Origin,the Directive and beyond - Common Sense or Not?

[Graham]

The application of the directive has been a big talking point in the last couple of rounds.

There is no doubt it is well intentioned and importantly is aimed at avoiding concussions and long term health problems that knocks to the head can bring.

I suppose it’s a question of balance. After all it is a contact sport.

The avalanche of on report, sin binnings and send offs has been a big feature. Victor Radley today is virtually a one man example of someone falling foul of the crackdown. If he’d also been sent off in the game he’d have had a full house of punishments.

There’s always been calls for consistency. I suppose the adjudication by the bunker on every incident gives the refs no choice. They have to accept the advice and apply the directive.

I mention this with Origin series coming up.

It is alway billed as a battle. It’s regarded as the pinnacle of the game renowned for the fierceness of play.

Given that the directive will be applied in the Origin series just how what will it mean to the nature and flow of the games?

Origin could become a different beast from now on, or rather a bit softer and more cuddly?

What do you reckon?

Edited May 22, 2021 by Graham

[DavidM]

9 minutes ago, Graham said:

Victor Radley today is virtually a one man example of someone falling foul of the crackdown. If he’d also been sent off in the game he’d have had a full house of punishments.

I love Victor . Just let him off and send him home . Then get Vlandys and his video refs in and give them a 50 match ban for bringing the game into disrepute and 60 matches for ruining it as a spectacle , and a million pound fine for silliness

[Man of Kent]

I think the directive is just the most obvious example of the NRL commission making a horlicks of this season by constantly changing the rules (or interpretations of the rules), often on the fly, to counteract unintended consequences of earlier rule changes. 

It would be a shame if players start taking a dive in Origin to entice refs to give send-offs.

[Anita Bath]

Not about stopping aggression, its about stopping high tackles/hits and enforcing existing laws of the game.

 

What Victor Radley did was irresponsible and his coached accepted this. The sooner we get high hits out of the game the better. And I mean all high hits not just pre meditated ones - the impact on the victim is the same whether premeditated or not.

 

We had the same outcry about getting rid of punch ups - took a while to recognise that punch ups are not part of Rugby League and the game could thrive without them.

[Dunbar]

Origin has been sanitised for the last few years. In previous years there was stuff let go in Origin that would have been pulled up in a regular game.  This added something to the overall spectacle.

I have said for the last few years that I don't look forward to Origin as much as I used to.  I fully understand how much it means to the people of Queensland and New South Wales as they have the emotional attachment to the result but as a Rugby League neutral, despite the games being high quality, it has lost its edge. I expect that to be even more pronounced this year.

[DavidM]

I’m still waiting to hear how we get ‘all’ high contact out of the game . 
Origin should be the pinnacle , the ultimate contest of quality and toughness and played with much looser regulation .  It should have a good punch up to 

[Graham]

18 hours ago, Anita Bath said:

Not about stopping aggression, its about stopping high tackles/hits and enforcing existing laws of the game.

 

What Victor Radley did was irresponsible and his coached accepted this. The sooner we get high hits out of the game the better. And I mean all high hits not just pre meditated ones - the impact on the victim is the same whether premeditated or not.

 

We had the same outcry about getting rid of punch ups - took a while to recognise that punch ups are not part of Rugby League and the game could thrive without them.

I was surprised his coach didn’t take Radley off after his second misdemeanour.

[Clogiron]

Radley out for 5 games Crighton for 2. We are heading for a game like Master's where you have to pull a tag off of a player then you will be charged with a aggressive pull. Whatever happened to the game I grew up with? I understand all the fear of litigation for head injuries but the player's also understood that by playing the game you were likely to cop a few knocks to the head the same as a few arthritic joints would be endured in later life. It's a contact sport for goodness sake that pays extremely well, far in excess of what those who participate would likely be able to earn elsewhere that's why they play it and why people and broadcasters pay to watch or show it, the participants aren't like Christians being throw to the lions for the entertainment of the hordes they know the risks and still chose play it, so none of this saving them from themselves . 

Soapbox free for next participant.

[THE RED ROOSTER]

Gus Gould nails it..

Gus Goes nuclear on the NRL over Crackdown

[DavidM]

18 hours ago, THE RED ROOSTER said:

Gus Gould nails it..

Gus Goes nuclear on the NRL over Crackdown

I was about to post this as I’ve just caught up with it . Pretty much exactly what I think 

[Irish Saint]

Interesting "opposite"view points being taken by pundits on Channel 9 and Fox.

On youtube you'll also find Andrew John's  stating he walked out off the Broncos\Roosters game.

Regarding George Williams Johns states Williams mental health was  most important in the whole episode.

Whereas the NRL 360  team fully behind the new tackling directive. The only " dissent" coming from James Graham and Benji Marshall.

With Williams the attitude was well he didnt want to train didnt want to play at the weekend but was expecting to be paid to the end of the season. Their attitude particularly Iken, Kent and Baldy was that Canberra acted correctly.

 

 

Edited May 27, 2021 by Irish Saint

[Graham]

The directive was applied as normal in Round 12 with Origin 1 being played a week on Wednesday (9th June).

So who was reported, binned etc in R12?

Murray escapes punishment, Leota, James face suspension

https://www.sportingnews.com/au/league/news/nrl-judiciary-round-12-kaufusi-sims-walsh-tevaga-leilua/1002fh90bdfwt11ncflvuhdigc

[Graham]

Origin 1 is over where common sense was applied to the application directive and there was very little incident.

 Round 14 and common sense goes out of the window with the interpretation of the directive.

Kobe Hetherington was given a straight send off for something he could not avoid as an ankle tapped and quickly falling Corey Harawira-Naerea crashed into him. All he could do in a split second was brace himself for the impact. He couldn't have got out of the way or done anything else. Chris Sutton obviously listening to the bunker gave a shocked Hetherington his marching orders.

In effect CWH dived at KH head first albeit involuntarily.

 

 

Edited June 12, 2021 by Graham

[Graham]

What will the judiciary do to Hetherington?

Punish him further for the accident?

Accidents happen in a contact sport. IMO he couldn't have done anything else other than disappear in a cloud of smoke.

If they clear him to play saying it was accidental or unavoidable (which it was) then we have an even more confused directive.

If they punish him further  or even say sending off sufficient there will be no justice and yet another layer of confusion.

The advice to Sutton was clear any contact to the head with a shoulder is a send off.

Watch it again here - Click

[Graham]

Hetherington was handed a $1500 fine and will not miss any Broncos games.

What else could he have done?