What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Concussions and in-game punishments

lazza

Juniors
Messages
703
A lot of articles released recently on nrl high tacklds and concussions for the first 2 rounds.

I'd be keen to know what people think in-game punishments should be assuming the ref had a crystal ball and knew what the judiciary grading would be (if an excuse for simply putting on report is that ref's can't know the severity in real time without a lawyer and judges there).

For eg, if a player receives a grade 2 high tackle to the head and fails his and doesn't return, should this be:
1. Just a penalty
2. Sin bin
3. Send off

Or what grade should it be before it hits options 2 and 3? Grade 3? 4? Etc
 

84 Baby

Referee
Messages
28,032
If the HIA is a result of foul play, then the offender should go off for as long as the victim. The offenders barely care about the immediate consequences but they’d at least be more mindful of reducing their team to 12 than they are about the crapshoot that’s the NRL judiciary
 

lazza

Juniors
Messages
703
First step- NRL to provide match day doctors rather than leaving it up to each club to provide their own. Too much scope for clubs to game the system until this happens.
Put em in the bunker - the kafusi one was terrible - Def got his monies worth but if they're subsequently suspended, then a penalty didn't fit the crime is all I'm saying. Ref got it wrong and hasn't been criti ised enough.
 

Munted

Bench
Messages
4,216
I think Annesly was spot on with his reference to players tacking in the 'danger zone' and getting it wrong, if that's how you want to play then you have to cop the punishment when it goes wrong.
Just like those who lift, or try to drop a shoulder and fail to wrap the arms. It's 50/50 and if you take a player out for a HIA then the offender should sit out.
 

lazza

Juniors
Messages
703
I think Annesly was spot on with his reference to players tacking in the 'danger zone' and getting it wrong, if that's how you want to play then you have to cop the punishment when it goes wrong.
Just like those who lift, or try to drop a shoulder and fail to wrap the arms. It's 50/50 and if you take a player out for a HIA then the offender should sit out.
But they're not sitting out for the game they're playing... they just go back on the field whereas the opposition player is knocked out cold.

I think the best way to think of it is what if that was the grand final? Sitting out for a trial or round 1 of new season doesn't even matter
 

SDM

First Grade
Messages
7,599
The bunker needs to help, and stop being gutless, look at the replay and make a judgement.

If you accidently/carelessly whack a bloke, needs to be 10 minutes every time.
If there is a degree of intentional/reckless - basically all grade 2 and above offences, send them off. f**k the coaches sooking, saying it decided the game. What decided the game was the shit tackle.
 

Dogs Of War

Coach
Messages
12,718
This depends on what you want to achieve. If it's to reduce head contact, then you really need to go the way of Union in Australia and have red cards for that. Though they do it well and it's 20mins down a player, then the player can be replaced, just not by the person who performed the infraction.

Personally, I think that the best result. Currently, it's teams who play the weeks after that benefit from foul play. Not to mention that you can't have one game really punishing players, while ours is turning a blind eye to it. I'm sure players who have issues down the track, while get lawyers who just use that as an example of what could have been done to reduce players performing head contact plays.
 

siv

First Grade
Messages
6,546
If a player causes a failed HIA

First he needs to be sent off. Plus he gets a madatory 2 game suspension
 

siv

First Grade
Messages
6,546
What could possibly go wrong?

If the person fails a HIA, he also is out for the mandatory 2 weeks

In regards to the Grand Final test both players cannot return after a failed HIA

But they system today is open for greater abuse
 

Penrose Warrior

First Grade
Messages
8,602
The bunker needs to help, and stop being gutless, look at the replay and make a judgement.

If you accidently/carelessly whack a bloke, needs to be 10 minutes every time.
If there is a degree of intentional/reckless - basically all grade 2 and above offences, send them off. f**k the coaches sooking, saying it decided the game. What decided the game was the shit tackle.

I don't know why this couldn't be the case for the Kaufusi one.

FFS, didn't we have the Bunker step in of their own accord after Wayde Egan had scored in this round and decide to review it? So why the f**k can't they do that with a blatant elbow to the head that knocks out a guy?

I agree with a previous poster, if you choose to go high and make head high contact, you go to the bin. That's the risk you run. The shoulder charge was outlawed because it was so easy to get it wrong and hit the head, with very real and terrible consequences.
 

