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ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys has confirmed that there will be a review of the Bunker at the end of the 2024 season, after concerns from fans over the inconsistency.
In recent weeks alone there was frustration from fans that both the Knights and Sharks were contentiously denied field goal attempts.
Then a week later there were three high tackle incidents that were all handled differently by the officials, leading to criticism from former players and supporters.
V’landys told SEN Radio that all officials are set to combine to ensure greater consistency in 2025, and the operations of the Bunker will be reviewed.
“We always conduct a consultation with all stakeholders of the game after the grand final,” V’landys said on SEN’s Sportsday.
“Rather than doing it with individuals, we will do it as a big group session where everybody is in the room.
“We already have a few ideas about the bunker and how we can improve it alongside the refereeing.
“We will certainly take it to the clubs, players and coaches as Wayne Bennett has been very vocal about it.
“No one has a monopoly on ideas so if we can get ideas and points of contest from other people, we will certainly look at them and implement them if they will improve the game.”
John Hopoate has been barred for life from all Wests Tigers functions after angrily confronting NSWRL CEO David Trodden at a 25-year anniversary dinner on Friday night.
The controversial former winger, who was a part of the joint venture club’s inaugural team in 2000, made a scene at the function when he ripped into Trodden over the NSWRL’s decision to prevent him from playing in a local third-grade competition alongside his son Will.
“It was a really disappointing way to end what was an excellent night,” Richardson told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“Hoppa was in Dave’s face about why he had been barred from the NSWRL. He’s not welcome at any future Wests Tigers functions.”
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The 50-year-old had received a 10-year suspension in 2018 for a series of incidents while playing in the Manly A-grade competition but the second half of the ban had been suspended, meaning he was entitled to apply for a return to the playing field this year.
“I didn’t cross the line with Dave. There were no dramas, I just asked Dave Trodden why the NSWRL would not clear me to play,” he told the SMH.
“I never abused him, I never threatened him, and all he kept saying was, ‘This is the wrong time’. I asked him why it wasn’t the right time because I wasn’t given a reason in any emails.
“All I wanted to do was play third-division at Narraweena with my son Will and some of my first cousins this year.
“The only thing I did wrong was swear at him.”
(Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
Tom Trbojevic says his denied offer of a salary sacrifice was driven by a desire to do what he felt was right by Manly, after his most recent hamstring injury hit him harder than previous issues.
Trbojevic declared on Tuesday he believed he was now back playing his best football since his Dally M year in 2021, as part of the Sea Eagles’ finals surge.
But the quietly spoken No.1 was understandably more sheepish about his contract, after it emerged he tried to wipe $750,000 off it over the next two years.
Trbojevic’s offer came after he suffered his sixth hamstring in five and a half years in round 10, leaving him fearing he was not living up to his $1.1 million price tag.
The offer was denied by the NRL, which does not allow players to reduce their value in the salary cap.
“This (injury) hit me a bit harder than it probably has in the past,” Trbojevic said.
“I just thought it would be a good option for the club moving forward, but it wasn’t to be.
“I can understand the NRL’s reasoning. It is what it is.”
The 27-year-old said part of his motivation was for the Sea Eagles to create greater depth at the club, while also being able to keep the likes of rising stars Lehi Hopoate and Tolu Koula.
“That (depth) was certainly a part of it,” Trbojevic said.
“You need to keep (those young players) at the club. Lehi has come along this year, and Tolu has been doing it for a while.
“They’re definitely players you want to keep at this club long term, because they are definitely the future of it.”
Trbojevic is now clearly living up to his value on the field.
Ahead of Friday’s clash with Canterbury, Trbojevic has set up 10 tries and scored nine of his own in his past six games.
They’re the kind of numbers he was producing during his freakish 2021 season, with the fullback believing he is “probably” playing his best football since then.
“But it’s about not getting complacent with that and trying to get better,” Trbojevic said.
“I have been someone who has been able to manage the reconditioning process well (through injuries).
“I have been able to manage it well and get confidence back and believe in yourself. Then if you’re able to go out there and perform on the field, you grow from that.”
Teammates agree, but claim they were disappointed Trbojevic felt the need to offer a salary sacrifice in the first place.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” hooker Lachlan Croker said.
“But I think it would make everyone upset that he thought he needed to do that.
“Because to us he has more than done enough to have that price tag. What he earns, he definitely deserves.
“He is almost back to 2021 levels … if he wasn’t playing the footy he was playing then and now, I don’t know what it would look like for me either.
“I probably owe my career to him.”
Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo has told his players to embrace the hype around the Bulldogs, adamant it won’t become an issue ahead of the NRL finals.
The Bulldogs have quickly become the fairytale story of 2024, having officially wrapped up their first finals appearance in eight years.
Street parties have become a constant in Belmore after wins in recent weeks, including after victories in Bundaberg and Auckland.
A crowd of close to 27,000 is expected at Accor Stadium for their blockbuster against Manly this week, which would double as the highest-ever NRL attendance for a Friday 6pm game outside of Magic Round.
But while clubs regularly try to avoid such hype, Ciraldo has told his players to take it in, with the advantage of 10 men in their first-choice 17 who have played finals before.
“It’s good for us to realise we’re inspiring people with the way we’re playing and style of footy we’re playing,” Ciraldo said.
“Our boys really thrive on that, hopefully it grows over the next few weeks.
“It’s because our purpose has been really clear about why we want to play finals and get this club back to where it belongs.
“It’s not a (weight of) expectation to us, it’s something we really value, it’s really unique to our club. We’ll continue to enjoy that.”
A win against the Sea Eagles would be enough for the Bulldogs to wrap up a home final, unless they rise even further up the ladder and claim a top-four finish.
But despite being unbeaten in home matches at Accor Stadium this year, Ciraldo insisted a top-six finish was not make or break for the Bulldogs.
“It would be nice, but I think we have shown over the past six weeks that we are capable of playing anyone anywhere and at any time,” Ciraldo said.
“There was a lot of talk about our away record at the start of the season that I wasn’t too concerned about, because we were doing a lot of things really well.
Josh Addo-Carr. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)
“We’ve proved to ourselves and everyone that we can play away from home and do a great job.”
Canterbury will get Josh Curran back from a shouder injury for Friday, countering Kurt Mann’s season-ending collarbone surgery.
Captain Stephen Crichton has accepted a one-game ban for his high tackle on the Warriors’ Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
But Ciraldo pointed to two of the Bulldogs’ best wins this year against Brisbane and Newcastle as proof his club could perform without their biggest-name player.
“That’s what we’ve done well as a club, that next-man-up mentality,” Ciraldo said.
“I’ve got no doubt the boys will come in and do that this week.
“He (Crichton) is going to be able to work on himself in the next week and a half and get himself ready for the (final-round) Cowboys game. It’ll benefit him in the long run.”
with AAP
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