“I’m sure they were leaving just as early”: Lenihan questions crucial golden point penalty, Bennett applauds ‘courage’

A controversial penalty blown by Grant Atkins which handed the Dolphins victory over the Gold Coast Titans on Sunday afternoon has left coaches Wayne Bennett and Jim Lenihan with differing views.

After a 21-all scoreline at the end of regulation, it would be a controversial offside penalty for the Dolphins which allowed Jamayne Isaako to slot a match-winning penalty goal.

The penalty saw Titans' captain Kieran Foran and Atkins get into a slanging match on the field, with Foran telling the official that he had to make sure he was calling penalties for both sides.

While footage and replays showed Erin Clark was well and truly offside in putting pressure on a field goal attempt, it was consistency which was the order of business for Titans' interim coach Jim Lenihan, whose side now hold a 7 and 9 record with hopes of playing finals football drifting.

"I'm not really sure, I'd have to have a look," Lenihan said during his post-match press conference on the penalty.

"I think Erin got back, whether he left a bit early. I don't know if it's any different to the one where Nudge is kicking from 40 out. I'm sure they were leaving just as early at the same sort of time and we don't seem to find a penalty in that.

"At the moment if it's not full bad luck, we aren't having any luck at all, so that's where we are at."

While the Titans were understandably frustrated by the decision, Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett said he loved the courage of the call, and wasn't expecting it.

“I loved his courage honestly. That (call) was the last thing I was expecting,” Bennett said.

“But he was right; he made the right decision and right ruling so I admire his courage.

“You look forward to a guy like that refereeing because nothing is going to influence him except the right decisions.”

Despite the pain of the loss, Lenihan said the Titans could take positives out of the game.

By the club's own admission, the second half and staying in games has been a major area of weakness for the Gold Coast this season, but Lenihan said he was proud of how his troops - minus Origin forwards Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Moeaki Fotuaika - had fought to stay in the game for the entire 80 minutes.

"We have been seen as a side that has been seen as one you can get at the back end of games and stuff like that, but I was really proud of how we stuck right through the whole game," Lenihan said.

"We are certainly mindful of changing the way we are perceived by other people. We want to change that in ourselves first, but I thought today we took a step towards being a more resillient team."