‘Lost the plot’: Bulldog’s foul act sparks outrage across the game

NRL commentators are up in arms after a Bulldogs star got away with murder, committing an ugly act against a Broncos star.

Everyone saw it except the Bunker.

The NRL’s much maligned video referee system is under fire again after Bulldogs star Sitili Tupouniua got away with an ugly act during his team’s 42-18 loss to the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday night.

Canterbury had a night to forget with three players sent to the sin bin — but they were lucky Tupouniua wasn’t sent from the field for a second time.

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NRL commentators were almost universally gobsmacked that Tupouniua was able to stay on the field and did not receive at least a sin bin after he raised his knees while running at Broncos defender Brendan Piakura in the second half.

You can watch the incident in the video player above.

Sitili Tupouniua cannon balled into the Broncos defence. Photo: Fox League.

Replays showed the Bulldogs’ second-rower collected Piakura in the head with his knee and then followed up with another kicking motion that also collected Piakura again as he slumped in the tackle attempt.

Referee Gerard Sutton spotted Tupouniua’s act and immediately awarded the Broncos a penalty and put Tupouniua on report. After reviewing the incident the video match official informed Sutton that the incident warranted no further action.

The Bunker madness boggled the mind of some fans.

Leading rugby league journalist Phil Rothfield posted on X: “How the f*** is Tupouniua not in the sin bin. Kneed a bloke in the head”

He went on to write: “This actually could have been a send off. Sin bin at very least. The NRL has completely lost the plot with the bunker.”

Roosters legend Brad Fittler said on Nine: “You can’t have that”.

Bulldogs cult hero Michael Ennis also said Tupouniua was “lucky to stay on the field”.

Sport journalist John Dean wrote: “Tupouniua should be in the bin again”.

Another fan posted: “Tupouniua should be binned. That’s garbage. Knee raised as high as possible. Hits a tackler in the head... what are we doing here?”

The act of foul play came just eight minutes after the former Roosters forward had returned to the field after serving his 10-minute sentence in the sin bin for a high tackle.

Sitili Tupouniua was sin binned for the high tackle. Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images.

Prop Josh Curran was the first Bulldogs player sent to the sin bin in the first half for another high tackle on Broncos forward Payne Haas. Tupouniua was the second and then Marcelo Montoya made it a triple binning when he was given his marching orders in the second half.

Broncos flyer Deine Mariner was binned in the 73rd minute when hitting Viliame Kikau high.

Despite the big win, the Broncos have plenty of other concerns.

Broncos star Adam Reynolds had the ball on a string throughout the match, but he left the field in the final minutes with a shoulder injury.

With prop Haas on fire and Selwyn Cobbo impressing at fullback in Reece Walsh’s absence, Brisbane looked near unstoppable.

It was the first time the Bulldogs have lowered their colours this season after a red hot start to 2025.

The Dogs remain one of the teams to beat this year, but the Broncos brought Canterbury fans back down to Earth on Thursday night.

Originally published as ‘Lost the plot’: Bulldog’s foul act sparks outrage across the game