NRL 2021: Play will continue to be pulled back for major offences despite Wayne Bennett’s disapproval

The NRL have fired back at Wayne Bennett’s criticism of the bunker by insisting the game will continue to be stopped to go back for major offences.

Sorry Wayne, if the offence is serious, the game will be stopped.

The NRL has hit back at Souths coach Wayne Bennett, who blasted the bunker’s insistence at stopping play – and killing momentum – by reviewing incidents that have occurred up to three and four tackles earlier.

Bennett was fired up with the bunker, who continue to stop play up to a minute after an alleged indirection before forcing referees to return to the spot and punish offending players.

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Wayne Bennett isn’t happy with the bunker continuously slowing down play.

NRL head of football, Graham Annesley, stressed the rule would remain and that Bennett’s criticism “doesn’t cut the mustard.”

Sharks halfback Chad Townsend was penalised two tackles after an incident with South Sydney’s Cody Walker on Saturday night while Manly played a full set before play was stopped and the bunker penalised Brisbane’s Tevita Pangai.

“We always have to reserve the right for players who have committed major offences to be picked up during the game whether it’s immediately or in the following play because that can have a big impact on the game,” Annesley said.

“These days, if a player is put on report or sent to the sin bin, then that has an impact on the team that was offended against because they get a free interchange if the player was placed on report. And they get to activate their 18th man if the player was sent to the sin bin.

“So just suggesting serious incidents should be left up to the match review committee if they’re missed during the run of play, I don’t think that cuts the mustard.

“In the case of major incidents that would result in a player potentially being either placed on report, sin binned or sent off, because of the implications it has for the team that’s been fouled, sometimes we will have to go back and take action.”

Chad Townsend was penalised a couple of tackles after an incident with Cody Walker.

Annesley did though concede some lesser offences would be overlooked to ensure a free-flowing game.

“The NRL agrees that going back in time for relatively minor incidents is probably not worth stopping the game for. Wayne’s got a point,” he said.

“If it’s a minor incident, then, yes, I think it’s probably something that can be left if it’s missed during the run of play.”

Annesley said referees have been coached and mentored about determining which incidents were deemed “serious or minor.”

“It’s no different to a referee, they use discretion when they look at incidents,” Annesley said.

“We’ve been doing a lot of work with the referees to try and get them all on the same page about degrees of seriousness.

Graham Annesley said the NRL won’t stop going back in play to punish major offences.

“We have been giving them video examples of what would normally constitute a player being placed on report, what would constitute a player being sent to the sin bin and what would constitute a player being sent off.

“Of course, there will always be occasional instances where people don’t agree with their judgment. That’s rugby league, that’s life.”

Bennett was talking after his Rabbitohs withstood a late Cronulla surge to record a 32-22 win.

“I’m totally supportive of the head stuff but I’m not supportive of the game letting things go on for a minute after it and we come back and stop the whole game. Then we go through the whole video and we put someone on report and give a penalty,” Bennett said.

“You’ve got to understand that the game relies on momentum and for the game to be attractive it needs to have momentum in it. Every time you stop the game, you break the momentum.

“And then everybody has to go back and these guys are so fit and they have to start it all over again. We are in the entertainment business, don’t kid yourselves. If I’m sitting at home with the remote, I can go to any channel I want.

“If the ref doesn’t see then let’s just get on with it. There were about four tonight when the game went on and we went back … who is reffing the game? Is it the bunker? The bunker is there for the support of the referees.”

Originally published as NRL 2021: Play will continue to be pulled back for major offences despite Wayne Bennett’s disapproval