Tyson Frizell’s (most likely accidental) high shot on Tim Browne was surely an instance where the penalised player needed a time-out, even just for a possible leveller on the playing field.
This highlights a part of the game that has gone missing: referees need to start marching players.
There’s almost a weekly occurrence where players should be sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes. Last week David Klemmer got an early shower for dissent, but with that game just about decided and two minutes left on the clock, it didn’t matter.
The more pressing sin bins are professional fouls. These happen at least once a weekend, and while they are penalised, play is underway too quickly for us to stop, have a think, and analyse whether or not it’s worthy of a sin bin.
Why are players being penalised for professional fouls yet not being sent off?
Frizell’s high shot wasn’t a professional foul, yet it completely disadvantaged the Bulldogs at a time when they were starting to make a comeback, and left the Dragons with more resources to dominate the rest of the game – Frizell in particular impressed.
Are refs scared of making the wrong choice with the game in the balance? Well, as it is, they are – by not calling for the sin bin.
As good as it is watching a player back themselves in a game, it’s almost as rewarding seeing a referee take initiative by calling the try early, rather than wasting five minutes looking at the grounding, or sending players off when the action is warranted.
It’s a crucial part of the game we are missing. Sin bins should be thought of as an exciting passage of play as the defending team must dig deeper to get through the 10 minutes with the attacking team looking to score in nearly every set.
Had Frizell been given a time out for his accidental, yet dangerous high shot, we might have had a close and intense final 10 minutes, not the drab bore the game became.
Let’s hope we see the on-field refs back themselves a bit more. These indiscretions need to be addressed, the sin bin is not just there for dissent and punch-ons.
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