Interim St George Illawarra coach Dean Young has proposed the NRL introduce a shot clock for the bunker, adding to growing calls for an overhaul of the contentious video referee system.
Contentious calls in Dragons loss
Young found himself on the wrong end of video referee decisions in the Dragons' 24-16 loss to Canberra last Sunday. The Raiders were awarded a contentious try, while the bunker ruled a no-try to Dragons centre Valentine Holmes. This was the latest controversy to engulf the system, which has previously prompted South Sydney mentor Wayne Bennett to say he is no fan of it.
“When we review our games … and we’re watching the clip in eagle cam, my players take about 15 seconds to work out whether they made a good decision,” Young said. “That’s where the frustration comes in: the bunker’s got the technology, and they’ve got the time because no one’s rushing them to make a decision. Maybe (there needs to be a) shot clock on how long they’ve got to look at the decision.”
Young's bunker experience
Young was recently invited by the NRL to sit in the bunker, and he conceded that the video referees do have a lot going on, although he said they may be overthinking calls because of the time they have.
Regardless, the interim coach is looking to Saturday’s Kogarah Oval clash with Wests Tigers as they try to avoid becoming the first joint-venture Dragons team to start with just one win through 15 games of a season.
Tigers' finals hopes and leadership changes
The Tigers also come into the match needing a victory to keep alive their hopes of making the finals for the first time since 2011. They will be in high spirits knowing interim chief executive Shaun Mielekamp has been appointed on a permanent basis. It follows a dramatic fallout in December, which saw ex-chief executive Shane Richardson resign and rumours ignite that Balmain could be cut from the joint-venture side. Majority owners the Holman Barnes Group sacked and then re-invited four independent directors, before chairman Dennis Burgess removed himself from the board, and former Central Coast Mariners boss Mielekamp was installed as interim chief executive.
“There’s a real sense of unity both inside and outside the club, and we’re all headed in the same direction, which I truly believe puts us in a great position for the long term,” Mielekamp said.
Team changes for Tigers
On Saturday, Wests will be without centre Taylan May, who had surgery on a season-ending shoulder injury, while five-eighth Jarome Luai is also out with concussion. The losses mean Jock Madden has been parachuted into the No.6 jersey, Heamasi Makasini into the centres, and Alex Twal into lock after overcoming a knee injury.
