Small-time NRL clubs fake injury list

[The Great Dane]

Oh right so the NRL forces the players to play do they? The NRL doctors name the squads every week? Stuart wants to rest them but the NRL doctors say they are okay so he reluctantly has to play them?

Haha the NRL forces them to play injured players.
Jesus

@Great Dane, as Springs09 notes, so Stuart is being forced by the NRL to play all these guys. Bahahahahaha.

I never said that the NRL forces them to play, and frankly that is an embarrassing straw man.

The players very much want to play even when they shouldn't be, that in fact is the core of the problem...

What I actually said is that the NRL doctors clear them to play early before they are really ready, and even when the Raiders doctors say they need more time, and that once they have been cleared the Raiders don't have a leg to stand on if they try to stop them from playing.

There's even a quote from Ricky, that I can't seem to find now, that directly references it happening when Bateman came back early.
Bateman called Ricky from England and said he'd be right to play next week (almost a month early), Ricky thought he was off his head, Bateman stopped by the NRL doctor in Sydney on the way back to Canberra, the NRL doctor said he was good to go, the club tentatively announced him for the weekend when really they didn't think he should be playing, but hey the NRL doctor says he's good to go.

That's become a pattern with all the Raiders players that are coming back from injury (and I'm sure that it's not just ours), the club doctor predicts that they won't be back before x date minimum, then the NRL doctor sees them and says 'shoot them up with pain killers before the game and they'll be fine' and they come back weeks or even months early.

If you are denying that the scenario above happens then it's either because you are ignorant or disingenuous, and if it's because you are ignorant then suggest that you google search the Raiders players injuries.

 

[The Great Dane]

Have to question the motives of clubs forcing players to grind through injuries but pull them out of representing their country.
The fact that they are already injured, if true, makes it worse rather than better from a player welfare perspective.

We already know their motives, so you don't have to question their motives at all.

It happens because it's extremely difficult to get dispensation on the cap for injuries because the NRL doesn't want clubs to abuse the system to effectively sign players off the cap, but they've gone to far the other way in refusing to give dispensation to the point that they basically refuse to give dispensation at all, which forces the clubs to allow players that shouldn't really be on the field to play if they want to be competitive.

So you get to a point where the clubs are forced to either break the cap (normally their second tier salary cap) and face the penalty of doing that, or to field players that really shouldn't be playing because of injuries.

One of the knock-on effects of that is that when mid-season reps come along the clubs use that time to rest the players that shouldn't really be playing at all because they don't want to risk putting more pressure on their cap by risking players who're playing busted seriously re-injuring themselves.

There are deep systemic problems that cause these things to occur, and nobody wants to address them because they'll be hard to fix and they'll be disruptive, but until they are fixed we're going to keep seeing these things (like clubs resting players for rep-matches) pop up all the time.

The main point is that blaming the clubs for playing the game is stupid when the rules of the game it's self are the real problem.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Have to question the motives of clubs forcing players to grind through injuries but pull them out of representing their country.
The fact that they are already injured, if true, makes it worse rather than better from a player welfare perspective.


Watch this space - if Tonga v NZ becomes an *annual* big money draw, the niggling injuries will magically disappear. Clubs (should) know that preventing players from earning rep cash will see them looking for a new club quick smart.

This is our hope really - that the NZ - Tonga - Samoa rivarly takes off and is a real money spinner in NZ. The ingredients are there for it to be Origin-like.

 

[deluded pom?]

Re Bateman. I still don’t understand why Canberra are obliged to select him if they don’t think he’s fit regardless of what the NRL doctors say. Do the NRL doctors dictate who Canberra must select? What’s to stop Ricky having a word with Bateman and explaining why he’s not being picked too soon.

 

[Springs09]

Re Bateman. I still don’t understand why Canberra are obliged to select him if they don’t think he’s fit regardless of what the NRL doctors say. Do the NRL doctors dictate who Canberra must select? What’s to stop Ricky having a word with Bateman and explaining why he’s not being picked too soon.

The Raiders don't have a leg to stand on mate. The NRL doctors say they are okay. Raiders don't have a choice.

 

[Mr Angry]

If their club was playing would they play? Pretty simple.

If no, fair enough, if yes, well speaks for itself.

 

[Burns]

Napa playing with a broken wrist in Origin. Lol.

 

[Pommy]

A dishonour roll for small-minded, loser-attitude NRL clubs and coaches who are they don't want their players in rep football so they can preserve their chance of scraping 8th position and getting flogged in a week 1 final.
One of the most impressive features is always the number of current and former rep coaches who don't let their players play rep footy, some even complaining they don't have enough rep players.

2019 International Weekend

Canberra Raiders - Ricky Stuart
Jordan Rapana - New Zealand
Joe Tapine - New Zealand
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad - Cook Islands

NZ Warriors - Stephen Kearney
Tohu Harris - New Zealand
Kodi Nikorima - New Zealand

Parramatta Eels - Brad Arthur
Mitch Moses - Lebanon
Michael Jennings - Tonga

Penrith Panthers - Ivan Cleary
Josh Mansour - Lebanon

Wests Tigers - Michael Maguire
Alex Twal - Lebanon

South Sydney Rabbitohs - Wayne Bennett
Adam Doueihi - Lebanon

Newcastle Knights - Nathan Brown
Mitchell Pearce - NSW

Who am I missing? Or are there some legitimate injuries in this bunch.

