Referee Ben Cummins sends David Fa'alogo to the bin with captain Roy Asotasi in the centre in the NRL Rugby League Round 25 South Sydney Rabbitohs v Sydney Roosters at Sydney Olympic Stadium, Saturday, September 1st, 2007. Sydney Roosters 26 bt South Sydney 12. AAP Image/Action Photographics/Colin Whelan
There seems to be a consensus amongst many long time league fans that the eighties were a golden period for the game. The game expanded beyond Sydney and the seeds were sown for the national competition that we have today. Good times.
There’s probably still many who wouldn’t mind if the game was the same as it was back then: brutal local rivalries, mullets and loose fitting jerseys.
But time has marched on, and new derby matches and near-impossible-to-grab-jerseys are the order of the day.
But one aspect from the eighties that most definitely should be brought back is the five minute sin bin.
Craig Bellamy agrees.
He raised it a few weeks back after the Storm’s 28-12 win over the Roosters that saw Steve Turner and Willie Mason sin binned as results of their respective team’s repeated infringements.
Bellamy argued, quite rightly, that the ten minute sin bin is too harsh a penalty for those sort of infringements.
After Benji Marshall’s sin binning for the same thing at a crucial stage of last Friday night’s match against the Broncos, Tigers fans probably agree.
Tigers fans will also have noticed that their team received a general warning at the same time as Brisbane during the first half, despite the fact that the Broncos had been the side repeatedly infringing.
No wonder Tim Sheens was so keen to have a meeting with referee’s boss Robert Finch this week.
With Finch coming out and instructing his charges to use the sin bin more to deter ill discipline it’s likely that we’ll see more games such as last Friday’s that are swung in favour of one team due to an enforced ten minute break. A five minute sin binning would be a would be a much fairer punishment.
Critics of the two referees system seem to think that the influx of less experienced officials is the reason for the perceived bad judgements and extra penalties.
Perhaps it’s just a case of the extra man in the middle now being able to pick up all the sly tricks that the players use in the ruck. For example, in past seasons when a hand on the ball from an opposition player would result in a scrum for a knock on, we are now seeing rightful penalties being blown.
Maybe it is the players who need to be coming in for more criticism.
Bring back five in the bin. It might actually make more people happy.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Manly have been slammed by the judiciary with both Daly Cherry-Evans and Haumole Olakau'atu charged for two weeks for their part in a dangerous…
Channel 9 have contacted Fox League for comment after vision emerged of the NRL journalist's fight with a member of the public.
Outrageous from the Broncos skipper on 'a wooden leg!'
The Wests Tigers have lost ten-straight games at Campbelltown Stadium, with their latest coming at the hands of the Broncos in a 34-10 defeat.…
It was sheer desperation from the Panthers in defence. They held off North Queensland's second-half comeback in a thriller for a 26-20 win.
Penrith have won plenty of games under Ivan Cleary, but few can have seen them have to grit it out as much as this…
