The NRL bunker rules are ridiculous and over-complicated. Here’s how we fix them

July 23, 2026 — 5:00am

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The NRL bunker is not going anywhere. As much as some might want to blow it up, that’s not going to happen.

And as much as I would love to live without technology, that’s not going to happen either. But rugby league can have a proper conversation about how we use it, and how we learn to live it.

I feel like a broken record saying it, but the fact is rugby league isn’t played in super slow-motion.

The opposite is the case: our game is forever chasing speed – a quicker ruck, fewer stoppages and a more entertaining product. So as fans, commentators, coaches, players and everyone with any stake in the game, we can and should speed up the bunker and how decisions are made.

But if we’re going to do that, then we have to live with the fact there could be an extra error or two. We can’t achieve perfection in our decision-making anyway and you can’t have things both ways.

My number one suggestion for the bunker? Reduce the use of super slow motion replays, and do it with definitive guidelines.

If two players go up in an aerial contest and are battling for the ball, the video referee can take one look at it with the super slow-motion, frame-by-frame replay. If there’s an obvious decision – the ball comes off a hand one way or the other, then great. Make the call and move on.

If it’s still inconclusive – and how many times have we watched a dozen, super slow-motion replays and ended up still not knowing what’s happened? – then we go to real-time replays.

The video referee can have a few extra looks to make their decision, but make it based on replays shown at regular speed, because this is how the game is........

© The Sydney Morning Herald