Lehi Hopoate found himself in a fortunate position during Manly’s recent victory over the Cowboys, thanks to the reliability of his teammate, Brandon Wakeham. Hopoate, who had already secured two tries in the match, seized an opportunity when Scott Drinkwater failed to catch the ball. Hopoate raced over the try line but did something unexpected—he passed the ball back to Wakeham, allowing the hooker to score his first try of the season, extending the lead to 20-6.
Phil Gould, a commentator for Nine, reacted with disbelief, commenting, “Did he actually just do that? Dear oh dear, oh dear … Put it down, oh my god.”
Former Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston expressed that this action came across as both confident and cheeky. He remarked, “That reeks of confidence or arrogance, passing it over the try line like that … That’s a big ‘up you’ to the Cowboys”.
Gould’s astonishment continued, as he noted the inappropriateness of such a display in a tightly contested match rather than one that was already a blowout. He remarked, “It’ll be one for Kieran Foran to deal with. Welcome to coaching,” referencing the challenge of managing player decisions during games.
While Foran’s immediate response from the coaching box wasn’t captured, Gould conveyed what he would have said during half-time. He suggested it wouldn’t have been a pleasant conversation and concluded with a firm, “no, no, no, no, no, you don’t do that.”
Ultimately, while the unusual assist contributed positively to the scoreboard for Manly, it sparked a debate about sportsmanship and decision-making on the field, leaving some questioning the wisdom behind such an act.