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Shire madness
By PETER FRILINGOS Chief Rugby League Writer
April 6, 2004
SHARKS coach Stuart Raper said yesterday his players had become addicted to breaking rules on the field after Greg Bird and Jason Stevens were both charged by the judiciary.
Bird is facing a minimum suspension of six weeks after kneeing South Sydney winger Shane Marteene in the head at Aussie Stadium on Saturday night.
Veteran prop Jason Stevens has been charged with tripping and faces at least a week's suspension.
The Sharks finished on the wrong end of the penalty count for the fourth successive game and coach Raper has expressed openly his concern about the attitude of his players on the field.
"There was an attitude problem in the club last year and it's still there," Raper said. "It's like an addiction and while I don't know if that's the case we have to do something about it.
"We're like an alcoholic who's got a problem.
"We've got to admit it and confront it and I'm confident we've done that.
Raper held an early morning conference with players to address the issue of poor discipline.
"I'm confident I got the message across because there wasn't one word of dissent," Raper said.
"We've got to be more disciplined instead of whingeing. The players have to accept responsibility.
"It's a bit out of frustration and it's also a little bit of an attitude issue that's been building over the last couple of years in this place."
Bird's offence was considered so serious that the NRL's match review panel, headed by Greg McCallum, declined to grade the charge. Instead it was referred to the judiciary panel for determination tomorrow night.
The base penalty for a grade five striking charge which covers this offence is a five-match suspension.
It means if Bird pleads guilty to the charge he will be banned for at least that many matches and probably more.
However, the panel will take into account his immediate apology to Marteene who was not injured and was able to complete the game.
Roosters' Adrian Morley and Stuart Webb and Penrith's Luke Lewis were also charged yesterday.
Hooker Webb is looking at a three-match ban for his grade five careless high tackle on Luke Swain who lost two teeth and suffered a hairline jaw fracture in the incident.
Webb contacted Swain to apologise for the tackle yesterday and the Panthers back-rower accepted his explanation.
Morley can consider himself lucky to escape with only a grade one careless high-tackle charge for his hit on Panthers skipper Craig Gower.
Despite having three similar offences on his record during the past two years, Morley will serve only one match when he enters a guilty plead tomorrow.
Roosters chief executive Brian Canavan contacted referees boss Greg McCallum after Morley was charged. "It was more to assure Greg that we are again addressing Adrian's tackling technique," Canavan said.
http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1264&storyid=1156802
By PETER FRILINGOS Chief Rugby League Writer
April 6, 2004
SHARKS coach Stuart Raper said yesterday his players had become addicted to breaking rules on the field after Greg Bird and Jason Stevens were both charged by the judiciary.
Bird is facing a minimum suspension of six weeks after kneeing South Sydney winger Shane Marteene in the head at Aussie Stadium on Saturday night.
Veteran prop Jason Stevens has been charged with tripping and faces at least a week's suspension.
The Sharks finished on the wrong end of the penalty count for the fourth successive game and coach Raper has expressed openly his concern about the attitude of his players on the field.
"There was an attitude problem in the club last year and it's still there," Raper said. "It's like an addiction and while I don't know if that's the case we have to do something about it.
"We're like an alcoholic who's got a problem.
"We've got to admit it and confront it and I'm confident we've done that.
Raper held an early morning conference with players to address the issue of poor discipline.
"I'm confident I got the message across because there wasn't one word of dissent," Raper said.
"We've got to be more disciplined instead of whingeing. The players have to accept responsibility.
"It's a bit out of frustration and it's also a little bit of an attitude issue that's been building over the last couple of years in this place."
Bird's offence was considered so serious that the NRL's match review panel, headed by Greg McCallum, declined to grade the charge. Instead it was referred to the judiciary panel for determination tomorrow night.
The base penalty for a grade five striking charge which covers this offence is a five-match suspension.
It means if Bird pleads guilty to the charge he will be banned for at least that many matches and probably more.
However, the panel will take into account his immediate apology to Marteene who was not injured and was able to complete the game.
Roosters' Adrian Morley and Stuart Webb and Penrith's Luke Lewis were also charged yesterday.
Hooker Webb is looking at a three-match ban for his grade five careless high tackle on Luke Swain who lost two teeth and suffered a hairline jaw fracture in the incident.
Webb contacted Swain to apologise for the tackle yesterday and the Panthers back-rower accepted his explanation.
Morley can consider himself lucky to escape with only a grade one careless high-tackle charge for his hit on Panthers skipper Craig Gower.
Despite having three similar offences on his record during the past two years, Morley will serve only one match when he enters a guilty plead tomorrow.
Roosters chief executive Brian Canavan contacted referees boss Greg McCallum after Morley was charged. "It was more to assure Greg that we are again addressing Adrian's tackling technique," Canavan said.
http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1264&storyid=1156802
