Wayne Bennett Tells Benji Marshall to Avoid ‘Wasting His Time’ Amid Sin Bin Controversy

According to veteran coach Wayne Bennett, Benji Marshall is “wasting his time” in his pursuit of consistency from NRL referees.

After the Tigers triumphed over Canberra 33-14 on Thursday, Marshall expressed his frustration with the refereeing inconsistency this season, especially after Api Koroisau was handed a three-match suspension for a hip-drop tackle on Noah Martin.

In a press conference on Friday, Bennett commented that the sin bin is “overused” and offered some advice to the young Tigers coach.

“To be honest, I only recently understood what a hip drop tackle is. Benji is still finding his feet as a coach, and if he’s feeling uncertain about the rules, just wait until he’s been in the role for another decade,” Bennett stated.

“If he thinks he can achieve consistency, he’s wasting his breath. It’s just not going to happen.”

Bennett also raised concerns about the regular use of the sin bin, stating it poses numerous issues.

“For me personally, the sin bin is a major concern due to the inconsistencies in its application,” he remarked.

“It has a significant impact on the outcome of games, and I don’t believe it’s fair. The judiciary does a commendable job reviewing every match and issuing charges the following day.

“I can’t comprehend why they can’t handle that the next day. Whatever decision you make is fine with me, but don’t send one player to the bin for a hip-drop while allowing another to avoid it.

“Just the other night, one player received a two-week ban for a tackle but didn’t get sent to the bin, whereas another player who executed a high tackle ended up there without being charged.”

“During the recent match, our player was sin binned for ten minutes due to a hip-drop, while another player was charged with the same offence but escaped the bin.

“It was the same referee and the same bunker officials, yet it seems like one rule applies to one player and a different rule to another.

“The NRL responses often include comments like, ‘this looked worse,’ or similar justifications. The reality is, if you perform a hip-drop tackle, should all offenders be sent to the bin, or only some?”

“The referees and Bunker officials don’t seem qualified enough to assess the severity or the level of pressure involved in the tackles.

“If they determine it’s a hip-drop tackle, let’s establish a straightforward rule: you’re in the bin or you’re not.”