NRL Bunker under fire after Round 8 sin-bin frenzy

Rugby league greats have teed off on the NRL’s Bunker system after a weekend of unprecedented sin-binning carnage, warning the game risks another Magic Round meltdown if common sense doesn’t prevail.

A staggering 18 players were sent to the sin bin during Round 8 of the 2025 NRL season, sparking furious backlash from fans and former players who labelled the scenes “farcical” and “embarrassing”.

Immortal Andrew Johns led the chorus of criticism, savaging the Bunker’s growing influence on matches and calling for urgent changes.

“The breakdown of this sending players to the bin is absolutely farcical,” Johns said on the Sunday Footy Show.

“It’s gone beyond a joke. It is embarrassing.

“The over-analysis and the overreach of the Bunker in play… the Bunker should be used only for try-scoring opportunities unless it’s a send-off.

“Going back eight plays in a set where the referee, touch judges, and even players don’t see it — and sending someone to the bin — is absolutely farcical.”

Broncos legend Corey Parker also expressed alarm at the inconsistent rulings, citing the incident involving Bulldogs forward Sitili Tupouniua as a glaring example.

Tupouniua was penalised but not sin-binned after raising his knee in a tackle, despite later copping a two-week suspension.

Parker was stunned that Tupouniua was allowed to remain on the field and questioned why such a dangerous act wasn’t immediately punished.

“If they are fair dinkum and you have a Bunker, then that there is a send-off every day of the week,” he told SEN.

“Whether you agree with it or not, the intent to lift your knee and to hit someone in the head is not OK.”

Parker added that the contradictions between penalties and sin bins are sending mixed messages to fans and young players.

“It just does not add up,” he said.

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“If your kids ask why one player leaves the field for a high shot and another stays on after raising his knee into someone’s head, you’ve got absolutely no answer.

“It’s a real challenge for the NRL at the moment, and they need to make a stance.”

The timing of the controversy couldn’t be worse for the NRL, with Magic Round — one of the sport’s marquee weekends — set to kick off in Brisbane later this week.

Memories still linger from the 2021 Magic Round crackdown, where a sudden refereeing blitz resulted in dozens of players being marched for minor head contact, sparking outrage across the game.

With tensions already simmering, the calls for greater consistency and common sense have never been louder, leaving the NRL facing a crucial decision: hold firm on its player safety push, or risk another Magic Round overshadowed by Bunker chaos and fan frustration.

With Magic Round upon us, we head into the first week without Thursday night footy, featuring two games on Friday, three on Saturday, and three on Sunday.

The clash of the week comes on Sunday, when the Broncos host the bottom-placed Panthers in a must-win game for Penrith as they look to revive their season against a strong Brisbane outfit.

The Broncos are heavy favourites for the clash, priced at $1.67 with BetOnline, while the Panthers sit at $2.22 as they look to cause an upset.

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