SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 30: Jarome Luai of the Wests Tigers reacts during the round four NRL match between Wests Tigers and New Zealand Warriors at Campbelltown Sports Stadium, on March 30, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images) Photo: Darrian Traynor
The NRL has admitted at least four players should have been given their marching orders following high shots during Round 4 matches.
Speaking on Australia's NRL 360 on Monday night, rugby league journalist Buzz Rothfield initially reported that all high shots would be "instant" sin-bins going forward - the result of a "sin bin crackdown" following last week's games.
Earlier on Monday, NRL's head of football Graham Annesley had written to all 17 clubs admitting match officials failed to sin bin players on at least four occasions when they should have for foul play - including Wests Tigers' Jarome Luai's tackle on Warriors' forward Edward Kosi during Sunday night's clash, news.com.au reported.
Broncos' Jordan Riki's high shot on Dolphins' winger Jack Bostock, Dolphins' Tom Gilbert's high shot on Broncos Kotoni Staggs and Bulldogs' Reed Mahoney high shot on Sharks' Daniel Atkinson were the other incidents cited by the NRL which should have resulted in a bin.
All four players remained on field in their respective matches before later accepting either fines or suspensions.
In its email, the NRL said the weekend's lack of action would not set a new precedent and players were reminded to improve their tackling technique because of the rise in "shoulder to head" contact, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Warriors forward Edward Kosi Photo: PHOTOSPORT
NRL CEO Andrew Abdo has since clarified that some high tackles will simply be penalised, but "direct forceful contact to the head with no mitigation" will result in players being sent to the bin.
"It's important to acknowledge that the referees do a great job and get 98 per cent of the calls right," Abdo said on NRL 360. "There are some calls that are going to be 50/50 and debated ... and then there are calls that are just wrong, and are errors.
"Over the weekend, we identified (incidents of) direct forceful contact to the head with no mitigation, and that's a clear sin bin."
Abdo went on to say that referees "know what the decision trees look like" in deciding what might be penalised, or where there might be some mitigation.
"So when we saw shoulders directly into the head, no mitigation, the player wasn't falling ... that's a clear sin bin, and we saw about four of those occasions this round, and it was unfortunate."
Kosi briefly left the game for an HIA after Luai hit him with a shoulder to the head, but returned to the field of play in the 58th minute. The Warriors went on to beat the Tigers 26-24.
The club did not wish to comment on Annesley's email when contacted by RNZ.
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