South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett has called for the abolition of the NRL's video review system, known as the bunker, following his team's 20-10 elimination final loss to the Newcastle Knights on Friday night. Bennett's frustration stemmed from two pivotal decisions that he believes adversely affected the outcome of the match.
The first contentious incident occurred in the second half when Rabbitohs' winger Alex Johnston appeared to have the ball stripped by Knights' back-rower Jermaine McEwen. Play continued, leading to a try by Jayden Sullivan, which was initially awarded by on-field referee Ashley Klein. However, bunker official Chris Butler overruled the decision, ruling that Johnston had lost the ball in a knock-on, thereby disallowing the try. Bennett expressed his dissatisfaction, stating, "The quicker they get rid of the bunker, the happier I'll be." He questioned the consistency and authority of the officiating process, asking, "I want to know who is refereeing the game. Is it the bunker or is it the referee?" (pressnewsagency.org)
Another controversial moment involved a try awarded to Newcastle's Dominic Young, despite suspicions that his foot had touched the sideline. The bunker chose to uphold the on-field decision, further fueling Bennett's criticism of the system's reliability and its impact on the game's flow. He remarked, "The bunker was meant to be 100 per cent bulletproof, and it's not. It won't stop here tonight. There will be more instances through the play-offs, I can promise you." (zerotackle.com)
Bennett also highlighted the delays caused by bunker reviews, suggesting they disrupt the game's rhythm and provide unintended rest periods for players. He emphasized his preference for trusting on-field referees' decisions, acknowledging that while mistakes are inevitable, the bunker has not delivered the infallibility it promised. "I'm happy to live with the referee's call. Always have been. Always will be. None of us are getting it right. The bunker doesn't get it right either every time," Bennett concluded. (inkl.com)
The NRL has yet to respond to Bennett's comments, but his remarks have reignited the ongoing debate about the effectiveness and necessity of the bunker system in professional rugby league.