News Absolutely farcical’ bunker decision shows that the NRL has lost the plot

[RookieDog]

Tino intentionally did it he looked right at him and aimed for his head. He deserves 2 weeks for that shit

Should definitely have at least been a penalty and even sin bin against Mahoney for attacking Tino's elbow with his face. Mahoney could have badly injured Tino's elbow with his vicious attack.

 

[RookieDog]

Only good thing Mrs Klemmer has ever done was screaming "get fucked you ****" at Parker.

You've got a great memory for detail. I had actually forgotten about it until you reminded me. Parker was all offended and went on about being shown some respect. The **** can go and get f*cked - just like Mrs Klemmer told him to.

 

[Berries]

The refs will forever be a protected species. I’d love to see the on field and bunker refs front the media for press conferences after each game and explain themselves…but that will never happen in this corrupt league

What sport or league in the world has the officials face the media? Don’t act like it’s a league thing

 

[Alan79]

The Tino elbow isn't the only astounding incident from the weekend that escaped the immediate punishment. The Radley headbutt should also have at least seen him binned for 10.

In opposition to these things we've seen our own players binned for getting up fuming about ball strips on the ground, shit hip drop interpretations etc.

If refs miss obvious shit like leading with the elbow and headbutts, they should also face a few weeks on the sidelines without pay.

 

[blue & white blood]

NRL fans have blown up after a star player was placed on report for what many believed was nothing more than a normal tackle.


The NRL has completely ‘lost the plot’ with commentators and fans blowing up after a Canterbury Bulldogs star was placed on report on Sunday against the Gold Coast Titans.
Hooker Reed Mahoney’s name was written into the book for a hip drop tackle in an incident that left former NRL player Michael Ennis scratching his head.


Hip drops have caused unprecedented backlash throughout the 2023 season with the league only days ago releasing an explainer as to what constitutes a hip drop tackle.

It’s clear the disconnect remains after Mahoney was placed on report for what many watching on believed to be nothing more than a straight forward tackle.

Mahoney placed a tackle on Titans player Moe Fotuaika that the bunker reviewed and ultimately resulted in the Bulldogs hooker being placed on report, but not sent to the sin bin.


Just moments later Mahoney was ran through by Tino Fa’asuamaleaui who raised his forearm directly into the head of his opponent.

The Bunker reviewed the incident and gave it the all clear before Mahoney was sent for a HIA.

“You can’t do that, he raises the forearm straight into the face of Reed Mahoney,” Ennis said.


“I am bewildered that wasn’t a penalty.”

The Titans went down the field shortly after and extended their lead to rub salt into the wounds for the Bulldogs.


The two baffling decisions that went against the Bulldogs saw a frosty exchange unfold between NRL experts Greg Alexander, Corey Parker and Braith Anasta on Fox League.

“Well it was a forearm to the head. He knocked him out. Are you allowed to do that?” Alexander said.

Parker responded: “Every front rower in the game initiates contact. It’s not up to Tino to then determine where Reed Mahoney puts his head.”

Anasta interjected: “He looked him in the eye.”

Parker continued: “You saw him look him in the eye? That will do me.”

Alexander hit back: “Every front rower might lift their arm, but they don’t knock the defender out which is exactly what happened there.”

Mahoney should have stayed down, but being the great competitor and tough little Bulldog that he is, he quickly got to his feet trying to avoid going of the field for a HIA and leavening the team with no Hooker on the field, but you could clearly tell he was hurt and the HIA call was inevitable and again to his credit he came back and was a huge part of our great victory full credit to a gutsy Bulldog with that will to win, It's great to have him in our team.

 

[Bulldog1966]

Parker has had too many hits to the Head. The telling blow wad Kasianos kick to his head...the guys lost his marbles.

The question I have is why o why did Sam stop kicking this punkass bitch .. guy is a fucken clown.

 

[Dogzzz of War]

Thank fuck we have tough hombres like Reed representing this club. He sets the benchmark for toughness in our side. Hopefully it rubs off on TPJ. Imagine reeds mind in TPJs body, he would snap ***** in half

 

[_G-Dog_]

NRL have opened a pandoras box with the hip drop tackle.. no one knows who will get penalised and what the penalty will be..

