Bunker official Liam Kennedy is likely to be stood down over the decision not to send Stephen Crichton to the sin bin in Canterbury’s win over the Warriors on Friday night.
The Bulldogs’ victory, one that keeps alive their chances of a top-four finish, has come at a significant cost. Kurt Mann’s season appears over after he suffered a suspected broken collarbone and he will need the Bulldogs to go deep into the finals to be any chance of playing again in 2024, while Crichton is facing one to two weeks on the sidelines for his controversial tackle.
The match review committee has slapped Crichton with a grade-two careless high tackle charge after he collected Roger Tuivasa-Sheck with his shoulder. That moment effectively ended Tuivasa-Sheck’s NRL season, given he was forced from the field for a head injury assessment, which was deemed a category one, and the Warriors have the bye in the final round.
In explaining the decision not to send Crichton from the field, referee Wyatt Raymond said there was a “high level of mitigation” in the tackle. Raymond’s handling of the issue will also be investigated.
The NRL is not permitted to comment on an active judiciary case, but sources at head office are disappointed about the lack of action taken on the field.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck leaves the field on Friday night after being hit high by Stephen Crichton. The Warriors star won’t play again this season.Credit: NRL Photos
The decision has drawn criticism after Manly spent 30 minutes of Thursday night’s loss to the Tigers with just 12 men on the field after three Sea Eagles were sent to the sin bin.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, former premiership-winning prop Martin Lang described the failure to sin bin Crichton as a “dreadful decision”.
“Crichton is fortunate to remain on the field at all,” Lang posted. “A send-off would have been sufficient.”
Former Panthers hardman Mark Geyer also expressed frustration on X, posting: “What! Manly had 3 players binned last night for the exact same thing! CONSISTENCY!!”
Stephen Crichton crosses for a try against the Warriors, and now faces a stint on the sidelines.Credit: NRL Photos
The issue has dominated talkback radio on Saturday.
“It was as straightforward [a sin bin] as it comes, especially if you watch Thursday night footy and you see three players were sent off,” said former Eels and Dragons forward Justin Horo on SEN’s The Mowers Club.
“I would argue that Stephen Crichton’s was worse than Haumole Olakau’atu’s and Corey Waddell …
“I’m just so confused at the moment. Whether it be the officiating with the referees to begin with, and it’s snowballing and adding pressure by the time it gets to the bunker. I don’t know how you watch Thursday night footy and then Friday as a Warriors fan and [not be] left confused and angry.”
Warriors coach Andrew Webster rarely comments on match officials, but was frustrated by the incident.
“I’m struggling to understand how a shoulder can go into Roger’s head and the bunker’s got ages to see it in a critical time of the game, and then we lose Roger and we’ve got to reshuffle all our team,” Webster said.
“We’ve got to protect our players. And I just don’t see the consistency one little bit around that.”
Jazz Tevaga, Addin Fonua-Blake, Brendan Piakura and Reagan Campbell-Gillard attracted charges from Friday night football, but will escape suspension by accepting fines.
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