Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has fired a broadside at the NRL - it's time to blow up the controversial bunker.
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He said the bunker was making too many mistakes, undermining the referees and ruining the spectacle of the greatest game of all.
Plus, he doesn't blame New Zealand prop Matt Lodge for diving because of the way the game's officiating has opened the door for players to do exactly that.
Stuart said the bunker had robbed the Raiders of two premiership points through a series of incidents during their golden-point loss to the Warriors last weekend - including a controversial penalty the bunker awarded to Lodge to gift the Warriors two points to level the scores with just two minutes remaining.
It has Stuart trying to turn around a five-game losing streak when they come up against fellow battlers Canterbury Bulldogs at Canberra Stadium on Friday night.
Stuart said this wasn't just him whingeing after a loss - given it was five days after they went down to the Warriors - and he wasn't the only one frustrated by the bunker.
He praised the referees for getting a "majority of calls correct" and felt the bunker should only become involved to decide contentious tries - when the referees asked for their help.
But apart from that he wanted the bunker to stop interfering.
While NRL head of football Graham Annesley defended the bunker's decisions to The Canberra Times on Monday, the NRL still stood down senior review official Steve Chiddy this week after he was in charge of the bunker for the Raiders game.
"The referees are getting a greater majority of calls correct and need to not have the pressure knowing that Big Brother's hanging over their head," Stuart said.
"Let the referee make his ruling because at the moment the bunker's getting it incorrect.
"The bunker's not helping the game or assisting the referees. They should only be there for a contentious try.
"Waiting on the bunker is becoming boring for our viewers - especially when they've been so inconsistent.
"The bunker is not assisting the referee and it's not helping our game. And the incorrect decision cost us two points last week."
MORE RAIDERS NEWS
But it wasn't just the Lodge decision Stuart was left scratching his head over.
He didn't understand why two Warriors elbows weren't put on report by the bunker - yet the Raiders had two players put on report for "trivial" incidents.
Both Lodge and Ben Murdoch-Masila caught Raiders players high with their elbows yet only Lodge was penalised.
Neither was put on report and Murdoch-Masila wasn't even penalised for lashing out at Canberra prop Joe Tapine, with Lodge later fined.
Stuart praised Tapine during the team review for putting the team first and not reacting.
Tapine was put on report for a facial on Murdoch-Masila, but wasn't charged by the match review committee.
"Last week we saw two elbows to the neck and head regions," Stuart said.
"Not one player put on report, yet Corey Horsburgh and Joe Tapine get put on report for something that was trivial.
"We should've got the penalty for Joe Tapine - elbow to the neck - and Corey Horsburgh. God knows what the guy in the bunker saw.
"And more importantly, the independent doctor sitting in the bunker wants to have all this overriding say, yet Matt Lodge lays on the ground for a number of seconds holding his head - why didn't he call for an HIA protocol?"
Stuart had no problem with Lodge's actions after the bunker ruled he'd been caught high.
Lodge lay on the ground for an eternity to ensure the officials looked at whether there'd been any contact to his head.
Raiders prop Corey Horsburgh's tackle hit him on the arm before bouncing up for incidental contact with Lodge's head.
But Stuart did question why, if Lodge was as seriously hurt as the time he lay on the ground holding his head implied, wasn't he taken from the field for a head injury assessment?
Warriors fullback Reece Walsh converted the resulting penalty from directly in front of the posts to level the scores in the 78th minutes.
New Zealand halfback Shaun Johnson then kicked a match-winning field goal in extra-time.
"I don't blame Matt Lodge for diving because the game and its interpretations allow it and the bunker are ruling that it's OK to dive," Stuart said.
"And that was very, very clear last weekend - that the bunker are allowing it to happen and they will advantage the player that dives."
NRL ROUND NINE
Friday: Canberra Raiders v Canterbury Bulldogs at Canberra Stadium, 6pm.
Raiders squad: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Nick Cotric, 3. Jarrod Croker, 4. Matthew Timoko, 5. Jordan Rapana, 6. Matt Frawley, 7. Brad Schneider, 8. Josh Papalii, 9. Adam Elliott, 10. Joseph Tapine, 11. Hudson Young, 12. Elliott Whitehead, 13. Ryan Sutton. Interchange: 14. Tom Starling, 15. Corey Harawira-Naera, 16. Sebastian Kris, 17. Corey Horsburgh. Reserves: 18. Harry Rushton, 22. Sam Williams.
Bulldogs squad: 1. Matt Dufty, 2. Brent Naden, 3. Aaron Schoupp, 4. Jake Averillo, 5. Josh Addo-Carr, 6. Matt Burton, 7. Kyle Flanagan, 8. Luke Thompson, 9. Jeremy Marshall-King, 10. Paul Vaughan, 11. Corey Waddell, 12. Tevita Pangai Junior, 13. Josh Jackson. Interchange: 14. Bailey Biondi-Odo. 15. Joe Stimson, 16. Max King, 17. Ava Seumanufagai. Reserves: 23. Jayden Okunbor, 25. Chris Patolo.
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