Premiership powerhouse Penrith has surprisingly claimed the title of the NRL's team with the highest number of sin-binnings this season. However, the Panthers' players contend that they don't always have control over when a player gets sent off for 10 minutes. So far this season, the typically disciplined Panthers have faced 11 sin-binnings, surpassing North Queensland, who have recorded 9.
In their recent 22-14 victory over Melbourne, Penrith lost three players, marking the first time since 1996 they have experienced that many sin-binned in a single match. "I don't think I've been in a game where there's been three sin bins like that," remarked back-up hooker Billy Scott. The Panthers' total of 11 sin-binnings this season exceeds their combined total from 2020, 2021, and 2022, and is the highest since their rise to prominence in 2020.
Their nearest competitors for the 2026 premiership-Warriors (3), Sydney Roosters (1), and the Dolphins (7)-account for only 11 sin-binnings combined this year. "It's the discipline at the end of the day," Scott stated ahead of Friday's clash with Canterbury. "Hopefully we don't have anything like that this week."
Penrith's players have been sin-binned for illegal tackles (six times), professional fouls (four), and repeated infringements (once). Some penalties, however, have raised eyebrows. Coach Ivan Cleary called the decision to sin-bin Liam Martin for a professional foul "really harsh." Additionally, the previous week, centre Paul Alamoti was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle but avoided suspension. Hooker Freddy Lussick acknowledged the lack of control over rulings. "Stuff like that is sort of in the control, but not in the control," he explained.
Casey McLean noted the difficulty of avoiding sin-binnings completely but expressed optimism about their ability to win despite them. "A game's not going to go perfectly. It could go bad, it could go good," the NSW representative said. He emphasized the focus on resilience and teamwork.
PENRITH'S SIN-BINNINGS BY SEASON
2026: 11
2025: 7
2024: 4
2023: 6
2022: 4
2021: 3
2020: 2