WATCH: Softest sin-binning in rugby league history

As the game moves to protect players more and more from injuries we’ve seen the introduction or the changing standards for what is and what isn’t a sin bin, often at time to the moans of fans.

Multiple times you’ll hear the saying ‘that’s never a sin bin’, closely followed by ‘that was absolutely fine in my day’ or ‘what are they playing at, get on with it’.

That’s been the case this weekend in the NRL with the Friday evening game, broadcast on Friday morning in the UK, seeing what is being described by many as one of the softest bins you’ll see.

The high flying New Zealand Warriors were playing Gold Coast Titans, the team that ex St Helens boss Justin Holbrook was sacked from earlier this season, and the game was already in a heated state.

After just 17 minutes Gold Coast’s Mo Fotuika was shown a straight red after his shoulder landed directly to the head and face of the Warrior’s full back Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.

At the time the game was scoreless but in the following plays Gold Coast were carrying the ball out through David Fifita, the cousin of Wakefield Trinity’s talismanic figure, and during the play the ball Fifita was given a gentle slap by marker Marata Niukore.

Many would just play on, some officials would give a penalty and a kick to touch, but Ben Cummins reacted by sin binning the Warriors forward which evened the teams up at twelve men a piece.

It prompted widespread jokes on social media about how soft the league has become.

The incident can be seen in the video at the bottom of the article.

That Niukore binning is probably the most pathetic sin bin I’ve seen in the history of NRL. Holy shit what has League become for that to be 10 in the bin. #NRLTitansWarriors

— Frank (@GregAFC) August 4, 2023

One fan labelled it “the most pathetic sin bin” that they had seen in the history of the NRL.

Putrid reffing in this first 20, no control of the game whatsoever. Niukore getting sinbinned there is pathetic, 2 big men on the field sizing each other up and a little slap ends in a sin bin… what a sad state of NRL refereeing #NRLTitansWarriors

— Benjamin Donoghue (@bendonoghue17) August 4, 2023

Another suggested it reflected the poor standard of refereeing across the whole of the NRL.

Just saw the Niukore sin bin

Disgraceful decision

— Will (@will_tosh03) August 4, 2023

There was more outrage from others.

At the time the commentator Andrew Voss said: “Oh no. This is a powder keg about to erupt. I wouldn’t even call it a slap, I’d call it a rub. You can’t sin bin there.”

“This was ridiculous. Fifita was the instigator here, Marata Niukore just goes back into marker and Fifita absolutely initiates contact, pushes him in the face,” claimed Fox League analyst and former player Corey Parker.