NRL admits failure in Bunker system that 'doesn't work'

The NRL has conceded the Bunker got it wrong when stripping the Roosters of a crucial try on Thursday night.

The Chooks were trailing 0-12 to Penrith in the first half when Joey Manu wrestled his way over the tryline to turn the momentum in favour of the home side.

But after a long examination the video referee overturned the try, ruling Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards had been obstructed by Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.

The rules state a lead runner must not stop in the defensive line, and Waerea-Hargreaves did the right thing in moving well past the defensive line so as not to give away a penalty.

But Edwards, running across as cover defender, collided with the front-rower, which the Bunker deemed obstruction.

The Roosters were on the wrong end of two separate Bunker calls.

The call left many experts – as well as the Roosters – stunned, and on Friday NRL’s head of football Graham Annesley conceded it was incorrect.

“In the circumstances, the Bunker does have discretion to consider whether a defender could have prevented the try,” he said, according to News Corp.

“In my opinion, the try would have been scored regardless and the on-field decision should not have been overturned”.

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The Roosters were again on the wrong end of a Bunker decision later in the game when Penrith was awarded a try to Sunia Turuva.

On this occasion the Panthers lead runner, Liam Martin, did illegally stop in the defensive line and prevented Sitili Tupouniua from sliding, as well as making slight contact with Luke Keary.

Despite this, the Bunker opted not to overturn the Panthers try. They won the game 22-16.

Roosters coach Trent Robinson was surprisingly calm in his post-game press conference but did question how one could be ruled a try, and the other not.

“Sitili got knocked over in our one, and was he going to save the try? No, he wasn’t. I don’t think he (Edwards) would have got there either on Joey Manu,” Robinson said.

“I feel like there were two different rulings in that case.

“I don’t want to blow it out of proportion too much, but sometimes they’re black and white with their decision, and then sometimes they’ve got the decision-making component and it varies on when they apply it. That’s probably what happened.

“They were black and white with the obstruction because Edwards changes his line as well, and so they were black and white with the call. But on the one where there was an obstruction, they leave it to interpretation.

“I don’t think we get it that wrong, to be honest. There are highlights because we scrutinise them well. It didn’t fall in our favour tonight, and it might at some point.”

Roosters captain James Tedesco also suggested Edwards was never going to stop Manu scoring his try.

“If I’m in that position as a fullback, it’s pretty hard to get there and I’m not sure I’d make a difference,” Tedesco said.

Even Panthers coach Ivan Cleary – who benefited from both calls – questioned the Bunker’s thought process.

“It is what it is. You win some, you lose some,” Cleary said.

“I’ll say one thing – I feel like every time we’ve done a black and white interpretation in rugby league, it’s been a failure.

“I’m not saying that was the case tonight – I’m not saying yes or no – but every time we have, it doesn’t work. That’s just my opinion.”