Controversial Calls: The Hip Drop Tackle Debacle & Bunker Blunders in NRL Matches

Rugby in general

RUGBY LEAGUE QUESTIONS,QUESTIONS, AND MORE QUESTIONS????

What is a hip drop tackle? Well I can not tell you any more. I though I knew ,but obviously I don’t.

Aidan Sezer’s tackle on Josh Curran in the second half with the Bulldogs up 16-14 appeared to be a textbook example of a hip drop. BUT NO. Remarkably, Sezer was only placed on report. Maybe by Monday, we will get some lame excuse from the NRL, and it will be a hip drop tackle. 

I refer to the incident during Thursday night’s Panthers-Rabbitohs clash which saw Penrith outside back Izack Tago sent to the sin bin.

At that venue two nights ago, Izack Tago with a hip drop tackle on Jye Gray, and was sent to the sin bin.

Aidan Sezer executes a hip-drop tackle on Josh Curran, yet remains on the field. This scenario might leave you scratching your head.

The Bunker is there. They had a look at it a number of times in the replay. That’s the Bunker’s call. In such a situation, they must communicate to the referee that it warrants a sin bin offense.

In the bunker was Gerard Sutton.

On Thursday this type of tackle is a hip drop, On Saturday it is NOT.

Panthers star Izack Tago has learned his fate over an ugly hip drop which saw him sin binned during Thursday nights clash with the Rabbitohs.

Tago will face a one-game suspension with an early guilty plea, and two games if he chooses to challenge it at the judiciary and is unsuccessful. This outcome might come as a relief to Panthers fans, especially in light of Lachlan Galvin and Max Plath receiving two-match bans for comparable tackles earlier in the season.

OFFICIALS.

Overall they are reasonably good ,but there are several, referee’s, touch judges, and bunker officials who are terrible.

When a pass is thrown, in front of the touchie, on a 20 metre line, and goes forward by 2-3 metres, and you miss it. WOW.

On Kasey Badger. YOU CAN NOT CONTROL A GAME. IT IS BEYOND YOU. Time and time again I have watched your attempt at refereeing and you are terrible. This is not women bashing. This is fact. No wonder players are frustrated. This ref is a clown for sure. She is not up to NRL standard and should be dropped down to reserve grade for further training. This is not an attack on her as a person. This is simply saying you are not good enough at your job. Like any job if you are incapable of performing your duties you are removed or trained .

I counted seven captains challenges which were successful. Really seven, How many can a referee get wrong in one game.

Players and coaches either get dropped to a lower grade, or sacked for poor results ,but these officials get nothing for their inept performance. They are relegated to the touch line job with their seeing eye dogs.

I also watched Belinda Sharpe in the Titans/Storm game and she was good, bar one big mistake at the end, which cost the Titans the game.

The Storm’s victory was secured following a contentious penalty decision, prompted by a mistaken ruling from the Bunker. It deemed Titans winger Jojo Fifita guilty of an illegal strip on Nick Meaney, despite the Storm center attempting an offload at the time.

Said one experienced commentator with dozens of games under his belt. The individual in the Bunker seems to lack firsthand experience playing rugby league. There is no attempt to strip, That someone is Chris Butler.

Considering they have cameras everywhere, and can slow the pictures down frame by frame, and still get it wrong. AMAZING.

I could mention the Api Koroisau ,no try debacle, with Peter Gough in the bunker a week ago, but why bother. When Gus Gould called the game stupid, and got fined 20K by the NRL recently for making that statement, I think he might be right.

We only hear some lame excuse on Monday that a mistake was made. To late then. The game is over on Monday. The points have gone.

Penalty Try or Not?

The Warriors appeared to be denied what seemed like a clear penalty try, as winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak was prevented from scoring a try due to an act of foul play.

Despite trailing 8-6, the Warriors were not granted a penalty try even though winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak was tackled in the air while in the in-goal area. Many observers questioned this decision, noting that if he had caught the ball, it would likely have resulted in a try without issue. The lack of a penalty try call left many puzzled about the decision-making process.

Even though the Bunker confirmed the foul play in the one-on-one act, neither a penalty try nor a sin-binning was awarded. This decision left the Warriors trailing 8-6 at halftime, prompting frustration among their supporters.

In the bunker was Liam Kennedy. See what I mean, these guys are amateurs, at best.

Referee Chris Butler reportedly told Shaun Johnson “we never give penalty tries for that” as they walked off at halftime. This statement raises questions about the criteria for awarding penalty tries.

Again ,when Graeme Annesley talks on Monday it will be a try. To little, to late.

Comments