Roosters coach Trent Robinson has blasted referee Ashley Klein over a forward pass ruling that denied his side a try at a crucial moment during their qualifying final loss to the Panthers on Friday night.

The Roosters were awful in the first half but two tries in four minutes gave them life as they pegged the score back to 24-10 with more than half an hour to go.

The game was locked in a tense grind with neither side able to gain the upper hand, only for the visitors to break down the left edge with a series of passes that had Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii racing away for his second try.

The Roosters faithful were in raptures but they hadn’t heard Ashley Klein’s whistle for a forward pass from Daniel Tupou that was line ball at worst.

It was one of several calls that veteran Klein made on Friday night at Penrith Park that went against the Tricolours and Robinson made his feelings known after the game.

“I didn’t think it was forward. I don’t think anyone thought it was forward except the ref,” Robinson said.

“Even looking at the replays and the angles of the pass, that’s a big call in that moment and you can’t get that wrong.

“I was disappointed in (the officiating)… that should have been a try and that would have made it 24-16 and then it starts to get close.”

Roosters skipper James Tedesco echoed the sentiment but said his side gave up too much ball in the first half as they slumped to a 10th straight loss to the Panthers.

“I didn’t think it was forward. We probably would have scored off the back of it and it would have been a different contest,” Tedesco said.

“We haven’t had an 80-minute performance all year, especially against teams like Penrith and Melbourne.

“We can’t come out in a final and give them that much possession and that much ball because it’s hard to run down. We can do it in patches, but we’ve got to execute for 80 minutes.”

Eels halfback and Fox League expert panellist Mitchell Moses added: “Penrith is a tough place to play, you never get a call.”