The_Frog

First Grade
Messages
6,390
FFS, didn't we have the Bunker step in of their own accord after Wayde Egan had scored in this round and decide to review it? So why the f**k can't they do that with a blatant elbow to the head that knocks out a guy?
It's getting to the point where the ref is nothing more than the mouthpiece for the bunker, which makes all the decisions. Kaufusi should have gone to the bin but Parra won the game anyway.

The bunker now looks at all tries while the conversion is being lined up. I'm not sure how it works when the ref says no try, I suppose they look at that too. So there's more bunker while appearing to be less.
 

Penrose Warrior

First Grade
Messages
8,602
It's getting to the point where the ref is nothing more than the mouthpiece for the bunker, which makes all the decisions. Kaufusi should have gone to the bin but Parra won the game anyway.

The bunker now looks at all tries while the conversion is being lined up. I'm not sure how it works when the ref says no try, I suppose they look at that too. So there's more bunker while appearing to be less.

Yeah, I didn't watch the game (watched highlights) and I'm wondering how the f**k given Matterson was out cold, that the Bunker couldn't watch it and rule that should be a binnable offence, if not sent off. Or am I missing something
 

gerg

Juniors
Messages
2,235
If the person fails a HIA, he also is out for the mandatory 2 weeks

In regards to the Grand Final test both players cannot return after a failed HIA

But they system today is open for greater abuse

There are a couple of coaches and teams that would stop at nothing to test the grey areas or weaknesses in the rulebook. Why would your suggestion be any different? Grapple, chicken wing, crusher, calf grinding... 20 years ago none of these existed but modern coaches are more interested in slowing the play the ball by mere seconds without any thought of the greater good of the game. And you think coaches won't think of some way to manipulate an automatic send off for a bloke that causes concussion?
 

lazza

Juniors
Messages
703
I reckon include lawyers and doctors from each team in the bunker and if it's on report, they have 60 seconds to watch a replay and put in a guilty/not guilty plea. If they put in guilty they're off to the bin and suspended based on the grading assigned after the game. Why should they be allowed to study it when they've literally head slammed some bloke with the peoples elbow who's going to hospital.

If you're on report it should be guilty until proven innocent
 
Last edited:

Danish

Referee
Messages
31,835
The hit on Cleary was a straight up send off for 30 years until they brought in the stupid report system and refs lost their balls.

the kaufusi elbow drop was also a send off if the ref saw it during that period.

Nowadays refs are all giant pansies unwilling to make any call on foul play. Its the same softness that causes them to almost uniformly sin bin a player from both sides for any fight, just to avoid any controversy of them having a “influence” on the game.

bringing in mandatory suspensions/ lawns offs based on a failed HIA will be rife with corruption from day 1. How many unscrupulous usages of the head bin are there already, let alone once the incentive of taking a player out of your opposition for the rest of the game is on the table?
 

lazza

Juniors
Messages
703
There are a couple of coaches and teams that would stop at nothing to test the grey areas or weaknesses in the rulebook. Why would your suggestion be any different? Grapple, chicken wing, crusher, calf grinding... 20 years ago none of these existed but modern coaches are more interested in slowing the play the ball by mere seconds without any thought of the greater good of the game. And you think coaches won't think of some way to manipulate an automatic send off for a bloke that causes concussion?
True but you gota start somewhere... eventually we will run out of body/chicken parts to name tackles after and in about 50 years, the next generations generation can actually keep the game going
 

lazza

Juniors
Messages
703
When we watch reruns of 70s 80s footy, you think wow how did they get away with that.. in 5-10 years time this era will be so obvious that these were dirty plays .... and of course the worst had tk have come from storm player
 

Exsilium

First Grade
Messages
9,517
Ultimately the referee has to be prepared make a decision and be confident doing so.

Between the rules and their discretion, there are several options available to them including the bunker to review, sin bins and the send off.
If they’re not prepared to make those decisions on the field, then no matter what measures you add, they’ll always take the path of least resistance.

Heck, we don’t even sin bin for repeat offences which are clear as day.

That being said, the Rugby Union approach of yellow/red cards is my preference. The explanations are often objective and players rarely argue.
 

Latest posts

Top