I read in the rugby league press today that the last player to be sent to the sin bin in a challenge cup final was Shane Rigon in 2001. This got me thinking, that in the modern game the sin bin perhaps seems to be used less than in previous years and is now almost exclusively the preserve of 2 indiscretions - a professional foul (e.g. holding an attacker down for too long after a break, delaying a tap restart) and hitting a kicker late (the law seems particularly clear that this is deemed worthy of automatic sin bin).

It is perhaps a tad unfortunate that referees seem willing to sin bin a player for a aggressive foul play such as a high tackle, tripping etc and that anything in this area is usually "bottled" by the referee putting the incident on report which is a completely redundant measure seemingly designed entirely to appease the fans, considering that all incidents are reviewed by the match review panel following the game, regardless of which incidents are on report. The reason for this is perhaps that if a referee does get a clear look at such an incident, that he comes under pressure to issue a red card, and therefore by putting a player on report he is avoiding having to make such a big decision for an incident which perhaps isn't worthy of spoiling the game as a contest - perhaps this is where the sin bin could be better utilised by modern officals.

Would you like to see more instances of referees sin binning players during a match to deal with foul play rather than leaving the decision to someone else to deal with at a later date, for example for instances such as Paul Sykes high tackle on Sam Tomkins or Jon Wilkin's trip on Kris Welham which both happened this weekend, and both went unpunished at the time (other than the penalty)?

I've not seen the Wilkin incident but tripping is a sending-off offence at any level.

Sykes tackle on Tomkin came off his shoulder. Should never have being a sin bin. But the Wilkin trip should have being.

My opinion is a wider one than any specific incident, in that referees are rightly or wrongly reluctant to use red cards and appear to favour putting an incident on report instead. In my opinion there shouldn't be an option to put an incident on report any more, as this serves no practical purpose now that all matches are reviewed in full anyway.

On report serves only to give the referee an easy option and I'd rather they made greater use of the sin bin, then at least the player would be punished immediately in the same game against the same opposition that the incident occurred in/against.

I was stood with a perfect view from behind the play and had Wilkins not tripped him a try was 99% certain as the gap was about 15m wide and Welham would have gone over. It was a cynical, professional foul and Ganson wants shooting for bottling it, he MUST have seen it.

Not any longer - if I remember aright the rule was changed sometime in the mid-nineties.

Been.

Yes the sin bin seems to have been forgotton by some referees. Then we get complete inconsistency. Professional foul, automatic sin bin. Would also like they're to be consistency with back chat. Not just when Gansons refereeing.

Using the Sykes/Tomkins incident is stupid. O'loughlin would have spent 40mins in the sin bin if you deem that a sin bin.

That rule hasnt existed for 15 years+. Shows how much some fans actually know.

I think its too long in the modern day game. Ive before I would have the option of a 5minute sin bin which should and could be used much more often.

I'm not just a fan, I'm a graded TJ and referee in the amateur game.

It was never in the international laws of the game, it was guidance issued by the RFL to all match officials. That guidance remains the same today. I know because I'm actively involved with it.

Shows how much some fans actually know.

When I went to watch South London Storm lately, their winger connected with a nice slide tackle to prevent one of the West London players scoring. Referee gave him a yellow.

Was the try scored? If not, was a penalty try awarded?

Sometimes the referee isn't in the position to bin a player for a number of reasons. One would be that the game does not warrant a sin bin and another would be that the officials didn't get a clear view of the incident and it would be better to get it checked by someone else.

I'm a Wigan fan and the Sykes tackle should never have been binned. Not seen the Wilkin trip but as someone has said, a trip is an automatic sin bin

isn't the guidance that you can be sent off if the trip is seen as premeditated or dangerous, and not merely a reaction type of trip, ie. sticking the leg out to try and stop a kick through?

Trying to stop a kick is mitigation enough, yes.

However trips don't have to be premeditated - a reaction to being stepped is also a sending off.

No, no.

Coming back the OP post, I also understand that current guidance remains on high tackles that they are either penalty's or a Red Card offence and that therefore yellows should not be given for a specific high tackle?

As such if still current advice, this means that a high tackle is not a sin-binning offence, but if a player commits a number of less serious high/grapple tackles that don't individually warrant a red card he can get a yellow and possibly a red. I seem to remember that Brent Webb got binned at Quins one year for three poor and high tackles in the first half?

I will check but what you are saying sounds right. I have never binned anyone for a solitary high tackle. When a player makes reckless or deliberate dangerous high contact they should be dismissed. Careless high tackles should be addressed with a penalty and a word of advice to the tackler. As you say, we do see people being sent to the sin-bin for high challenges but these tend to be the result of not one but several indiscretions by the same player or team.

As I understand it, the RFL did float the idea around of an automatic yellow for grapple tackles earlier in the season, but this initiative seems to have now stopped.

IIRC it must still have been in place when Wigan visited Headingley earlier in the season, hence Jeff Lima's yellow for what was considered to be a "cannonball" tackle on Chris Clarkson?

That yellow was for dangerous contact. A comparable offence would be the chicken-wing.

goes to show how much you know mate!!! in 2003 stanley gene was red carded for tripping in the buddies cup final, tripping in the field of play is a red card, the reason wilkin didn't recive one was ganson never saw the incerdent and had only the touchjudges word for it, hence a one match ban was given.

Oh I remember the sin bin. That's the board where people argue in favour of pedophiles getting huge handouts because their case was put back a few days and they were caused distress.

Oh the other kind...now that is a distant memory. Referees don't pull out a yellow so much any more. Instead they do this bizarre cross armed hand gesture to signify they're going to chicken out of making a decision themselves so it can be successfully politicised by people behind closed doors instead.

Memory might be playing tricks but, didn't Wigans Steve Hampson get about a 10 match ban for a trip some years back ?