Andrew Johns ‘loses it’ over NRL sin binning extravaganza

Rugby league immortal Andrew Johns has blown up over the standard of officiating in the NRL, labelling it “farcical” amid the league’s ongoing crackdown on high tackles.

Eighteen players were sent to the sin bin during round eight of the NRL, with seven players now facing potential suspensions – the total NRL round eight judiciary wrap sheet can be found at the bottom of the article.

Talking on the Sunday Footy Show, Johns acknowledged that some incidents, such as Sitili Tupouniua’s knee strikes to the head of a Broncos player, which was overlooked by the video referee, deserve strong disciplinary action.

The Novocastrian who has been seen holding his tongue on the matter of late, couldn’t hold back any further and questioned the consistency of decisions from the bunker, particularly highlighting Scott Sorensen’s shoulder charge, which earned the Panthers forward 10 minutes in the bin, a grade two judiciary charge and a potential lengthy suspension.

“Nathan Brown is about 100 kilos, coming off the back fence,” Johns said on Sunday.

“We need to know what [Sorensen and others] can do. If he puts his arms out, to make a conventional tackle, his head is going to be exposed, and he’ll probably dislocate his shoulders.

“They want players to defend low, but if Scott Sorensen goes low on Nathan Brown he’s gonna knock himself out as cold as a spud.

“If he wraps his arms, he will dislocate his shoulder – he has to brace and get himself into space. I have no idea what the NRL want this tackle to be and they have to come out tomorrow and explain what tackle they want in this situation.

“For that to get two weeks is absolutely farcical.

“This sending players to the bin, it’s absolutely farcical. It’s gone beyond a joke, it is embarrassing.”

Under the current judiciary system, Sorensen is likely to miss the Broncos and Cowboys clashes if he takes the early guilty plea, but the experienced Penrith forward could be out for three games if he fights the charge and loses.

Johns went further, saying the overall standard of officiating is beginning to ruin the game for fans.

“The over-analysis and the over-reach of the Bunker in play – the Bunker should only be used for try-scoring opportunities unless it’s an out and out send off and they miss it,” he said.

“Next week, we’re going to Magic Round. We are a working-class game, our fans are working class people, they save up all year to go to Magic Round.

“For them to go out there and make a farce of this game will be disgraceful if it happens this week. I am so frustrated by it, I reckon the players would be frustrated by it.

“Who owns the game? It’s the fans. Without the fans watching on TV, there is no broadcast rights, without the fans going to the games, there is no money in the game.

“I don’t know whose decision it is, but you need to come out tomorrow, and you need to say why we’re doing it and you need to show examples and what you want players to do with tackling techniques because this is a farce, it is so embarrassing for the game.”

Round eight of the NRL is the biggest crackdown on high tackles since the 2021 Magic Round enforcement which saw a record 14 yellow cards and three red cards over a single weekend of rugby league.