The Dragons were left seething following two controversial sin bin penalties during their Anzac Day matchup against the Roosters, sparking confusion among commentators regarding both calls.
The initial dismissal occurred in the 17th minute when Luciano Leilua was penalised while the Roosters held a 12-0 advantage, as he attempted to apply aggressive pressure on Sam Walker with a kick.
Andrew Johns was highly critical of the decision.
“For many years, I’ve advocated for the protection of halfbacks from late hits, but this rule prohibiting any contact with the halfback while they’re kicking downfield has gone too far,” he remarked on Nine.
Luciano Leilua’s sin bin incident. Nine
The referee indicated that Leilua had made high contact with Walker, classifying it as a moderate force, which led to the suspension.
The Dragons forward uttered a frustrated “no” as he realised the impending penalty.
When Leilua returned to the field, the Roosters had stretched their lead to 22-4.
Leilua was back on the pitch for just three minutes before Atkinson was sent off for committing a professional foul.
Atkinson, positioned at marker, knocked the ball from Walker’s grasp, with Dragons players appealing for a challenge.
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Referee Grant Atkins stated that Atkinson was not permitted to slap the arm, prompting Andrew Johns to question, “Is that a new rule?”
“I’ve never heard of that… I can’t believe that was a penalty, let alone a sin bin,” he exclaimed.
The Roosters capitalised on Atkinson’s absence, leading 34-4 at half-time.
During the intermission, both Cameron Smith and Allana Ferguson argued that penalties would have sufficed rather than resorting to two sin bins.
Ferguson expressed her confusion over the Atkinson decision compared to Leilua’s.
Smith contended that if a hooker steps out of the play-the-ball, then it should be “fair game.”
“Players need to know that a marker will be pressuring them as they play for the ball… I believe that rule needs to change,” he asserted.
Compiled by SportArena.au
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