Fuming coach calls for NRL Bunker to be axed

A fuming Canberra coach Ricky Stuart has called for the NRL Bunker to be scrapped in the wake of another dumfounding decision.

The Raiders were beaten by a Warriors field goal in round eight in what turned out to be a highly controversial game.

Warriors prop Matt Lodge was allowed to remain on the field despite throwing an elbow into the throat of defender Corey Haraqira-Naera.

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Later in the game, Lodge blatantly faked being injured to earn a penalty from the Bunker, which was kicked by the Warriors to level the game, allowing Shaun Johnson to then cement the comeback win with his field goal.

Most onlookers could not understand how the Bunker allowed Lodge to stay on the field after his elbow, and then award the same player a game-deciding penalty for laying down.

Bunker official Steve Chiddy was subsequently dropped by the NRL.

“I believe the Bunker is damaging our game, I don’t believe we do need the Bunker because they can’t get it right,” Stuart told media on Thursday.

“I really believe the Bunker is getting it so wrong we need to have the Bunker only involved in contentious tries.

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“It’s just damaging the fabric and the way we want the game to be viewed, it’s annoying and it makes it more annoying when you lose games from it.”

The Bunker has caused controversy ever since being introduced by the NRL several years ago.

It was designed to help eradicate the referee howler but, like many other sporting codes, it has only created its own controversies due to ongoing baffling decisions.

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