(Daniel Eade is a BPL contributor and freelance journalist)

Devastated after a pair of heartbreaking defeats over the weekend, the Townsville Crocodiles have requested that the NBL review the circumstances around their back-to-back losses.

From all reports, the Crocodiles have been unfairly duped out of possibly winning both games, and an inquest into the matters from the NBL should be followed up, but any chance that the Crocodiles get to replay the games are unlikely.

That's even if the Crocodiles, who through CEO Ian Smythe lodged the complaint, want the games replayed or if they just want an official word from the NBL that the referees did make errors that in turn cost the Crocodiles two wins.

The first question mark arose on the final play of the game against the Wollongong Hawks on Friday night. After squandering a 14-point lead in the 3rd quarter, the Crocodiles were helpless to stop the Hawks fight back to tie the game up at 70 apiece, and with time winding down in the game, Hawks import Gary Ervin was fouled as the clock ran out.

The game clock had expired.

I am curious to know, did the siren sound? Or had the clock ran out before it had a chance to go off. Leaving between one and nine hundredths of a second still left, but not showing.

The referees got together to discuss if Ervin had been fouled before time expired and with the help of TV screens and replays, thanks to One HD broadcasting the game, the referees put 0.3 seconds back on the clock and sent Ervin to the free-throw line where he made the first and gave the Hawks a one point lead and subsequent win.

During the delay, when the referees were going over the TV replays, One HD commentator Andrew Gaze was adamant that the referees were not allowed to use the TV replay because not every game in the league is covered, so it can't be used in one game and potentially not in another. A stance Gaze backed up on the NBL podcast on Tuesday.

Even though replays proved on Friday night that Ervin was fouled with 0.3 seconds left, the Crocodiles might have a better case for their argument to be viewed under, because the referees used inadmissible evidence to make up their minds.

Round two got worse for Townsville when on Sunday they were unable to hang onto a 22-point third-quarter lead against the Gold Coast Blaze.

With the game tied at 80-80, Crocodiles import Gabe Freeman fired off a shot before time expired and a foul was called, but after a discussion between the referees, the foul was ruled to have happened after the siren.

Now because the game was not broadcast on One HD, there was no instant replay available to the referees to use.

The Townsville Bulletin reporting, after seeing footage of the play, "Freeman fouled as he shot the ball before the full-time light had come on."

The Blaze then went on to defeat the Crocodiles 94-90 in overtime.

In this case, unfortunately for Townsville, I believe the decision by the referees to not give Freeman two free-throws is just bad luck. The referees have to make their minds up there and then, and regrettably they were wrong.

But there is not a chance the NBL will order the games to be played again, or even bring the teams back for overtime, or allow Freeman to shoot two free-throws for the win. Sorry Townsville.