Head of football Graeme Annesley has conceded Canterbury were denied a legitimate try in Sunday’s gut-wrenching 18-16 NRL loss to Parramatta.

Annesley on Monday accepted that referee Chris Sutton should have awarded a 31st-minute try to Bulldogs winger Marcelo Montoya, rather than immediately rule an obstruction in the lead-up against teammate Raymond Faitala-Mariner.

Annesley has no doubts the bunker would have called played on rather than penalise Faitala-Mariner for obstructing Parramatta halfback Mitchell Moses.

“I think the safety-first response in this case would have seen what happens in this play, see if a try was actually claimed and then go to the video or the bunker to determine If there was any obstruction,” Annesely said.

“And I’m absolutely confident that if that had gone to the bunker, that would have been ruled as a poor defensive read (by Moses) and a try, assuming everything else associated with it was correct – with the grounding and the feet and the corner post.”

Bulldogs fans also cried foul when Eels winger Maika Sivo appeared to throw the ball forward into touch when the clock had reached fulltime.

A Canterbury penalty would have given the Dogs one last play inside Eels territory to try to conjure an miracle match winner.

But Annesley had no great issue, saying that while the “banana pass” spun forwards into touch, the ball came out of Sivo’s hands backwards.

Either way, Annesley’s concession that he Montoya should have earned the Bulldogs four points in the two-point defeat is a sour postscript for the competition cellar dwellers.