NRL chief executive Dave Smith personally apologized to the Cowboys after the governing body launched an inquiry into the missed tackle gaffe. The league's head of football, Todd Greenberg, released a statement at the end of the match, saying: "We do not want to see mistakes like this made in any match. We don't want this happening again."
The incident occurred in the eighth minute, with Sharks winger Beau Ryan leveling the game at 6-6 after referees Matt Cecchin and Henry Perenara inexplicably lost track of the tackle count.
Attacking teams are allowed six tackles, and the on-field officials usually yell out: "Fifth tackle" with one tackle to go. If teams choose not to kick after the fifth tackle, they give up possession to the opposing team after the sixth.
"It's embarrassing for the game and I've got that from the top," Cowboys coach Neil Henry said.
"They come in and shake my hand and say we are embarrassed that happened to your team. But it doesn't give us a game next week."
North Queensland veteran Brent Tate said the mistake had a "huge bearing" on the result and may have been a deliberate attempt to keep a team from Queensland state out of the playoffs.
"When you walk off the field and hear what's happened it makes it pretty hard to swallow I can tell you," an emotional Tate said. "That's the basics of the game: keeping the tackle count. I just don't understand how it could happen."
"I don't know, maybe they want a couple of Sydney teams in the grand final? You tell me. I'm not sure."
