‘Mass confusion’ strikes NRL with sin bin drama dividing the league

One tackle in the clash between the Sharks and Dragons has left the NRL baffled as the league’s crackdown lottery strikes again.

You have to assume that any high shot will be sin binned from now on.

As the NRL’s high shot crackdown wears into a second week, commentators have been left completely split on a sin bin during the Sharks 13-12 golden point win over the St George Illawarra Dragons.

While many of the sin bins since the crackdown began have been for regulation high shots, Sharks winger Mawene Hiroti opened a new can of worms with a different kind of shot that had the NRL split on how to punish it.

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With the score 6-0 with seconds left in the first half, a dropped ball by the Sharks while attacking the Dragons line saw St George flyer Cody Ramsey get the ball and take off in broken play.

He looked like he was away until Cronulla winger Mawene Hiroti came across in defence, making the tackle.

But he hit him over the top of the shoulder, wrapping up the ball but also coming in contact with the head.

The high shot that divided commentators.

The penalty was immediately blown by referee Ben Cummins and Hiroti was given his marching orders with 26 seconds left in the half.

Earlier in the half, prop Paul Vaughan had been sin binned for a more traditional high shot.

“It’s high but I don’t think it’s as bad as Vaughan’s one,” Braith Anasta said. “I’m a bit torn on this one.

“You and I don’t know if it’s 10 in the bin or not. From what we see, we still don’t know. After the last couple of rounds, we don’t see a shot like this and go ‘that’s 10 definitely’ or not. We‘re not sure still, so when are we going to know.

“I’m okay with it but it’s still a bit confusing.”

It was the second of three sin bins for the match and seven so far this round as his Sharks teammate Josh Dugan was given 10 in the bin in the second half.

But for the Hiroti incident, Gorden Tallis was happy with the decision.

“When you’re covering, look how much body you have to tackle, he can hit him in the legs, in the back, above the shorts, he can hit him anywhere — and he aims for the head,” Tallis said. “He doesn’t aim for the ball, didn’t bounce off the shoulder, I’m alright with that one.”

Greg Alexander said he couldn’t argue with the sin bin.

Ben Cummins gave Mawene Hiroti his marching orders.

Meanwhile, rugby league great Phil Gould believed it was even worth the 10 in the bin.

“I think it got him on the chest,” Gould told Nine.

“I don’t think it hit him in the head. It was over the top of his shoulder, he had to pull him down.”

The ref wasn't going to sin bin but the video man took over ! That WASN'T worth 10! #NRL#NRLSharksDragons

— Bernie Coen (@berniecoen) May 21, 2021

For a third opinion, post match, Dragons coach Anthony Griffin said the new rules are fine if its consistent but in its current state, it was causing “mass confusion”.

He appeared to be arguing that the sin bin wasn’t enough.

“For my bloke the fullback, he can’t protect himself when he’s running with the ball like that,” he said. “And the kid had a whole body to tackle him, he could have tackled him around the legs or around the waist. If ever they were going to look at a deliberate high shot — and it put him out of the game — that was one of them. It’s confusion.”

But more confusion came after the 6pm game between the New Zealand and the Wests Tigers saw Warriors player Jazz Tevaga was put on report twice for high shots but not sin binned.

“Is this what we’re turning into? We’re going to be debating whether blokes should be sin-binned?” Alexander asked.

“I don’t want to be doing that, I don’t like that.”

Almost halfway through the second round of the crackdown, it appears that the NRL is no closer to ending the confusion.