THERE are meetings, and there are meetings.
Arguably one of the most important gatherings in Rugby League for many a year is due to take place this week, when the Rugby Football League will discuss the reaction to its famous and much-needed exhortation to clubs, made over a month ago now, to treat match officials properly.
The plea – well, it was, quite rightly, more of an order than a request – followed a downwards pattern of abuse of referees and touchjudges.
All clubs were warned, in no uncertain terms, that enough was enough and that those teams that continued to misbehave could find themselves being propelled unceremoniously through the exit door.
Marc Lovering, the RFL’s director of development, told me: “We said in our letter (of May 9) that we would be monitoring behaviours over the next few weeks before consulting again with key stakeholders.
“We are aware of ongoing incidents which have taken place which are progressing through the formal disciplinary framework and we have recommended serious sanctions where appropriate.
“We have asked leagues to feed back ahead of the meeting, at which we will review the data.
“Clearly we are not naive enough to expect zero incidents, but we do expect to see a downward trend and significant improvement.
“If it becomes apparent that there are particular individuals or clubs who are repeatedly responsible for poor behaviours on and off the pitch, then they can expect to receive extended bans, gameday restrictions or team/club suspensions.”
There you have it. I think I wrote in this column, back in early May, that Rugby League in this country is facing an existential crisis if this issue isn’t sorted, and it’s hard to credit that there appear to be people at some clubs (hopefully only a handful) who don’t seem to care, and who believe that they can carry on as before.
As far as I’m concerned, anyone of that ilk should be banned from the sport (and any pursuits, for that matter) with the short and pithy message of ‘good riddance’. The RFL should not, for sure, take a softly, softly approach any longer.
I doubt, incidentally, that there’ll be anything softly, softly about Wednesday’s game between England Students and UK Armed Forces.
The match, which is being played at Halton Farnworth Hornets with, I understand, a 7.00pm kick-off, is the last fixture in the 2025 President’s Cup series. What is at stake is quite simple – the title itself.
The Students, who are the reigning champions, beat Great Britain Teachers 26-16 in their opening game, while the Armed Forces prevailed against the Teachers 22-12.
Both teams therefore enjoy ten-point surpluses in the for and against column and it’s been decided that should the game end in a draw, the contest will go to golden point.
It all points to a thriller, and I’m sure the respective coaches (Adam Houston for England Universities and Darren Bamford for the Armed Forces) will have their sides fully primed for what promises to be an epic clash.
My advice is – get there if you can!
And some belated advice, although I think I did recommend that readers should take in the Steven Mullaney Memorial Trophy curtain-raiser to the Betfred Challenge Cup Final last Saturday.
I’m not sure that spectators could get into the stadium for the 10.00am kick-off but they may well have been able to enter for the second half. Anyone who did will have witnessed as fine a solo score as they will ever be likely to see at Wembley.
It was registered by Rainford fullback Zac Nevin, who was in some difficulties when he collected a Sirius kick behind his own line but then set off on a blistering raid which will live long in the memory.
Nevin’s effort reminds me in many ways of the try scored by Steven Mullaney himself back in 1986. The trophy is, of course, now named in memory of Steven, who tragically lost his life in a road accident the following year.
I’ll be reflecting on last Saturday’s occasion in the next issue of Rugby League World. Suffice to say, at this stage, that Sirius, despite losing 40-0, actually played well. Their big problem was that Rainford had two giant props in Archie Lane and Isaac Gordon Smith.
Lane, in particular, also possessed handling skills which put the Hull lads under even more pressure.
It must have been tough being on the end of what I believe is a record defeat in this particular fixture, but I’m sure that, in time, Sirius’ players will (if they haven’t already) grow to be rightly proud of their individual displays.
Rainford’s meanwhile, will – again rightly – already feel exactly the same way, I’m certain.