‘RIP rugby league’: NRL fans slam sin bin slapping call

Rugby league fans have lost their marbles after two opposing players were sent to the sin bin for a relatively minor offence.

Dylan Edwards and Keenan Palasi were sin binned for open palming each other to the face.

NRL fans are up in arms over the decision to send two players to the sin bin for slapping each other with open hands to the face.

The incident occurred during the second half of the Good Friday clash between the Penrith Panthers and Brisbane Broncos.

Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards offered a few chirpy words to Broncos prop Keenan Palasia after the Panthers were awarded a penalty.

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Palasia didn’t take too kindly to what Edwards said and responded by smacking him in the face with an open hand slap.

Edwards then slapped Palasia with an open palm before a melee ensued. But the referee had seen enough and sent both players to the sin bin.

“Both of them have done the same thing with an open hand strike, both going to the bin," the referee said.

Viewers were stunned a slap to the face was sufficient to see a player sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes.

Keenan Palasi face palmed Dylan Edwards. Photo: Fox Sports.

Edwards returned serve. Photo: Fox Sports.

The ref was having none of it. (Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)

Fox League commentator Andrew Voss said: “Forceful contact to the head from both players. “What do you say about that? Is the open handed slap to the face any different to the punch?”

Michael Ennis replied: “Clearly not, not in the modern game.”

Voss said: “Old blokes are crying at the moment at the way the game changed but that is the modern day one-on-one stoush.”

Ennis quipped: “Steve Roach has just put the blindfold on.”

On Channel 9, NRL legend Andrew Johns said: “If someone gets sin binned for this, I’m gonna walk home barefoot.”

NRL fans believed the decision to sin bin Edwards and Palasia was far too harsh.

The Daily Telegraph’s Dean Ritchie tweeted: “Two open hand slaps, two sin bins. RIP, rugby league.”

“Open-handed strike”????

Both in the bin? Imagine that in a grand final or Origin.

Not to be endorsed but surely there is middle ground #nrlpanthersbroncos

— QUENTIN HULL (@QuentinHull) April 15, 2022

Well, that was a slap in the face for both sides. #NRLPanthersBroncos

— Veronica Eggleton (@veggleton) April 15, 2022

The Broncos came out firing and scored the first try of the game through Tesi Niu and were competitive in the first half.

But after halftime it was all Penrith as the reigning premiers piled on five tries in the second half to run away with a 40-12 victory at home.

The Panthers are on top of the table after six rounds and are yet to lose a game this season.