- Wayne Bennett has called for urgent changes in the NRL
- Feels the Bunker has to go, officiating must improve
- Bennett spoke out amid grave fears ‘for the game he loves’
Supercoach Wayne Bennett has questioned the relevance of the NRL Bunker before criticising the standard of refereeing, declaring: ‘if I was a punter I couldn’t bet a penny on rugby league at the moment.’
Bennett, 74, also wants to see the sin bin abolished and send-off rules changed.
‘I have to stand up for the players and the game I have spent my whole life being a part of and loving,’ the Dolphins head coach told Fox Sports.
‘We can’t hide and pretend it is not a problem..it [officiating] is causing massive frustration, not just with the players and coaches, but the fans.’
Bennett – who will return to the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2025 – pointed to glaring inconsistences in NRL games in recent weeks.
He said four of his Dolphins players have copped head knocks the past fortnight – and in each instance, no penalty was awarded.
In one match, a doctor felt star centre Herbie Farnworth was concussed, so he was removed from the field for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA).
In contrast, the referee accused the English international of feigning to be injured on the field.
NRL supercoach Wayne Bennett has questioned the relevance of the Bunker and criticised the standard of refereeing
Dolphins head coach Wayne Bennett also wants to see the sin bin abolished and send-off rules changed
Bennett felt obliged to speak out as he fears for the future of the code if changes are not implemented (pictured, a Dolphins home game at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane)
Bennett’s proposed solution was simple – if any player is hit in the head – unless it is clearly accidental – then it should be a penalty.
The supercoach – who has won seven NRL premierships dating back to 1992 with the Broncos – wasn’t finished yet.
He wants the sin-bin to be scrapped entirely, and if a player is sent off, teams then can call on a replacement player after 10 minutes.
Bennett also suggested the send-off should cost the offending team three interchanges – while the player given an early shower should not return to the contest.
Areas of the NRL Bennett admires includes the salary cap and the strength of the 17-team competition.
