Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett has floated an unusual idea for players to be replaced when they are sent to the sin bin and increase the time out to 15 minutes.
He claims the NRL’s spike in the use of the sin bin in recent years is “killing the game” for fans and teams should only be down to 12 if a player commits a serious act of foul play worthy of a send-off.
“We have to have 13 on 13 because from the fans’ point of view that is what is killing the game,” Bennett said.
“We have only had three send-offs this year so I think we can all live with that,” he said in a NewsCorp interview. “But we have had 110 sin bins, so that illustrates the issue we are dealing with here.
“What we should be trying to do is keep the game as even as we possibly can and that would be having 13 versus 13, not 12 versus 13. Because by doing that you are not ruining the spectacle of the game and the distorted scoreboard that can happen in that period of time.
“The reason we have so many sin bins now is because the game is a lot tougher on any tackles to do with the head or the neck, and we don’t want to change that.
“But we have to adjust our thinking to how we keep this game equal in terms of the contest.”
Bennett was fuming over Dolphins forward Ray Stone being banished to the sin bin last week for a high shot in a crucial stage of his team’s loss to the Roosters.
Stone was later charged by the match review committee and suspended for two matches.
The NRL is highly unlikely to change its sin bin rules despite Bennett’s left-field idea.
Haas can see trophies on Brisbane’s horizon
Payne Haas says the way Brisbane have turned around their title prospects convinced him to re-commit to the NRL club, extending his contract until the end of 2026.
Fielding multi-million dollar offers from rivals, the NSW Origin prop opted to remain in Brisbane where he started his NRL career.
The 23-year-old, who was already signed with the Broncos until the end of 2024, has inked a two-year extension to top that.
His manager Ahmad Merhi told AAP Haas had knocked back a $2 million-per-season contract with a rival suitor to accept the Broncos deal.
Haas has stated his desire to win premierships and he believes he can do that at the Broncos, who are currently ladder leaders.
Payne Haas. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
He notched his 100th NRL game in last Friday’s win over Parramatta and has won the past four Paul Morgan Medals as the club’s player of the year.
“I feel grateful and blessed to be able to stay here at the Broncos,” Haas said in a statement after previously shying away from commenting on his playing future.
“We’ve come up, most of us, through the (NYC) 20’s comp and it shows how close our bond is that we have stuck together through the not-so-good experiences in past years.
“We’ve taken our lessons and stuck together and we’re like a new team now – I’m just real proud of the boys’ efforts to turn things around, and I’m grateful that I can be part of it all into the future.”
Broncos coach Kevin Walters was delighted to have Haas locked away long term.
“We all know what a fantastic player Payne is and how hard he works at his game – he’s a huge part of our club and we are really happy that he is going to be in Broncos colours for years to come,” Walters said.
“Payne belongs at our club, it’s his home, he made his debut here, and to have won the Paul Morgan Medal four times already at his young age shows how committed he is to the Broncos and his teammates.
“The impressive thing is that Payne believes there is still growth in his game and we are looking forward to helping him continue to improve as part of what we are building here together at the Broncos.”
Tamou calls time in epic career
Premiership-winning forward James Tamou has announced his retirement from rugby league, saying he had nothing much left to give.
Tamou was given a lap of honour at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Thursday after the Cowboys went down 32-12 to Cronulla in Townsville.
“Three hundred and seven games, I couldn’t ask for anything more,” Tamou told the Nine Network.
“I’ve been around the world and I was very fortunate to come up here this year, but I’ve got to listen to my body.”
The veteran prop was offered a one-year deal at the Cowboys after departing Wests Tigers last year to finish his career back where it all began.
But since scoring in a win over Gold Coast in round four, Tamou has missed the majority of the season due to a foot injury, before returning via the Queensland Cup in recent weeks.
After making his first-grade debut in 2009, Tamou chalked up 307 NRL appearances, along with 14 State of Origin games for NSW and 12 Tests for New Zealand.
James Tamou. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
He appeared in two grand finals over his decorated career, losing in 2020 as skipper for Penrith and famously starring in the Cowboys’ 17-16 win over Brisbane in 2015.
Tamou scored the second try of the game but more importantly had a rapid play-the-ball to set up Jonathan Thurston’s premiership-winning drop goal that sealed a maiden title for the club.
Across three teams, Tamou registered 172 games for the Cowboys, 97 for Penrith and 38 for Wests.
