Former NRL player Andrew Johns says he has urged the match officials involved in State of Origin to avoid using the sin bin. Multiple outlets report that Johns made the plea to the referee and the Bunker, referring to the officiating group responsible for on-field decisions and video review during the series. The reports frame his comments as a request to reduce the likelihood of suspensions from temporary suspensions being applied through the sin-bin rule. The outlets agree that Johns’ message is directed at how referees should apply the sin bin during Origin fixtures. They do not describe any specific incident or particular player at the time of the plea in the provided excerpts, focusing instead on the general call for caution in using the sin-bin penalty. The articles present Johns’ position as a proactive appeal ahead of or around Origin matches, emphasizing his desire that officials rely less on that penalty option during games. Overall, all sources align that Johns is calling for restraint from referees and the Bunker regarding the sin-bin during State of Origin.