Magic farce was 'one in a million'

6:32am Friday 2nd May 2008

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Iestyn Harris reckons rugby league will NEVER see a repeat of last season's Millennium Magic mayhem.

The Bulls return to Cardiff tomorrow night for the first time since that dramatic showdown, when Leeds stole a last-gasp victory following some shocking refereeing errors.

The debacle in the final seconds led to whistler Steve Ganson apologising and being dropped alongside video referee Ashley Klein.

They wrongly awarded Leeds a penalty which rebounded off the woodwork for Jordan Tansey to pounce and score the winning try, Ganson failing to spot the Rhinos player being yards offside.

Enraged stand-off Harris, 31, was more animated than anyone, angrily leading the demand for Ganson to check the playback but the official never did.

On the eve of their rematch in Wales, he recalled: "I'd been involved in the tackle that led to that penalty as well. That just left me even more frustrated - but everyone was.

"However, for the wrong decision to be given and then backed up straight away by another one, that's not going to happen again. It was just a one in a million chance."

Harris - who starts a Super League match tomorrow night for only the second time since February - added: "Generally, referees get decisions right but that he (Ganson) didn't go to the screen was strange.

"He had 17 guys and 20,000 fans on his back shouting at him to do it and he'd been to the screen six or seven times before.

"It just left me scratching my head and it was really frustrating. I couldn't understand why he wouldn't go to it and neither could the rest of the lads.

"It was just a bizarre game though. I've never watched it back and it's safe to say I probably never will.

"I think it was a one-off and something that will probably never happen in our sport again. But that's not the issue now; it's more about ourselves tomorrow night and making sure we perform.

"We didn't the last time we played Leeds and were off the pace from the first minute until the 80th. We can't afford to do that again."

Rhinos inflicted a record 44-2 defeat on Bradford at Headingley just six weeks ago and the former Wales RU international insists that painful memory - not Cardiff - is what is driving the squad.

"We let ourselves down that night," said former Leeds skipper Harris.

"We haven't got a point to prove to anyone else but we do to ourselves.

"As individuals, we're probably not as good as some of the other sides but as a team we definitely are and we must play together.

"It's always special against Leeds and to be starting again in what is an amazing stadium is great.

Meanwhile, Harris takes over at No 6 from the crocked Ben Jeffries, with Tame Tupou called up in the only change to the 19-man squad that defeated Wigan.

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