‘The game isn’t played in super slo-mo’: Sin-binning stuns players and NRL experts

North Queensland had two players sent to the sin-bin, including a controversial professional foul ruling against Reuben Cotter, but showed tremendous fight to spring a good old-fashioned Magic Round upset against the Sydney Roosters.

The Cowboys triumphed 18-12, but they had to do it the hard way, especially when Cotter was binned in the 55th minute for pinning Sam Walker against the upright after he had kicked the ball.

“I don’t reckon [it was a sin-bin], play it at real speed, I don’t reckon I should have been sent off; a penalty, maybe, but definitely not the sin-bin,” Cotter told Fox Sports after the game.

“The boys got on with the job, and that was the most pleasing thing to see.”

The decision left commentators stumped, and the constant replays in slow motion made the tackle look much worse.

“They arrive at the same time [at the ball],” Greg Alexander said on Fox Sports. “[The sin-bin] was a step too far. The game isn’t played in super slo-mo.”

The Roosters wasted little time after the sin-binning with half Sam Walker throwing a lovely ball for Hugo Savala to score a minute later to get the Bondi club back to within six points.

But the Cowboys dug deep for a well-deserved win to make it seven victories from their last nine matches.

The Roosters were chasing a seventh straight win, and looked on their way when winger Cody Ramsey scored the first try, then Cowboy Matt Lodge was binned for a high shot on Lindsay Collins.

But the Roosters were off the pace, and not helped by the loss of winger Daniel Tupou in the opening minutes. Replacement winger Junior Pauga was hooked after a string of errors, including being trapped in-goal when he hoped a Cowboys kick would sail over the dead-ball line.

He was injected back into the action when Ramsey came from the field for a head injury assessment.

There was a lot of Origin hype around the Roosters leading into the clash, and a few of the leading contenders did not have their best nights.

NSW fullback hopeful James Tedesco had a few forgettable moments in the first half, while he put too much weight on a kick in the second half when his side was on the attack. Former Queensland captain Daly Cherry-Evans was fair without being great, while Maroons hopeful Walker improved the longer the game went, but was still down on his usual livewire self.

Cowboys half Jake Clifford who had also been talked about as a Maroons bolter outplayed his rivals.

The Roosters are genuine title contenders, but are guilty of clocking off in games, and producing mediocre performances like the one they dished up at Suncorp Stadium.

Tedesco did well to lodge a successful captain’s challenge when he spotted Walker tackled without the ball as he tried to regather one of his own kicks right on half-time.

It gifted Cherry-Evans one attempt at a two-point field-goal, but he put it short.

After Ramsey’s try, then Lodge’s 10-minute timeout, the Cowboys started to find their rhythm.

The ever-improving Tom Chester and Reed Mahoney did well to smash Savala into touch when Tedesco went short to his makeshift winger.

A couple of minutes later, Braidon Burns dived over in the right corner. Burns made his Cowboys debut at Magic Round a couple of years ago when given a late call-up for the injured Kyle Feldt.

Another Tedesco error invited the Cowboys on the attack again, and they soon had a second with Scott Drinkwater in the perfect spot when Cherry-Evans and Rob Toia spilled a kick from Cows’ debutant Liam Sutton.

Burns then had a second as the first upset at Magic Round was on the cards. In a cruel night for wingers, Burns failed to finish the game because of a hamstring injury.