondering what you thought....

I saw the incident in the highlights but didn't realise it was given as a penalty try. Obviously the situation has to be dealt with - given that there were no other defenders covering the try-scorer at the time, you'd be pretty certain that he'd attempt to improve the angle for the kicker if he were able to do so. Therefore a penalty try would be a logical decision to make.

would not have gone under the sticks there was another defender 3 feet away

Does a penalty try cancel out the catalans player getting put on report.
Because imo it was a very bad tackle and could have broken halleys jaw.
I thought he should have been sent off for that.

That's not a consideration is it? A foul was committed while a player was in the act of scoring, hence penalty try under the sticks. The ref doesn't need to make a judgement on where the player might have touched down if he hadn't been fouled.

(@ Bonz...) One thing I did wonder about the incident though - shouldn't it have been an eight pointer? Pen Try, conversionattempt AND penalty kick?

No I don't think it should have. A player needs to be "In the act of scoring" for an eight-pointer to be given, which he wasn't when struck with the high shot.

Obviously it's to the discretion of the officials viewing the incident what additional action may be taken i.e. verbal warning, on report, red card.

I didn't think it was intentional. Halley just wrong footed the player who stuck out an arm and caught him round the head.

2 seasons ago when we were in perpignan the same thing happened and Ian Smith the ref awarded them a try Bosc converted from where the try was scored and then Smith gave them a pen under the posts making an 8pt. The only difference that I saw was that Smith didnt give a penalty try which maybe allowed him to give the pen under the posts' where as Hallibut awarded a pen try from his video which perhaps rules out an 8pointer. Maybe Hallibut had a vested interest eh

Indeed: a penalty try is worth 6 points (conversion under the sticks) an 8 pointer is for when a player is fouled in the act of scoring – try scored, conversion kicked from where try was scored, penalty kicked from under the posts. As I understand it.

bonz can you claim overtime for this thread?