THE game of rugby league died in the 48th minute at Suncorp Stadium last night.
The physical contest is dead. The game has lost its soul.
When Bronco Joe Ofahengaue fell on a loose fall and took a voluntary tackle, Sam Burgess dropped on him with a legitimate shot to his ribs,
But wait.
The Broncos players reacted as if Burgess had taken their mate’s head off and came running from everywhere.
Referee Jared Maxwell lost the plot completely and gave Brisbane a penalty and gave Burgess a caution for a tackle which was perfectly legal and tough.
Remember that word. Tough!
It used to be Ok to play the game tough and make a fair tackle on a player who had dived on a loose ball and just laid down for a voluntary tackle,But not in 2016.
Referee Maxwell raced in and made himself the centre of attention as he did for most of the night with a caution that was both unnecessary and full of empty threats about putting someone in the bin.
Not once during the game did Maxwell actually back up his words and that’s a blight on him but the real blight is on the game itself when a player is penalised for a legitimate tackle on a player who has fallen on a loose ball.
Burgess hit Ofahengaue in the ribs. Not the head.
It was a strong statement from Burgess on a night when his team made a strong statement that they weren’t dead and buried for 2016 and still had plenty of fight left.
Sure, stamp out punching and stamp put the shoulder charge. Everyone agrees that those rules have made the game cleaner and safer.
But for God’s sake don’t take the toughness out of our great game. Dom’t be penalising a player for a legitimate tackle which went nowhere near the opponent’s head and was not late or dangerous.
The penalty against Souths in the 48th minute last night was a bloody joke and a sad indictment on the game.
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