NRL boss flags major bunker change amid backlash over 'embarrassing' scenes
NRL CEO Andrew Abdo insists there will be "less intervention" from the bunker moving forward after addressing the widespread backlash from a controversial weekend of footy. Round eight saw a staggering 18 players sent to the sin bin, with some of those incidents not even worthy of a binning, while other more serious offences weren't similarly punished.
The NRL chief executive admitted mistakes were made by officials across the round and accepted the 'frustrations' of fans after the bunker interjected numerous times to initiate sin-bin calls several plays after the initial offence. Wests Tigers prop Fonua Pole was binned in one such incident against Cronulla on Sunday that left league legend Andrew Johns so incensed he refused to speak on Nine's broadcast for 23 minutes.
Johns also fumed over Scott Sorensen's sin-binning for a high shot on Manly's Nathan Brown, after questioning how else the Panthers forward was supposed to tackle the rampaging Sea Eagles forward. Brown was charging at full-speed off a kick-off and Sorensen's shoulder accidentally caught the Manly prop in the head as he braced for contact, but many argued that it was simply an accident that is part of the game.
Sorensen faces a two-game ban after being hit with a grade-two dangerous contact charge that Penrith are hoping to get downgraded at the judiciary. If the Panthers are successful, Sorensen faces a $1500 fine but will be free to take on the Broncos in Magic Round. However, the Penrith forward faces a three-game ban if he's unsuccessful.
It's the first major test for the judiciary this season, amid concerns there is a disconnect between on-field decisions by officials and the gradings from the match review committee. There have already been 31 players sin-binned for dangerous acts this season, with 17 resulting in suspensions, 12 in fines and two resulting in no punishment at all.
Scott Sorensen was sent to the sin bin for this shoulder charge. 📺 Watch #NRLPanthersManly on ch.502 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/zhhMH81Fsx✍️ BLOG https://t.co/3C0MT0U0Yv🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/GusVYQPlQ7 pic.twitter.com/lwzvzuiRUn
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) April 26, 2025
The latest controversies have left fans' confidence in the state of NRL officiating at an all-time low and the NRL CEO appeared on multiple programs on TV and radio on Monday night to address the backlash. He accepted that mistakes had been made by officials but insisted there had not been a directive to crack down on high contact after making no apologies for referees trying to protect the players.
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But Abdo accepted the bunker was playing too big a role in games and said the video officials had been instructed to only get involved for the most serious acts of foul play that warranted sin bins. 'I think there were some calls that were wrong and look and we understand some of the frustration, particularly when the bunker intervenes in play a number of plays down the track,' Abdo said.
'We can understand why there's frustration with that. The bar for that was always intended to be quite high. It needs to be serious or significant foul play for the bunker to intervene and to bin someone once the play is moved on. That's something that we want to work on with the referees.'
The NRL boss also warned players against trying to milk penalties by staying down or exaggerating contact from opposition players. He was speaking in reference to an incident with Cronulla's Ronaldo Mulitalo against the Tigers on Sunday that Johns and fellow league great Paul Gallen both detested and fans labelled 'embarrassing' after the Sharks appealed for a penalty due when Jack Bird's fingers brushed Mulitalo's face.
Players like Mulitalo carrying on holding their face trying to milk penalities and sin bins are the actual WORST I'm glad the ref called it incidental #NRLTigersSharks
— Nikki (@Easts4Life) April 27, 2025
Does it all the time..Embarrassing
— Duke25 (@Duke2517) April 27, 2025
Mulitalo is the biggest milker holy shit 🤢
— Picasstonian (@hf2_0_2_) April 27, 2025
"We don't want to see that. We don't want to see a situation where we're set up to fail and encouraging players to milk penalties, that's the last thing we want," Abdo said on Nine's 100% Footy. "I think some of the decisions the referees have made despite that are phenomenal and they deserve credit for that because it is difficult in those situations."
Abdo was adamant that officiating decisions would not ruin Magic Round in Brisbane this weekend, amid growing concerns. He said: "I can say that we review each and every match each and every round and we've looked at some of the errors that occurred this weekend and we want to make sure that they don't get repeated. So I think that what you're going to see is definitely less intervention from the Bunker when play has moved on."
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