Brian To'o Error Costs Damien Cook Penrith Panthers Winger News Call

penrith panthers winger news turned on one ruling near halftime on the weekend: the NRL admitted Damien Cook was robbed of a try after Brian To'o never actually had possession of the ball. Cook chased his own chip kick, thought he had scored and wheeled away before the bunker overturned the moment.

Cook's chip kick denied

Cook appeared to get a boot to the ball as To'o put his fingertips to it, but bunker official Grant Atkins ruled that the Penrith winger had possession and handed Penrith the penalty instead. Cook believed the try would have made it 12-6 at halftime against the Panthers.

The South Sydney dummy-half said he still thought it was a try. He added that every man and his dog had told him since that they thought it was one too.

Atkins and the Origin fallout

The call did not sit quietly in the background. Cook said: “Is it consolation? I guess it’s irrelevant now,” and later added: “We were actually told it was the wrong call before we walked into the press conference the other night. I maintain things could have been different had we gone into half-time down 12-6. People were writing us off and expected us to be on the end of a big scoreline.”

He also said: “I thought it was a try. Every man and his dog have told me since they also thought it was a try. We’re just not getting those close calls. We were better, but as Dean said in the presser, it means nothing if we don’t improve again this weekend.”

Grant Atkins' week changes

The decision carried consequences for Atkins, who oversaw the 2025 Grand Final before being passed over for State of Origin officiating duties next Wednesday. Ashley Klein will take the whistle for the series opener, while the NRL’s admission also covered a separate error involving North Queensland Cowboys player Reuben Cotter, who was sent to the bin for a professional foul.

For South Sydney, the point is simple enough: Cook left the field believing he had a crucial four-pointer, and the verdict later shifted against the official who made the call. The match result may be in the books, but the interpretation of that play now sits on the record too.