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NRL grand final controversy exposes real issue with Bunker and broadcast that must be fixed

The Bunker drama in the grand final has exposed a huge issue for viewers watching at home.

riley morgan
Sports Reporter
·4-min read

OPINION

Was it a try? Or was the ball held up by an arm? This is all NRL fans can talk about on Monday instead of the mighty Penrith Panthers further cementing their legacy as one of the greatest rugby league teams ever with a historic fourth premiership. But does some of the blame for the drama lie with the NRL and broadcasters for not providing viewers with all the information available?

Storm star Jack Howarth was denied a try from the Bunker after a divisive call with the score at 10-6 in favour of Penrith. Ashley Klein sent the decision upstairs as a 'no try' having deemed Howarth was held up when attempting to score.

Nathan Cleary celebrates the nrl grand final and Jack Howarth is denied a try from the NRL Bunker.
The NRL needs to work with Channel Nine to afford viewers at home the same replays the Bunker referee uses avoid the drama that came along with the grand final 'no try' call from Jack Howarth. (Images: Getty Images/Channel Nine)

Grant Atkins came to the same decision having looked at different camera angles. However, broadcast replays seemed to suggest Howarth got the ball down and NRL legend Andrew Johns was left perplexed to how the try wasn't awarded. This was the same for viewers at home. And on the biggest stage one of the biggest issues with the Bunker was exposed for everyone to see.

Regardless of whether it was a try or not, the NRL have let themselves down by not giving broadcasters Channel 9 and Fox Sports access to the same camera angles that the Bunker has. The Channel 9 replays appeared to show the ball being grounded as Howarth burrowed his way past a sea of Penrith players.

This was the best angle provided to viewers watching at home, and social media exploded with an array of allegations as many claimed the grand final was 'rigged'. On Monday morning the same terms were being thrown around as Storm fans were still flabbergasted as to how they were not awarded a try that would have put them level or in front with a conversion.

However, at around 10.30pm after the game, NRL officials moved to dispel suggestions it was a try and showed media members footage from a different angle. The Bunker has access to around 20 different camera angles. And the NRL released the same replay Atkins used to prove - in his view - the ball was held up or there was not enough evidence to overturn the on-field decision.

And while Atkins may have made the right call it doesn't change the fact millions of viewers had switched off their televisions and were scrolling social media to see photo after photo of the broadcast angle. And the issue was highlighted during coverage.

"When you go into the Bunker there is about 20 or 23 camera angles," Brad Fittler said during the Channel 9 broadcast. "Whoever is sitting up there now, which will be Grant Atkins, he will have every possible view. From the one I saw, I have to say his own hand was underneath the ball."

This was another camera angle released by the NRL to back-up Grant Atkins' ruling from the Bunker. (Images: NRL)
This was another camera angle released by the NRL to back-up Grant Atkins' ruling from the Bunker. (Images: NRL)

And here in lies the problem with the Bunker. Viewers at home are not shown the same angles as the officials and instead are provided two or three different views.

So why are viewers not provided the same replays as the Bunker referee? Every week in the 2024 premiership season there appears to have been a Bunker decision that has riled up an NRL fanbase. Quite often fans are perplexed to how the Bunker referee has come to that decision. It doesn't seem to be a stretch for the NRL and broadcasters to work together and show the same angles used by the Bunker referee when coming to a ruling.

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While audio can be heard, the referee sitting in the Bunker is often looking at different angles to the one we see on TV. By not showing the camera angles afforded to the officials, fans are left guessing to how they have come to a different conclusion.

While the Bunker will never be perfect, millions of dollars were not invested into the technology for it to drum up more controversy. And it has taken an incident on the NRL grand final to expose the issue connecting the NRL and their broadcast partners. If anything is taken away from the 2024 NRL grand final, other than the might of the Penrith Panthers, it is viewers need to be given more credit and afforded a look inside the Bunker during the 2025 season.