Confusion carries the day as Parramatta cap weekend with big win over Wests Tigers
By now, with the game staring at another concussion-enforced retirement in the form of Sydney Roosters captain Boyd Cordner, we should have had a recalibration.
Cordner’s imminent retirement, reported in News Corp papers on Sunday night, is a reminder of why the game decided to launch a crackdown on high contact.
At the age of 29, after nearly 200 games for the Roosters, two premierships and captaincy of his state and country, Cordner is expected to retire on Monday morning due to the ongoing impact of concussion. He hasn’t played since last year’s State of Origin series, when head knocks forced him to take an extended break from the game. His issues were no doubt at the forefront of ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys’ mind when he launched the high contact blitz the week before Magic Round.
Yet a month after the crackdown began, we should have some idea what constitutes a send-off and what is worthy of simply a sin-bin.
Instead, confusion is still the overriding emotion after another weekend when contact with the head resulted in a flurry of incidents that left even the most seasoned rugby league savant scratching their head.
It is fast becoming clear that the one thing everyone craves is the one thing that is beyond the game’s reach — consistency. Brisbane youngster Kobe Hetherington gets sent off on Saturday night for high contact that had numerous mitigating circumstances.
On Sunday morning, the match review committee deemed it was only worthy of a fine. Gold Coast backrower Kevin Proctor stays on the field for a shot on Joey Manu on Saturday afternoon yet the match review committee decides the incident is worthy of at least a one-match ban, and possibly two matches if he fights it and loses.
Later on Sunday, Parramatta winger Maika Sivo knocks Adam Doueihi out of the game with a shot that leaves the Wests Tigers centre dazed and confused. Sivo is sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes but returns to help the Eels thrash the Tigers 40-12 at Bankwest Stadium.
The Tigers are forced to call on their 18th man Michael Chee Kam after Doueihi is ruled out of the game. No one questions the NRL’s decision to come down hard on contact with the head, least of all the two coaches who were involved in a fractious game at Bankwest Stadium on Sunday afternoon that resulted in six players going on report and three in the sin bin.
What they and everyone else in the game wants is something that is proving elusive for the NRL — “It is up to the game — it is the consistencies around what they are looking at the moment,” Tigers coach Michael Maguire. “It is up to the game to sort out the consistencies of what is happening. It is a tricky one at the moment.”
“You need to adjust. They are going to have to find (consistency) fast because it is costing games. All around the game we need to work out what is and isn’t (a send-off).
“I understand the reasons why they are doing it. I do agree. The fact is they need to look after players — that is the starting point. We always talk about the consistency around it being the tricky part.”
Parramatta coach Brad Arthur insisted the officials got it right with Sivo.
“I am not condoning any contact with the head but where does he go there,” Arthur said.
“He is moving in to make a defensive decision — his hands are down by his side. We are teaching the boys on those reactionary tackles to keep their elbows close to their body.
“The bloke is falling. That was what I saw live. I thought for sure he would get sin-binned. I don’t think it was a send-off. I think send-offs need to be deliberate.
“There was nothing deliberate or any malice from Maika. The game is going to have times when there is only 12 on the field and we have a specific plan about what we are going to do.”
NRL head of football Graham Annesley reiterated on Sunday that the crackdown on high contact remained in effect and nothing had changed.
You only had to be at Bankwest Stadium on Sunday afternoon to realise it was still a priority given the amount of incidents that were pulled up by the match officials involving head contact.
What Annesley and everyone else in the game can’t guarantee is that they will get some consistency around high contact. Ultimately, each referee and video official has their own view. They can never be identically aligned.
“I can’t talk about the specifics while the judiciary process is underway,” Annesley said.
“However, one thing I can absolutely say is that the commission’s policy that as introduced before Magic Round has not changed despite what some people might think.
“While there will no doubt be differences of opinion about whether the match officials or bunker have applied the policy correctly or not, the policy has not and will not change.
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