“Life-long friends is one of the benefits rugby league brings,” Tamou added.
“It’s one of those things that some people treat as a job, others a lifestyle, and I’m just fortunate to be in the game long enough to withstand those long-term things and have some long-term relationships along the way.”
London Panther
Roar Rookie
As a fan, I didn’t know the game was being ‘killed’ by these sin bins. In fact, I wish there were more sin bins (of the 10 min variety) than less, with the refs not being crucified for expecting the teams to play in a non-cynical way.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
What about the opposition team, who have done nothing wrong, yet could easily lose a player for the match? What about their supporters who want to see an even contest? They could lose players to HIAs thanks to guys poor tackling technique, so they're down to 14 or 15 guys, yet the opposition has a full compliment, both and off the field. How is that fair? I can also see the return of the cynical professional foul. If a team's ahead in the grand final for example and know they can have guys replaced if they're binned, they'll do whatever they can to stop the opposition legally or otherwise, short of committing an offence to get a player sent off. In fact, this suggestion gives them 4 shots at that if they've still got their full compliment of 17. In effect, it's an extra substitution and coaches would exploit it for exactly that reason. Use up all the interchanges, commit a few professional fouls and get fresh legs on.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
The sin bin is meant to a punishment for professional fouls. It's unfair if said fouls become par for the course because the consequences a essentially nil. Bennett's doctors might need to adjust his meds.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
The details could be ironed out later, but I’m more looking at the general principle first.
mushi
Roar Guru
You could go every infraction after the first on that possession and any in the final 20m. Deliberate professional fouls should be a major penalty.
Cam
Roar Rookie
If we are talking something like a shoulder-charge to head, I like the concept of a sin-binned player only able to return to the field once the other bloke has passed his HIA.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
Not sure about two minutes for every infraction, it would rob the game of its flow. Just give for professional fouls, eg deliberately holding down in a tackle after a break, and accidental high shots, 10 for careless or dangerous offences, with send offs for reckless or accidental actions.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
I’m aware of the differences, I’m a Boston Bruins tragic. I was making the times relevant for RL. Obviously two minutes is nothing in RL.
Cam
Roar Rookie
I’ve always suggested league (and union) adopt the ice hockey penalty box rules, taking players off the field, which is counter to Bennett’s suggestion. Just a correction, in ice-hockey it is 2 minutes for minors and 5 minutes for majors, which can lend itself to implementing a 2 minute bin for every penalty. Offside in D, that’s 2 minutes in the bin, offside at the next set and you might be down to 11 players for 60 seconds. You would see these power-plays where teams are all-out attack while they have a numerical advantage.
Cam
Roar Rookie
Ahhh, such an obvious a solution, free interchanges instead of sin-bins. One of your best Wayne, now go outside and play while the adults talk.
Dunning Kruger
Roar Rookie
No his idea is about punishing the player, not the team or the fans.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
Leave HIA’s out of the equation for now
The Barry
Roar Guru
Cynical penalties, professional fouls and players constantly pushing the gauntlet and testing referees is “ruining the game” for me far more than referees punishing players for all of the above plus foul play Maybe focus on cleaning that stuff up Wayne & co and then you can have a crack at referees ruining the game…
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
The average punter doesn't seem to worry too much about understanding the rules, given the mania for ref bashing at the moment so no, I don't.
Horses for Courses
Roar Rookie
You really expect the average punter to follow all that?
matth
Roar Guru
I like it
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
So Wayne's idea about punishing teams, when a guy commits a foul worthy of time off the field, is to allow that team to bring on a fresh replacement? What about if a guy gets binned, they're off for 20 minutes and the team's allowed a replacement but they lose an interchange. If they have no interchanges left, they can't replace the binned player. If the player is binned for a tackle that results in a failed HIA, they can be replaced but only until the HIA comes back or for 20 minutes if it's negative. If it's positive, the replacement has to leave the field until the 20 minutes is up and the binned cannot rejoin the game, ie if one team's down to 16 players because of foul play, so should the team doing the fouling.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
Rugby League should take a leaf out of ice hockey. 5 minutes for minor offences, 10 minutes for serious fences, send offs for reckless or intentional foul play. Instead of the ridiculous situation where the player has to go to the sheds, just have a penalty box on the sideline and let the player back on if the opposition scored a try for the sin bins, but not for send offs.