SAM BURGESS has called for players who stay down claiming head contact to be removed from the match as Super League grapples with the issue of gamesmanship.
Several high-profile incidents in recent weeks have demonstrated the growing problem of attacking players staying down after a tackle they believe to have been illegal, forcing the referee to pause the game and then allowing for the incident to be reviewed.
Warrington Wolves coach Burgess complained when this happened in a recent game against Leigh Leopards and his forward Paul Vaughan was dismissed.
On Saturday, there were two yellow cards early in the Wolves’ match against St Helens for challenges which were not initially penalised.
Warrington’s Lachlan Fitzgibbon was sinbinned for a high tackle on Tee Ritson, then Saints’ Matty Lees was shown yellow for a late challenge on Josh Drinkwater.
Both Ritson and Drinkwater stayed down for significant treatment, only to then stay on the field.
Another incident was seen in the previous night’s top-of-the-table clash between Wigan Warriors and Hull KR, when the Robins’ Jai Whitbread was sinbinned for a high tackle on Tyler Dupree that was not initially penalised.
Burgess said of Fitzgibbon’s card: “It was almost comical. I don’t know what we are doing.
“The game stopped for five-and-a-half minutes, but then the player gives the thumbs-up and plays on. If you have to stop for five-and-a-half minutes, do we not have concussion protocol? That would stop players staying down.
“If you stay down for a period of time, it is a category one in the NRL (meaning the player is permanently removed from the match, then cannot play again for at least eleven days).
“There would be less wingers and outside backs staying down if they know it is a category one.
“We had this in the NRL and it stopped this pretty quick. You watch how quickly they stop staying down because everyone wants to play next week.”
“It is a quick fix. If you are down for a certain period of time, category one, see you later. You have to stand down.
“I can’t help but be honest about the game I care about so much, I feel it will change pretty quick if we can take those steps.”
Asked if play-acting was a serious concern, Burgess said: “I think it is clear to see. I am being honest about it and calling a spade a spade.
“(Sky Sports pundit) Sam Tomkins said it about Tyler Dupree. I am not saying he stayed down – I thought he got pretty hard in the head last night. But Sam Tomkins said in commentary that he can’t be angry with him because it got them a yellow card and won them the game. So we are seeing it.
“This is a tough game and I am not questioning that. Everyone who is on the field had got an element of toughness about them.
“But they are playing within the rules. We all see it. Players are understanding that there are loopholes.”
Hull KR coach Willie Peters echoed those sentiments with reference to the incident involving Whitbread and Dupree.
“If he’s injured, he’s injured and you won’t get a word from me,” he said.
“If he’s not injured and the refs haven’t picked it up because it doesn’t look like an illegal tackle… we want to take away the players staying down.
“A lot of coaches are saying it. One thing I won’t do is teach my players to stay down if they’re not injured.
“Tyler might have been, I’m not saying he wasn’t. But it would have been play-on because the ref didn’t blow his whistle. Then (after he stayed down) they’ve had a look at it.”
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