The consistency of NRL officials has yet again been placed under fire as a "cheap shot" on Jarome Luai saw Sharks star Siosifa Talakai escape time in the sin bin. The dazzling footwork of Luai pushed momentum into the Panthers attack as he looked for support through an incoming Paul Alamoti on the inside. But as the ball found the hands of Alamoti, Luai was left down on the turf after a late strike by Talakai.

The fill-in centre looked certain to see the star heading for 10 minutes in the sin bin but was spared by referee Ashley Klein, who placed the centre on report. "What a joke," Andrew Johns said of the decision on Nine.

Siosifa Talakai is penalised for a late shot on Jarome Luai. Nine

"That is as cheap as it gets. You've got to get this tackle out of the game.

"It has to be a sin bin... Luai has not moved."

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Video replays highlighted the "dangerous" level of whiplash endured by Luai in the fall, leaving Johns furious.

"(Look at) the whip lash Jarome Luai gets," he said.

"This is dangerous, a player can really get hurt from this. Someone will get seriously injured if we allow that to continue."

Talakai was spotted apologising to the star but Nine's commentary remained unsure of how he had "dodged a bullet."

"He had time to pull out there," Johnathan Thurston said.

"He just had all eyes for Jarome Luai, it is extremely late. You just can't do that."

Penrith were given a penalty for the incident, with Cleary slotting the goal to extend the club's lead to eight points at half time.

The Late Hit That Sparked Outrage

The incident occurred in the 35th minute of the first half with the Panthers leading 8-2 and on the attack. Luai turned the ball back inside before being absolutely flattened without the ball by Talakai. Corey Parker, a former NRL star and commentator for Fox League, was quick to point out the lateness of the hit and the fact Luai was unmoved on the ground.

"Luai hasn't moved," Parker said on Fox League.

"Talakai absolutely levelled him. Little inside ball from Luai who finds Alamoti and he just absolutely cops it in the back.

"This could be big here. Six minutes to go in the first half and Talakai flattened him."

Calls For a Sin Bin

Dan Ginnane, also commentating on Fox League, initially believed Talakai could be headed to the sin bin for the late hit, which drew the ire of the Panthers players.

"Luai taken out and seeing that immediately was the winger Turuva and Penrith are filthy," Ginnane said.

"The Bunker will be looking at this and it is really just a matter of how late and is it just a penalty?"

However, referee Ashley Klein and the Bunker found a penalty was sufficient, but placed Talakai on report.

"On report and that's it," Ginnane said.

Cooper Cronk, a former NRL star and commentator, echoed Ginnane's sentiments, believing Talakai was lucky to avoid a sin bin.

"I think he is a little lucky there Talakai because that was late," Cronk said.

"There was aggressive intent, shoulder contact to the back on Jarome Luai. Didn't miss him at all."

"You're spot on Cooper, there was aggressive intent, it was late and he had the opportunity to pull out of the tackle," Parker added.

Michael Ennis and Mal Meninga, both former NRL stars and commentators, agreed it should have been 10-minute spell for Talakai at halftime.

"I thought he should have been sin-binned," Ennis said.

"He had time to pull out of that. It was a late shot."

Meninga added: "I think he was lucky to stay on the field."

Social Media Erupts

Social media lit up with pundits and fans condemning the tackle.

Penrith Power Through to the Grand Final

Despite the controversy, Penrith went on to win the game 26-6, securing their place in the grand final against Melbourne.

The Panthers are looking for their fourth-straight title, while the Storm are hoping to complete a 2024 double.

What's Next?

The NRL Grand Final will be played next weekend at Accor Stadium. Penrith will be hoping to continue their dominant form, while Melbourne will be looking to upset the reigning premiers. This is a match that promises to be a thrilling spectacle, and it will be interesting to see how the Panthers respond after the controversy surrounding Talakai's late hit.

The NRL is a tough sport, and there are always going to be incidents like this. However, the question remains: was Talakai's late hit on Luai a fair tackle or a dangerous play that should have been penalized with a sin bin? This is a debate that is sure to continue in the lead up to the Grand Final.