It's because he changed his line at the last minute to step into the defenders path. I actually agreed with the decision, thought the ref had a good game.

Too many grey areas in the obstruction rule for me. Unless is blatant, and clear for everyone to see, it should be given, wether for you, or against you.
If that try was in a Sunday 3 pm game, with no live camera feed there, that try gets given, every time.
However, it wasn't, and we live with it.

Fair performance from Hicks, yesterday. He missed little.

One of those fine line calls. Inside shoulder/outside shoulder, who stepped first (as the BBC pundits indicated, the defender moved first). Call should be made primarily on "was the defence impeded from getting to the ball". if they wouldnt have made it, then no obstruction.

It is a difficult one. Sometimes you think that "they" are trying to find a way to disallow a try. I would like to see more emphasis on giving the tries and concluding that the defender made a bad read or in some cases deliberately made a bee line for the dummy runner and did the dying swan thing.

Tricky as the while point is to try and distract / confuse the defence.

time there scrapped this rule, players just running into players to milk the pen, try for me

For me Langi steps forward and throws his arms around Philbin. Bad read. Even if he stepped up and just got knocked on his backside then fair enough but the act of him putting his arms around Philbin clearly says attempted tackle even if Philbin changes his line. Try for me.