Rugby League rules are very “feel” orientated.
The difference between a forward pass and a legal pass is more about how it makes you feel than physics.
Does it “feel” like a knock on or a knock back? I’ve had our team clearly knock it back in a way that was called a knock on, and I was fine with because how it felt.
It applies to try groundings, high tackles, dangerous tackles, late hits, offsides…shit sometimes 40/20s fall short but are still awarded because it “felt” like a 40/20.
The worst part is, I’m not even really mad about it.
A great example is, I’m pretty sure if you went back and closely watched the Raiders try off the missed field goal against the panthers - heaps of their players were offside to put pressure on the kicker, it hit the post, they score one of the all time great tries but none of us care because it felt right