The NRL’s match review committee’s inconsistency is damaging the integrity of the game
Phil Rothfield
The Daily Telegraph
March 16, 2015 10:02PM
IT’S that time of the year when mums and dads are registering their sweet little six and seven-year-olds for the footy season.
They have a choice between soccer, rugby league, union and AFL.
When arguably the biggest name in rugby league, Johnathan Thurston, walks off the field looking as though he’s been bashed up in UFC rather than playing a game football, would it influence their decision making?
Would soccer suddenly become a safer option, or union or AFL.
When was the last time an A-League player staggered from the field with a closed eye and battered face. Imagine if it was Timmy Cahill.
Or the last time an AFL player was kneed in the head, crash-tackled without the football and speared head first into the ground. By players incidentally wearing “Rise for Alex’ on the back of their jerseys and who should know better than anyone of the terrible consequences
Can you imagine the AFL allowing it to happen to Gary Ablett. Not a chance.
This foul play wouldn’t be happening each week if the referees and NRL administrators were doing their jobs properly and serious about stamping it out.
Why even ban punching or shoulder charges when you can get away with just about anything else?
Even in the wild old ‘70s a head-high tackle like Mitch Moses made in round one against the Titans would be an immediate send-off. And then four, possibly six weeks.
Spear tackles in those days were also an instant dismissal offence.
Thurston could not be contacted on Monday. His partner Samantha gave birth to their second child, a baby girl.
He is not the type to complain anyway but his manager Sam Ayoub was not happy.
“Johnathan is used to getting targeted but after what happened over the weekend more action should have been taken,” Ayoub said.
“The general consensus is there was not a lot of difference to the tackle that got Junior Paulo nine weeks at the judiciary last week.”
The main offender in Townsville on Saturday night, Beau Scott, will not miss a game.
It again shows up the appalling lack of consistency at NRL headquarters with the integrity unit and now the match review committee.
Check out the photos. There is hardly a difference in the two tackles.
How do Parramatta fans feel after losing their man for nine weeks while Scott gets off.
More importantly, how do the mums and dads feel?
They’re the ones the NRL should be most concerned about.
They’re the ones who will decide what code the next generation of youngsters will be playing.
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