Pushed onto the field kicking and screaming, Jesbass dons the black and white jersey once again...
***
Judicia-rant: A Tragedy
Bear with me, if you will, while I get something off my chest.
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.
Mark Antony, Julius Caesar
When Adam Blair took to the field for the New Zealand Kiwis against Wales on November 5th, it was his first competitive appearance since late August. He'd been forced to cool his heels for five weeks after being suspended for striking and contrary conduct in the wake of the massive brawl between the Melbourne Storm and the Manly Sea Eagles.
And, to be honest, that bothers me somewhat.
It isn't the fact that Blair got suspended. And it isn't the length of the suspension that has frustrated me, even though there were many who considered it particularly harsh.
This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood;
The words expressly are a pound of flesh.
Portia, The Merchant Of Venice
What gets to me is the fact that he missed out on international representation as a result.
The fights that involved Adam Blair, Glenn Stewart, and eight of their teammates, were committed at first grade level. Consequently, these offences were assessed by the NRL judiciary.
But they overstepped the mark.
I should probably note at this point that I'm not merely a bitter Kiwi league fan with a chip on his shoulder although sometimes it feels like I'd be entitled to a healthy dose of skepticism regarding this topic.
Donning my tinfoil hat, I note the surprising regularity with which a New Zealander has run afoul of the laws in the lead up to international selection.
Take, for example, the case of Issac Luke, who missed the 2009 ANZAC Test on the back of a dubious suspension for a strike that hadnt even been deemed serious enough during the match to be put on report.
Meanwhile, Australian enforcer Paul Gallen had escaped a ban for what essentially amounted to an attempted decapitation of Craig Wing.
And with a long list of Kiwis receiving suspensions that have forced them to miss international matches including Stephen Kearney, Jarrod McCracken, Quentin Pongia, Ali Lauiti'iti and Ruben Wiki it's all too easy to feel somewhat aggrieved.
"Et tu, Brute?"
Caesar, Julius Caesar
But perhaps thats just dumb play by a handful of my countrymen? Certainly, some of the offenses deserved punishment.
And, from that, I hope lessons are learned.
Adam Blair, for example, has hopefully realised that if he gets into too many scraps like that, hes going to cop a lengthy ban.
Glenn Stewart, on the other hand, probably understands that blood runs thicker than water, with his brother Brett repaying the support the elder Stewart had given when his sibling was facing the courts during the previous two years.
But what I simply fail to understand is how a domestic competition can dictate international eligibility.
Personally, I think the bans were fair, but they highlighted a major flaw with the current judiciary system.
Quite how the NRL can prevent a player from partaking in a match that comes under the jurisdiction of the Rugby League International Federation is perplexing even if only from an outward perception regarding transparency.
If the Australian Rugby League were ever to select a player based in England for the Kangaroos, and the English Super League were to suspend that player, the cynic within me suggests that the ensuing outcry would catalyse change.
Now go we in content
To liberty, and not to banishment.
Celia, As You Like It
So what can be done about it?
The simplest solution would be to grant the NRL jurisdiction over NRL suspensions only. Let the ARL worry about how a players actions may or may not affect their State Of Origin credentials, and have the RLIF determine whether or not an international suspension is necessary.
The issue with this is the added cost, time, and bureaucracy created by having various different bodies looking at the same incident especially if the judgments differ.
Perhaps, then, the best answer is an independent panel, appointed by the RLIF. Representatives from both affected countries, (that of the player and his potential representative opposition), could be present, with a neutral chairman presiding over the process.
Players will probably still miss out on international matches, but at least the process will appear less like a Kangaroo court.
And if all else fails, we could always heed the instructions of one of Shakespeares minor characters...
The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.
Dick, Henry VI, Part 2
***
750 words between the stars.
Sources:
1:
http://www.nrl.com/nrlhq/referencecentre/judiciary/tabid/10435/default.aspx
2:
http://www.nrl.com/stewart-pulls-out-of-four-nations-squad/tabid/10874/newsid/65132/default.aspx
3:
http://www.3news.co.nz/Issac-Luke-to-miss-Anzac-test/tabid/415/articleID/102980/Default.aspx
4:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/2975642/Issac-Luke-bounces-back-after-Anzac-test-ban
5:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...as-nrl-goes-soft/story-e6frexp9-1225705191266
Shakespeare References:
1: Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. Mark Antony,
Julius Caesar (Act III, Scene ii)
2: This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood; The words expressly are a pound of flesh. Portia,
The Merchant Of Venice (Act IV, Scene i)
3: "Et tu, Brute?" Julius Caesar,
Julius Caesar (Act III, Scene i)
4: "Now go we in content to liberty, and not to banishment." Celia,
As You Like It (Act I, Scene iii)
5: The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers. Dick The Butcher,
Henry VI, Part 2 (Act IV, Scene ii)
-V-
