Stop warning and start binning: Fittler

More players have been sin-binned this year than any other in the NRL-era, but Brad Fittler says referees must stop warning captains and march more players.

NSW State of Origin coach Brad Fittler has urged the NRL's referees to do away with warnings to captains before sin-binning players for repeated penalties on their own line, labelling the game "immature" for its current system.

The NRL have drastically increased the number of sin-binnings dished out this year in a bid to stop teams from using professional fouls to halt opponents' momentum and buy time to reset their defence.

Already 99 players have been sin-binned this year, the most of any season in the NRL-era. There were 43 last season.

However there is no mandate for the number of penalties that must be blown before a player is binned, with referees using their discretion to warn captains before the next offence often results in an offender being marched.

Fittler told Nine's Sunday Footy Show that all that did was allow players to give away deliberate penalties without fear of the bin until the warning came.

"The warning shows how immature our game is. It's like we're asking for permission to put someone in the sin bin because they deserve it," Fittler said.

"If we treat our children like this they would just be maniacs running every where.

"The fact you've got to warn them to say the next penalty you're going to be sin-binned, to me is just absolutely crazy. You take away the whole (incentive not to offend)."

"We can stand up, if they're doing it deliberately, sin-bin them."

Meanwhile Fittler also called for the league to lengthen suspensions for dangerous crusher tackles, following Will Chambers' contact on Jarryd Hayne in Melbourne's win over Parramatta.

Chambers will miss three games for the offence even with an early guilty plea, while he'll spend five games on the sideline if he contests the charge at the judiciary and fails

However Chambers' suspension for the grade-three charge could've been as low as just two games had it not been for two prior offences.

"They need to look at these tackles a little bit heavier ... The lightest a tackle like this should ever receive is three weeks," Fittler said.

"It is just the worst part of the body to test and be aggressive with, is your neck and your spine."


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Source: AAP



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