fdr, if the mechanical T/R thrust reduction comes into play, it rapidly moves the throttle to idle (less than a second - known as a 'throttle snatcher'). It's rapid enough that you don't want your hand in the way. It also makes a very audible noise when the lever hits the stop. Oh, and it would also have been obvious on the FDR. All in all, the T/R is a non-sequitur in this discussion.
I maintain it's going to very difficult to understand why the crew failed to notice or react to the throttle split without the CVR. For example, the key to the similar TAROM crash was the the left seat pilot suffered some sort of medical emergency just as the uncommanded throttle movement occurred. It was the distraction of whatever happened to the left seat pilot that distracted the PF enough that he let the situation get out of hand. A simulator will never give that sort of insight into the why...