The latest sin bin shocker came on Friday night, with Gold Coast centre Mat Rogers given a 10 minute breather at a crucial stage of the Titans 24 to 10 loss to Brisbane at Skilled Park.
The Titans were leading 10-6 when Broncos winger Jharal Yow-Yeh pounced on a stray pass from Greg Bird inside their 20 and streaked away.
He made it to the Titans 30 metre line before Rogers completed the tackle and his team mates scrambled back to try and defend their line.
Four seconds later, the dual international was told by referee Matt Cecchin he’d committed an offence that warranted a stint in the bin.
Four seconds!
In the next set of six, Antonio Winterstein crossed in the corner and Corey Parker added the extras to give Brisbane a 12-10 lead. The Titans wouldn’t score again.
Gold Coast coach John Cartwright walked into the post match press conference, undid the top button on his shirt and loosened his tie.
“I’d like someone to explain to me when the sin bin is applied. I’d just like someone to explain it to me,” Cartwright said.
“I’d like to know why that one was a sin bin and others aren’t.”
Any takers on that explanation?
Cartwright is spot on the money. There have been many instances this season, almost on a weekly basis, where a player has made a try saving tackle and held on for maybe a second too long to give his team mates time to recover.
Rarely are players sin-binned.
Making things harder for Rogers was the fact Scott Prince was lying on top of him, and as soon as Prince got to his feet so did Rogers.
So why wasn’t Prince also marched?
It’s been a controversial year for the men in pink in regards to the sin bin.
In round 6 Robert Finch stood down Ben Cummins and Gerard Sutton after Parramatta captain Nathan Cayless was incorrectly sin-binned for stripping the ball against the Rabbitohs, when in-fact Daniel Mortimer was the offender.
Whether Mortimer deserved to serve time was also debatable.
In the same match, Rabbitohs centre Beau Champion was binned for a high tackle, a call that also could have been deemed harsh.
12 rounds later and the problem is still happening.
Not only is the sin bin causing controversy, but this time it could well have cost the Titans two competition points they dearly need.
It may be time for the sin bin to be sent off.
Peter Natt
Guest
Conversion kicks after tries should also go! What a farce, why should a team have a difficult kick at goal merely because they scored a try near the sideline? This is an outdated rule and no longer exists in American football and Canadian football (their conversion kicks are always in front of the goal), games that share many roots with rugby league. The NRL would be better off just scrapping converted tries. After all, league should be about scoring tries, not kicking goals. There should also be unlimited substitution.
Peter Natt
Guest
Hopefully someone can answer this for me: If a player gets sin binned, do the team play with a man short, 12 players, like in soccer or not? I sincerely hope not, but just want to make sure.
Gareth
Guest
Once upon a time, a professional foul was all it took. These days it's very subjective. I'd rather see it enforced more often and with regularity than not at all. If a bloke holds on for too long after making a tackle on an opponent who has just made a linebreak, then he goes. Simple as that. In theory, anyway. It's just a shame there's also ambiguity when it comes to determining how long is too long.
Jackson
Guest
It's such an incredibly simple game, you wonder how the refs could get it so wrong...
oikee
Guest
The fans are the people so far into the game its not funny. Maybe we should let the fans deside the punishment, if something happens, have the fans tell the story.Example, listen to the fans roaring, then make a decision. If they are calling off, off, off, give the guy 10 minutes . :) And the coaches, if they here the fans, or Fan in Cronullas case, yelling out, give him the hook, maybe the coach should listen. :)
Hutchoman
Roar Pro
Refereeing shockers aside for a moment, is there a case for a "compulsory" sin bin for any penalty that occurs in your own defensive 20 metre area? Perhaps a short stint of say 5 minutes that will end immediately if the opposition scores? Discretion could always be applied to other offences in other areas of the field, but this makes the decision on sin binning much more objective, particularly at the end of the field where the vast majority of sin bins occur.
Luke Doherty
Guest
John, i'm continually stunned by the decisions of the video referees. It's like they're watching a different game to the rest of us.
Luke Doherty
Guest
Oikee, the sooner the NRL commission comes in the better. A lot of the issues involving the game will be ironed out. It's amazing that a game that so continually shoots itself in the foot can be so popular. It's all down to the amazing fans. I agree the future of the game in terms of crowds is based on AFL style membership drives. Here's hoping the commission gets up and running sooner rather than later.
oikee
Guest
How many times do you here the commentators asking, what are they looking at. ? These guys are dead set blind. I am convinced none of them have a clue. A quick look, yes its good , no its not, hit the button. Is this so hard.
John
Guest
After Badger's effort yesterday maybe some of the referees should be sin binned. This could also apply to the video refs. How many times did Hampstead have to look at the pass from Anasta to Leilua before getting it wrong?
oikee
Guest
Robert Finch is so far out of touch with rugby league its astounding. The dinosaurs running rugby league are that outdated, the game is being left so far behind other codes, we might be lucky to drag it into the 21st century come 2030. The only people involved in rugby league who are up to date are the fans, and maybe the Sunday Roast presenters. They highlight so many issues, we just watch and agree most the time. The point being, nothing seems to change until about 2 years later. Point as example, how long were they talking about the corner posts. ? 2 years later, during the season mind you, they decided to change the rule, which should have happened 2 years beforehand. Its comical, a complete joke. I will give you another example, Bruno Cullen, he is moving on, the biggest downfall of his tenour has been memberships, not growing them, so his replacement should go to the Lady in charge of the green-bay Packers, she seems to understand this part of the game, which the Broncos need to work hard to acheive a full house every game with at least 50 thousand members. On the reverse side, you have a dinosaur running the QRL, Ross Livermore, who refuses to stand down and let new blood into the game. If you look at all the good work in rugby league over the last few years, i think you will find its the new blood into the game driving these new changes home.. The game is stagnated, its fighting itself because these old crocks refuse to die. As for the 5 minute sin bin, haha, yeah, maybe in 2 years time we might see change that should have happened 2 years ago. ha.