NRL legend Brad Fittler "salutes" the NRL bunker for cracking down on players bluffing injuries to utilise loopholes in the game's current rules.
For teams wanting to gain any tactical advantage they can, utilising and manipulating rules to benefit their chances of winning isn't new. The use of these loopholes has shifted more into the light over the past few seasons though, with new rule changes introducing more opportunities.
The introduction of the six-again rule was made in 2020, aimed at speeding up the pace of the game, but was quickly exploited by teams.
The rule - which allowed teams to receive a six again for ruck infringements rather than a penalty - inadvertently encouraged coaches to give away six agains early in a set, slowing down the play, rather than speeding it up, and giving defenders more time to get back onside.
The NRL worked on this during the off-season, changing the rule so that teams be awarded traditional penalty's for ruck infringement if they were attacking inside their own 40 metre line, removing the incentive for early set penalities.
Another rule that had been criticised over the past few seasons is the HIA protocol.
While the rule was established to ensure the health and safety of the players, it was brought into question when teams started to use the free substitution given to them for when a player is being assessed under the protocol as a tactic to save one of their designated substitutions.
With this trend continuing, the league has counteracted it by increasing the level of influence the bunker has over the match, allowing officials the chance to review moments of the game in real time to ensure they have the most informed decision... and close off those loopholes.
Fittler, during Channel 9's Sunday Footy Show, commended the bunker for their efforts during Round 2 in ensuring players are kept honest in their actions on the field.
Fittler highlighted a few separate occasions where the bunker stepped in over Round 2 and called the players' bluff.
Namely, the former Roosters and Panthers great and current New South Wales State of Origin coach commended their decision to pull Penrith halfback Sean O'Sullivan from the field following an illegal late hit from St George Illawarra Dragon's second-rower Jaydn Su'a.
O'Sullivan is dropped to the ground after the hit, holding his neck and head area. The play resulted in Su'a being sin-binned and the Panthers would go on to score 14 unanswered points during the Dragons run with 12 men.
"He stayed down long enough to where when they went to him and said, well you've got to go off mate you stayed down, and, he (O'Sullivan) said it was my neck, and they said we don't care," Fittler said.
"The bunker did a fantastic job on the weekend calling some players out who I thought were bluffing."
The league provided a further remedy to this loophole and aimed at improving player safety, by implementing a bunker doctor during the off-season.
The role of this bunker doctor is to make independent rulings on whether on the field incidents should result in players being removed from the match, superseding any ruling made by the club doctors.
Fittler also looked at an incident during Parramatta's Round 2 matchup against the Sharks in which Eels halfback Mitchell Moses falls to the ground following contact with Cronulla's Teig Wilton.
Wilton, who was the decoy runner, flys into the inside shoulder of Moses, with the halfback making no attempt to follow the play and instead seeking contact with big mans shoulder, calling for obstruction.
Fittler said Moses tried to take the "easy way out" by making contact with Wilton and upon review the crucial try was allowed for Cronulla.