A win's a win, but that was too close for comfort for Damien Hardwick and his Gold Coast side.
The Suns, fresh off back-to-back defeats, were firm favourites to trounce a young Bombers outfit, but they found the going more than tough in a high-scoring, goal for goal affair.
Hardwick said that one element of the game that frustrated him about Saturday's match was the inconsistencies in the holding the ball interpretations.
"I don't want to get angry, it's Saturday, I want to go home, have beer and relax on the couch," Hardwick said.
"The holding the ball rule is like chook lotto at the moment. I sit there and I don't know half the time what's going to happen. We got a guy that's got an arm pinned and he is waiting for the ball to be called for a stoppage and the other option is for the other guy to dump tackle him. Just blow the whistle.
"It's like we have completely gone away from secondary stoppages because we think it kills the game. At the end of the day, we are going to get players hurt, so either blow the whistle and give it a free kick or at least be consistent in your interpretations throughout the whole game.
"Because there was one where Bailey Humphrey won a ball got tackled straight to the ground, I'm not sure how that's holding the ball. Unless the rule changed, let me know."
Former Gold Coast Suns skipper Touk Miller will have a nervous wait with the MRO after he had a heavy collision with field umpire Alex Whetton during the second term.
Whetton left the ground with an injured shoulder but returned to finish the game.