Aren’t the Lebanese players protesting this week and covering up the cedar? I don’t think you can knock Doueihi for not risking himself for a game that has such a cloud over it. There’s been no suggestion I have seen that Souths aren’t letting him play.
Other players I have no idea about, although it seems unlikely Newcastle would stop Pearce playing or that he would wear that. Perhaps he has no desire to be NSWs punch bag if they don’t win in Perth and I can’t say I blame him.

 

[Iafeta]

I’m not sure what is happening with Nikorima. But Tohu Harris is absolutely genuinely injured. He has barely trained since round 5.

 

[Knight76]

No chance Brown is keeping Pearce out of Origin. If anything, Pearce is keeping himself out.

 

[The Great Dane]

Re Bateman. I still don’t understand why Canberra are obliged to select him if they don’t think he’s fit regardless of what the NRL doctors say. Do the NRL doctors dictate who Canberra must select? What’s to stop Ricky having a word with Bateman and explaining why he’s not being picked too soon.

It's not so much obliged but pressured to do so.

For a start how would you feel if you came back to work with a doctors certificate saying you were right to work and your boss said "nah you need more time"?

How do you think the fans and media respond if the clubs loses a game while one of their star players is sitting on the sideline and it turns out that he was cleared to play?

How do you think the boards going to react, how do you think the other players are going to react, etc, etc.

 

[deluded pom?]

It's not so much obliged but pressured to do so.

For a start how would you feel if you came back to work with a doctors certificate saying you were right to work and your boss said "nah you need more time"?

How do you think the fans and media respond if the clubs loses a game while one of their star players is sitting on the sideline and it turns out that he was cleared to play?

How do you think the boards going to react, how do you think the other players are going to react, etc, etc.

How would they react if that same player broke down with a recurrence of his injury in his first game back and had to miss the rest of the season or even worse? The club could always sue the NRL I suppose.

 

[MKCS]

I don't know how to feel in regards to it all.

On one hand I kind of get it. The representative round this weekend is pretty much just exhibition/friendly games except for the Cook Islands Vs South Africa game and obviously State Of Origin. Imagine a star player such as Rapana, Moses, Jennings etc going down in an exhibition match and being done for the year. Would drive a club coach crazy.

Alternatively I would like to see the international game grow. We've got a World Cup in 2 years and the majority of the teams listed will likely only play 2-3 games before that tournament. Teams should be fielding their best players, perfecting combinations, being trialled for the World Cup etc etc. Kind of similar to what soccer does with their minnow vs giant qualification matches or friendlies.

 

[adamkungl]

The chances of getting injured in a rep game are the same as getting injured in a club game.
Players roll the dice every time they step on the field, even at training.

If Rapana or Moses does an ACL in the next game they play the result isn't any better from doing it in club mode.

 

[adamkungl]

Roosters have disappointingly pulled Lachlan Lam out of PNG with a reported wrist injury.

Replaced by Roosters teammate Bernard Lewis.

Surely these niggles could be reported before teams are selected?

 

[Burns]

Roosters have disappointingly pulled Lachlan Lam out of PNG with a reported wrist injury.

Replaced by Roosters teammate Bernard Lewis.

Surely these niggles could be reported before teams are selected?

Small time club those Roosters.

 

[adamkungl]

Small time club those Roosters.

Haha my rant was bound to catch up with me eventually

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

A dishonour roll for small-minded, loser-attitude NRL clubs and coaches who are they don't want their players in rep football so they can preserve their chance of scraping 8th position and getting flogged in a week 1 final.
One of the most impressive features is always the number of current and former rep coaches who don't let their players play rep footy, some even complaining they don't have enough rep players.

2019 International Weekend

Canberra Raiders - Ricky Stuart
Jordan Rapana - New Zealand
Joe Tapine - New Zealand
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad - Cook Islands

NZ Warriors - Stephen Kearney
Tohu Harris - New Zealand
Kodi Nikorima - New Zealand

Parramatta Eels - Brad Arthur
Mitch Moses - Lebanon
Michael Jennings - Tonga

Penrith Panthers - Ivan Cleary
Josh Mansour - Lebanon

Wests Tigers - Michael Maguire
Alex Twal - Lebanon

South Sydney Rabbitohs - Wayne Bennett
Adam Doueihi - Lebanon

Newcastle Knights - Nathan Brown
Mitchell Pearce - NSW

Who am I missing? Or are there some legitimate injuries in this bunch.

Seems like the answer is obvious; if they arent fit enough to turn up this week, they should have next week off too....

Either they are lying or the club is forcing these guys to play injured. No reason they can complain if the NRL mandates that they are rested for the following round too.

 

[Matua]

I don't know how to feel in regards to it all.

On one hand I kind of get it. The representative round this weekend is pretty much just exhibition/friendly games except for the Cook Islands Vs South Africa game and obviously State Of Origin. Imagine a star player such as Rapana, Moses, Jennings etc going down in an exhibition match and being done for the year. Would drive a club coach crazy.

Alternatively I would like to see the international game grow. We've got a World Cup in 2 years and the majority of the teams listed will likely only play 2-3 games before that tournament. Teams should be fielding their best players, perfecting combinations, being trialled for the World Cup etc etc. Kind of similar to what soccer does with their minnow vs giant qualification matches or friendlies.

How the fudge is a test between NZ and Tonga any less of an important match than SOO. SOO is just some of the best players (half the top players in the NRL don't play in it) in the NRL from those states playing each other. It is no more or less important just because it is a three match series.

This is what is wrong with league and league fandom these days, people only care about their clubs and an interstate match. You want to grow the international game - don't let clubs stop players from playing tests for injuries that don't stop them playing weekly.