What are they doing up there?’: Robbo slams bunker ‘farce’ in all-time NRL rant

[josie andrews]

Roosters coach Trent Robinson launched an almighty rant about the NRL’s bunker and its officials after watching his side lose 54-12 to South Sydney in a bitter and costly clash on Friday night.

The biggest talking from the game wasn’t the scoreline, but a high shot delivered by Latrell Mitchell on Chooks centre Joey Manu.

Manu was taken to hospital after the game for the hit that saw Mitchell sin binned, but many were shocked he wasn’t sent off for the entire game.

Referee Ashley Klein allowed play to continue long after Manu had been floored, only stopping play when Manu had picked himself up and gone to Mitchell to air his disgust.

In his post-game press conference, Robinson was livid about how Klein and bunker official Henry Perenara handled the situation.

Robinson says it’s been a trend all year.

I’m just baffled... (Manu) was down for how long?” Robinson began.

“And then it took Joey to stand up and go and stick up for himself with a depressed fracture of the cheekbone. And then they still didn’t want to do anything about it.

“Henry Perenara is sitting in the bunker, didn’t stop play, didn’t do anything about it, then Ashley (Klein) asked them to play on and the players went at it again.

“And then he just missed it completely... Perenara who’s supposed to know some footy, sitting up in the box, and then doesn't’ do anything about if for 30 or 40 or 50 seconds, doesn’t do a thing about it.

Joey Manu does something about it. It’s a common rule of this year about the NRL and the bunker not looking after our players, it’s been clear.

“They’ve changed two of the major rules this year based on the referees and the bunker doing nothing about it on Roosters players.

“The guy is off at hospital... they get forced into finally making a call on it and then they send (Mitchell) for 10 in the bin. Ten in the bin? It was laughable, it was that bad it was almost laughable.

“They didn’t know what they were doing. How do you send that for 10 in the bin? A guy will finish his year based on a late shot to the head, and it’s 10 in the bin? In which game?

“You cannot make decisions if that’s your decision.

And then we’ve got (Sio) Siua Taukaeiho... everybody knows that’s a hip drop... and now he’s got a knee injury over it. And a guy sitting in the bunker says that’s just on report.

“It’s really common, it’s been really frustrating this year. We had the head highs on Teddy in the Anzac Day game, then we had the knees and the bunker farce in the Parramatta game, and then the game changed. The game changed overnight.

“All of a sudden head high... we were going to protect our players. Then we get a high shot on Sam Walker against Melbourne, no one does anything about it. Bunker doesn’t do anything, on-field referees don’t do anything about it.

“And then they say actually we’ll change the rules, it’s like a late hit on a halfback... so a rule gets changed again.

“We’re the most penalised team in the comp and we’re the most targeted.”

Robinson then took direct aim at Perenara and his fellow bunker officials.

Get out of there (the bunker),” he said.

“If you can’t do it get out of there, or just get rid of it all completely. If you cannot do the job, get out of there.

It’s shown that the NRL bunker cannot do their job this year. It’s been a farce, it’s been an absolute farce.

“To see Joey Manu get up and have to stick up for himself... that should have been stopped 10 seconds after the incident. It’s that bad it’s actually funny.

“What are they doing up there? I don’t know what they’re doing up there.

“I’ve got this thing, like that circus music going on in the background, and streamers and stuff, there must be something going on (in the bunker) when a Roosters player gets hit high in 2021, there must be something that distracts them.

“It’s like the Twilight Zone up there when a Roosters player gets hit high.”

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... 1d74e79ccb

[Barney841]

The latrell hit on manu was bad, he should of gone.
Makes me laugh how klein has been a ref in Oz for a while now, he was shocking over here!

[Charriots Offiah]

The latrell hit on manu was bad, he should of gone.
Makes me laugh how klein has been a ref in Oz for a while now, he was shocking over here!

I agree, it was a bad tackle. Mitchell's season is done.

[moto748]

Certainly should be.

[ian.birchall]

The latrell hit on manu was bad, he should of gone.
Makes me laugh how klein has been a ref in Oz for a while now, he was shocking over here!

Not known as Known Klein for nothing when he was in the Superleague.

[widdenoldboy]

The bunker ruled on the hit, not Klein's fault there but he did miss the original challenge...