incidents like these should be left to a judiciary. A player fine is the only way this sort of play can be stamped out.

I am sorry for all you guys that reckon it wasn't deliberate, if you have played, you dont run with your arm out like that. To be in a situation like that, as a striker, you realise that you will be probably going to head the ball in, rather than kick it and I believe when it came in lower and at a different angle , Mr. Payne realised he was going to miss the header and stuck his arm out as a reflex reaction. Not premeditated just a reflex. So it was a handball, yes the guy celebrating it was a bit on the nose, it is subjective for the referee wether he calls it a handball, I am a referee, FIFA or soccer New Zealand give you guidance on interpretation of a handball rule. The best thing I have heard is a citing post match for misdemeaners, handballs, late tackles, diving etc, the one thing I like is the game you play at 11 is the same game you play if you were a professional, its basic, skill full and technology is the same for all ages.

@#41

Hey cricket fan, and from the headlines recently, it seems the only people who play rugby are wife beaters and drunks.

Good on ya mate!

cmon guys!

He may not have deliberately handled the ball, but the ball DID hit his arm, and thus his arm changed the direction of the ball and guided it into the goal. If his arm was not there the ball would have not gone into the back of the net.

THEREFORE A HANDBALL FREEKICK IS JUSTIFIED! End of story.

Funny how they replayed all the goals on the big screen at the game on Saturday night---except the handball goal. What where they hiding?? Or afraid of?? The truth?? To not have a video ref at this level, but able to have a video replay seconds after a goal is an excuse to cheat. And it obviously works.

Soccer has players who go down, but 95% of these at least are not simulation but an apeal against a foul that has happened because refs don't play advantage enough, you don't need to trip a player to be a foul. Compare this to rugby where cheats get a warning before being penalised half the time and moan when they don't, players push the offside to an extreme, refs get blamed by the media if they are forced to blow the whistle too often and the most common comment these days from a captain or media of the losing side is we didn't adapt to the ref's ruling as well as them. I was against video refs in soccer too but the idea posted here about losing a sub is a great one or how about all goals are reviewed by a TV official until the defending team kicks off and put the clock on them (1 min or something)

What annoyed me most, he celebrated the goal. He would've known straight away that he put it in with his forearm, therefore it was not a goal. An honest and good player would've owned up. But to actually run around and celebrate it! Boo Payne, Boo.

to #41 oh is football a sissy game is it perhaps you could explain why there are more broken legs in football there hasnt been a broken leg in rugby for years

it must really irk you that for every rugby player on the planet there are 125 others playing a real sport

muppet!

I watched the game at Jade Stadium and it was awesome 19,000 people turned up in a rugby mad region.

As for the handball it was absolutely blatant. I highly doubt they will change the rules but maybe change the playoffs so it's straight knockout. If you lose you are gone why should you get a second chance.

Great article Duncan Johnstone. I was wondering when someone would point out the obvious hypocrisy in Soccer when they complain of handball goals but quite freely fake dives in the penalty box to get a penalty of their own. The use of the video ref is a no-brainer. Consider the assistance it has given to getting run-outs right in cricket which the poor umpires had no chance under the old rules. Now we get probably 95% correct. Most tries in rugby and league can be accurately considered compared with the old days there too. For a sport considered to be the biggest in the world and which involves billions of dollars they surely can't continue to keep getting it wrong.