Outgoing Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett has called for the NRL to “get rid of” the Bunker following a controversial call that cost his side a try in Sunday’s loss to the Knights.
The loss eliminated the Dolphins from the top eight race and following the game, Bennett launched a scathing attack on the NRL’s officials and the Bunker stemming from an obstruction that he believed was wrongly ruled against his team.
At 0-0 in the 23rd minute, the Dolphins looked to have scored a try when they created a three on two overlap down the left edge with fullback Trai Fuller slicing through the line.
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Wayne Bennett CALLS OUT Bunker | 07:58
However, the try was taken off after an obstruction was found in the lead up, with lead runner Connelly Lemuelu coming into contact of the outside shoulder of a Knights defender.
“That’s tough. I don’t know if I agree with that at all,” Michael Ennis said on Fox League.
“Controversial call.”
Newcastle would then add points a few minutes later to complete a 12-point turnaround when Adam Elliott scored.
Bennett said that the defender initiated contact with Lemuelu’s shoulder rather than the other way around.
“If that’s where we’re going, we’re in a fair bit of trouble in the game because that’s a try,” Bennett said in his post-match press conference.
“The 3 defender committed to our player, who ran the inside shoulder which he’s supposed to do and the 4 defender ran into him and they (Bunker) said we obstructed the 4 defender.
“If that’s the case, then there will be no more of those tries scored because they’ll run straight into the (lead runner) deliberately because they know they’ll get a penalty. You understand what I’m saying?
“He ran the inside shoulder line, which is the player he is supposed to run on and that player committed to him, you can see all that. But as he’s committing to him, the 4 defender also runs into him and that’s where they reckon the obstruction occurred. It’s just crazy.”
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Bennett, who has criticised the Bunker earlier this season in an interview with Fox Sports, said the state of officiating is not where it needs to be and that it will again prove costly to another team this season.
“I feel sad for the teams going forward over the next four weeks in the sense that we can’t get it right and some other team will play a price for it,” Bennett said.
“That’s not going to change unfortunately because they can’t get it right.
“It’s pretty clear cut. I think anyone who follows rugby league would accept that wasn’t a try.
“I’m not complaining about the fact we got beaten because it was a tough game, it could have went either way and both teams played their hearts out.”
Bennett also pointed out another call later in the game which he thought was incorrect that gifted Newcastle points.
In an attempt to reach a loose ball, hooker Jeremy Marshall-King was penalised for an escort in the 52nd minute, which resulted in a Knights penalty goal.
“But if you watch Jeremy Marshall-King, the ball gets kicked and he tracks the ball and then the ball veers and heads towards the goalpost and he tracks the ball but he gets called for running someone off the ball,” Bennett said.
“A bit of common sense is required sometimes but unfortunately it isn’t too common.
“What we have to understand here is the game has got what they want. They want every team to compete like they competed today, they want tight scoreboards, but the rules have got to be fair for everybody on both sides and they (officials) can’t get their part right and each week teams are impacted by it.
“We shouldn’t have even been here tonight in a playoff (for 8th). Twice this year that we had tries taken off us in situations the game admitted (were wrong) to but it cost us games.
“We can live with the scoreboards, we can live with our players not being perfect, even referees aren’t perfect, but we have this thing called by the Bunker. And the Bunker can see everything and has every shot you can possibly imagine. I’ve been inside, I’ve seen it.
“The bottom line is that humans run it and that what fails the system.”
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When asked by a reporter what he thought the answer was, Bennett wasn’t shy in making a big call.
“I think get rid of it. You didn’t want to hear that did you?” he said.
“The refs used to get it wrong in the past but we got on with life and we didn’t analyse it like we do today.
“They all know it when they sit there and watch it in the Bunker. It’s all there but they still aren’t getting it right.”
The loss marked Bennett’s final game in charge at the Dolphins with the super coach heading to Souths from next season.
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