Finch admits Hayne got it wrong

Referees' boss Robert Finch has admitted Shayne Hayne made an error in packing down a scrum after the siren in Sunday's Cronulla-Melbourne. The decision to do so nearly cost the Storm victory.

Clinging to a 36-32 lead following a late Matt Geyer try, Storm second rower Peter Robinson batted the kick-off into touch with only seconds remaining.

The siren sounded with Cronulla forwards in a mad rushing to form the scrum, and Hayne forced the Storm to pack it despite their protests.

Finch says he's spoken with Hayne and the young referee told him he had not heard the siren. The NRL changed the rules this season to allow referees to call time out when one side was ready to pack a scrum and another was trying to delay it.