NRL News: Annesley hits back at sin bin critics, Crichton inks new deal, Manu out for a month, Titans bolters in Origin mix (2024)

The NRL appears unlikely to make changes to the sin bin despite calls from coaches to overhaul the system.

After Wests Tigers lost two players for 10 minutes in Sunday’s loss, Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson joined Dolphins counterpart Wayne Bennett in questioning whether the sin bin was being overused in the modern game.

In total, 71 players have been sin-binned across 17 rounds this season.

Coaches have long lamented inconsistencies in the use of the sin bin as well as perceived discrepancies between punishment for an offence on-field, and on the match review committee’s charge sheet.

Seven-time premiership winner Bennett last week suggested these frustrations could be allayed by reserving the sin bin for professional fouls, with foul play to be handled after fulltime.

The Australian Rugby League Commission will address these concerns about the sin bin as part of its end-of-season review, consulting coaches and clubs as part of that process.

But the game appears at long odds to make sweeping changes to the sin bin, having opted against doing so in the past.

“(The suggestions) are a matter for the commission to consider but I don’t think there’s going to be any backward step from the commission in relation to the approach that they take with foul play,” said NRL head of football Graham Annesley.

To find middle ground, the NRL could consider introducing a five-minute sin bin or allowing offending players to return from the sin bin if the opposition scored during their hiatus.

But it was perceived inconsistencies that led the league to scrap five-minute sin-bins in 1991, with Annesley also quick to acknowledge the deeper purpose the sin bin served.

“It acts as a deterrent for foul play. Just as they know they can be sent off for extreme foul play, (players) know that they can be sin-binned for foul play,” he said.

“It’s a complex question to answer and there’ll be a variety of different views on it but the rules are what they are.

“Sin bins, send-offs are not new to the game. Everyone knows that any step outside the boundaries of the laws of the game can risk stronger action than just on-field penalties.

“Everyone has to play within those guidelines.”

Annesley was also satisfied match officials made the right call denying Parramatta winger Blaize Talagi a try in the 34-26 loss to Newcastle on the grounds of a knock-on.

“If you elevate that up off the ground, the ball comes out of his hand and there’s nothing to stop it dropping away from the arm, so there’s no way this can be ruled a try,” he said.

He also backed the decision not to award Maika Sivo a try in the same game given insufficient evidence to overturn the on-field ruling that the winger had been short of the line.

“These things are literally matters of millimetres but close enough is not good enough. This was ruled no try on the field, so the bunker has to be able to prove conclusively that this was a try,” Annesley added.

Crichton staying at Roosters

Tricolours second-rower Angus Crichton will remain a Rooster – inking a fresh two-year deal which puts to bed talks with rival clubs and a rugby union switch.

The 28-year-old has put in a massive shift over the last two months, soaring from reserve grade at the start of the season to an Origin star.

Crichton’s future at the club was uncertain earlier in the season, when powerbrokers at Bondi head-hunted David Fifita on a four-year $3.3million deal.

The price tag for the Titan has been paralleled to Crichton – signing to an extension worth around $1.6million over two years, $800,000 a year.

The contract which flipped on its head left Crichton in limbo as their preferred backrower, but the club made a swift move to secure the former Rabbitoh given his incredible recent form.

Channel Nine’s Danny Wiedler tweeted on Monday morning, writing ‘BREAKING: Expect a two year deal to be done with Angus Crichton at the Roosters within 24 hours’.

With schoolboy links to rugby union, Crichton was a chance at jumping ship to Rugby Australia – making a play at the Wallabies squad for the 2027 world cup. His loyalty to rugby league almost certainly rules out a World Cup berth – and is a loss for the Panthers and Rabbitohs, who were reportedly interested in his services.

Sam Walker is able to negotiate with rival clubs come November 1 but the Roosters are keen to lock down the rising star to a long-term deal.

The young halfback has been arguably their strongest performer this year and with clubs like the Titans and the Broncos in search of a playmaker, he could command a seven-figure salary when he comes off contract at the end of next season.

With veteran Adam Reynolds getting closer to retirement, Walker would be an attractive proposition for Brisbane to return to Queensland and steer the Broncos around the park.

The new franchises in Perth and Papua New Guinea will also be on the hunt for big names in the coming seasons so Walker could extend his deal by a season or two in order to keep that option open as a way of increasing his bargaining power.

Sam Walker is able to negotiate with rival clubs come November 1 but the Roosters are keen to lock down the rising star to a long-term deal.

The young halfback has been arguably their strongest performer this year and with clubs like the Titans and the Broncos in search of a playmaker, he could command a seven-figure salary when he comes off contract at the end of next season.

With veteran Adam Reynolds getting closer to retirement, Walker would be an attractive proposition for Brisbane to return to Queensland and steer the Broncos around the park.

The new franchises in Perth and Papua New Guinea will also be on the hunt for big names in the coming seasons so Walker could extend his deal by a season or two in order to keep that option open as a way of increasing his bargaining power.

But according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, the Roosters are about to kick off formal negotiations to lock Walker down to a long-term deal.

With Luke Keary retiring, Joey Manu and Joseph Suaalii heading to rugby union, the club has plenty of cash to splash on Walker’s next contract.

Second-rower Sitili Tupouniua is on his way out of Bondi Junction with Canterbury the frontrunner to secure his services.

Manly and the Dolphins are also trying to get his signature.

Manu out for a month

Roosters star Joseph Manu will be sidelined for the next four rounds after fracturing his left hand in two spots against the Tigers on Sunday.

Manu dropped to his knees after fending Tigers centre Adam Doueihi, who surrendered in the tackle with the Rooster in physical pain. He is now set to undergo surgery.

“(It’s a) Broken hand, which is disappointing,” Robinson said post game.

“I was hoping it was a cork, as soon as I saw the replay I knew it wasn’t great.

“I didn’t see him, he’s gone to have it repaired or looked at straight away.”

It leaves the Chooks thin in the backs department, with second-rower Sitili Tupouniua already filling in as left centre.

Junior Pauga is still serving a suspension for his swinging arm on Connor Tracey, while Joseph Suaalii, Billy Smith and Robert Toia are all currently injured or suspended.

Blues utility Connor Watson filled in for Manu, while Angus Crichton has also featured in the centres for the Roosters on past occasions.

Titans trio a chance for Origin decider

With winger Xavier Coates ruled out of Origin III, Billy Slater is likely to bring Selwyn Cobbo back into the Queensland side but that would involve scrapping previous plans to use him as a bench utility.

Slater controversially selected the Brisbane flyer on the interchange for game one, but his utility value paid off when fullback Reece Walsh went down with a head knock early on.

Cobbo was then rested him from game two after the Queensland camp thought he was not mentally prepared for the occasion, with replacement utility Kurt Capewell struggling for impact.

Veteran Queenslander Dane Gagai is another option to come into the Maroons’ backline, having been selected in the extended squad for game two.

Alofiana Khan-Pereira, who entered round 17 as the NRL’s leading tryscorer, and his Gold Coast teammate Phil Sami are out-of-the-box choices.

Another Titan, star forward David Fifita, is also in the mix for the July 17 showdown at Suncorp Stadium to give the Maroons extra attacking firepower on the edges.

Fifita was surprisingly omitted from the first two games despite playing a key role in last year’s Origin series win.

with AAP