 

[diddly]

It is understandable the on field ref can miss things - i m not sure that it is ok for them to see things that didnt happen and it is incompetent or worse when the bunker makes errors on black/white decisions and when the mrc does the same.

Thank fuck we have tough hombres like Reed representing this club. He sets the benchmark for toughness in our side. Hopefully it rubs off on TPJ. Imagine reeds mind in TPJs body, he would snap ***** in half

Mahoney n oloapu need to teach a few tackling technique

 

[SPEARTAKVIDREFS]

Nothing will change, Im done getting upset about it.
I have the choice to watch or not watch NRL knowing how it is.

 

[Alan79]

NRL have opened a pandoras box with the hip drop tackle.. no one knows who will get penalised and what the penalty will be..

They've just created a new grey area refs can use to steer the results.

I only got to play football for a couple of years as a youngster as my mum was scared I'd get hurt so she vetoed the idea until I played U13's and a year in high school. But I still remember that my coaches taught us all that a great tackle was made by going moderately low, basically around the hips. I'm sure that there are many coaches who taught this.

So now the NRL has created a scenario where this is worse than attacking around the chest and arms where it might bounce up off the ball and result in a high tackle penalty. There's pretty much nowhere left now to tackle unless you go for the knees. Not many can do that well. So in my opinion this was never about protecting players . It was always about aiding in the ability to manipulate the result.

 

[Raysie]

The hilarious hypocrisy literally shown in back-to-back tackles.

Everyone including the referee is still confused why Mahoney was penalised and put on report. He couldn't even give a reason. If that's even in the realm of a hipdrop, this game is in big trouble.

And then literally the next tackle, Tino comes in with a forearm to Mahoney's head, and Bunker do nothing. Actually I lie, they did do something... they saw Mahoney obviously had first contact with the head and have the hit so hard, they forced him off with HIA.

You couldn't make this shit up.

 

[Chris Harding]

Tino intentionally did it he looked right at him and aimed for his head. He deserves 2 weeks for that shit

The rules state that you cannot attack the head of a defender.
Look at the soft head high penalties that are awarded against defenders - why should attackers be allowed to get away with it?

 

[Chris Harding]

NRL have opened a pandoras box with the hip drop tackle.. no one knows who will get penalised and what the penalty will be..

We can be sure that it will never work to our favour. Remember Cam Murray's hip drop on Preston, shortly before Preston was binned for much less.

 

[Chris Harding]

The hilarious hypocrisy literally shown in back-to-back tackles.

Everyone including the referee is still confused why Mahoney was penalised and put on report. He couldn't even give a reason. If that's even in the realm of a hipdrop, this game is in big trouble.

And then literally the next tackle, Tino comes in with a forearm to Mahoney's head, and Bunker do nothing. Actually I lie, they did do something... they saw Mahoney obviously had first contact with the head and have the hit so hard, they forced him off with HIA.

You couldn't make this shit up.

The ref has the right to overturn the Bunker. We saw it this weekend.

 

[hackenbush]

If the Bunker deemed nothing illegal, then how could Mahoney be taken off for an HIA? If the Bunker reviewed, then they have deemed no contact to the head, deliberate or not. What a farce!

 

[The DoggFather]

NRL have opened a pandoras box with the hip drop tackle.. no one knows who will get penalised and what the penalty will be..

That's exactly what they want.

It's a great way to influence the flow of the game.

 

[Lost Dog]

Not an elbow to Reed Mahoneys, it was Tino's forearm. Which should have constituted a sin bin followed by a penalty.

 

[DogsOfWar1704]

Mahoney should have stayed down, but being the great competitor and tough little Bulldog that he is, he quickly got to his feet trying to avoid going of the field for a HIA and leavening the team with no Hooker on the field, but you could clearly tell he was hurt and the HIA call was inevitable and again to his credit he came back and was a huge part of our great victory full credit to a gutsy Bulldog with that will to win, It's great to have him in our team.

Only thing about that is if Mahoney stayed down they might of ruled it category one and he wouldn’t of came back on.

 

[Chris Harding]

Just watched the replay of Tino's elbow on Mahoney at the SMH website. Tino is looking directly at Mahoney and has a triumphant expression when he hits him and sees him go down. It was deliberate, and if the NRL has the guts to cite him, the footage will not support his case.