The National Rugby League (NRL) has admitted that the video referee, or “bunker,” made an error in its decision-making during a recent match between the New Zealand Warriors and North Queensland. This comes after the Warriors were awarded a try despite a questionable knock-on incident against the Cowboys.
Despite this admission, the bunker’s overall performance this season remains impressive, with an efficiency rate of 98 per cent. This figure is based on the decisions made by video officials across the first 16 rounds of the season.
According to sources who are not authorised to speak publicly, video officials have reviewed nearly 1500 decisions in the opening 16 rounds, with only a small number of errors identified. Some of these incorrect calls include:
- Cowboys forward Reuben Cotter was wrongly sin-binned for taking out Sam Walker without the ball at Magic Round.
- During the same weekend, Damien Cook was denied a try when he kicked the ball out of the hands of Penrith’s Brian To’o.
- In round 10, Rob Toia was initially awarded a try by the bunker, but it was later overturned after it was determined he had dropped the ball.
- Cowboys player Tom Chester was incorrectly awarded a try when he dropped the ball over the line while being pursued by Dolphins winger Selwyn Cobbo.
The most recent error occurred on Sunday, when Warriors’ fullback Taine Tuaupiki appeared to knock the ball on into Cowboys counterpart Scott Drinkwater before Adam Pompey scored a try. Bunker official Wyatt Raymond, stationed in a truck with access to multiple camera angles, did not believe there was a knock-on at the time.
An NRL spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday: “The bunker official [Raymond] did not believe there was sufficient evidence to reverse the on-field decision of a try, however, on review of all available camera angles, the NRL has formed the view that the try should have been overturned.”
Cowboys coach Todd Payten was convinced Tuaupiki touched the ball and said after the game: “I’ll tell you what will really be frustrating is if we get an apology email through the week or a phone call.”
“When the bunker has so many angles, I understand there’s going to be human error, but they’re big moments. Games can turn on those types of decisions, and we’re getting too many wrong in the game.”
When informed that the NRL had since confirmed it had been the wrong call, Payten said on Tuesday: “I don’t want to say too much about it. It’s done. I could tell it was a knock-on watching it on my iPad in the coaches box on the night.
“The fans will sit at home and complain and then forget about it. For us, it’s our livelihoods. These decisions impact what we do.”
While the NRL is never pleased with mistakes made by match officials, the league is confident that the bunker identifies far more potential errors than it misses. The league continues to refine its processes and ensure that the game is as fair as possible for players and fans alike.
