New rules crackdown starts tonight

[player 1]

I thought under the new directive, Sitili was somewhat lucky to only be binned - it was a clean, forceful hit to the head. I was relieved when Cummins raised his 2 hands and not the single finger.

[rozza]

No suspension for Sitili just a fine.

[ism22]

In hindsight, my only disappointment was about how we let in 2 easy tries right after Sitili got sent off. Partly because we all freaked out and started playing touch footy.

As Robbo said during the press conference... we need time to adapt to the new world. That was the Cows and we were up 18-0 at the time with a good ~50 minutes to recover. Imagine the sorta damage a team with a bit more talent coulda done.

Wasn't the refs, it was us. First with the stupid tackle (coulda sent Sitili to the changerooms and probably would against the Drizz/Riff) and then with the touch footy defence.

One decent suggestion I heard from the media was to reward low tackles rather than just punishing high tackles. To me it's a valid point that you're allowed to tackle around the neck (whereas yawnion is 'no tackles above the shoulders') and (as Robbo said)... you're rewarded for tackling high because it'll take 4-5 seconds for them to play the ball if you go high with a group rather than the 2-3 seconds it takes if you go low with 1 man. IMO this is the direction it will ultimately have to go in... we need incentives to go low rather than harsher punishments for accidentally going high.

[mightyrooster]

Let me put it this way MR. You and your team have been doing your job haphazardly and getting away with it and most of your customers aren’t being affected but a few customers have been affected by the sloppy work and have made a complaint. So now your manager comes down and tells you that if you don’t lift your game and work to the standard expected, then it’s YOUR JOB! So now you’re all pissed off because your team have been berated by the big boss, even though you’ve all been sloppy and have caused this problem... So instead of taking the criticism and directions from the big boss in a constructive manner, you’ve have all got your nose out of joint and have vowed to take the directions from the big boss to the letter! This is what the big boss wants? we’ll give it to him.

So replace You and Your with the referees... and that’s what I think is happening. Abdo have told them what they should have done last week and to start sending players to the bin or off for FOUL PLAY, and the refs have made everything remotely foul a sin bin or send off... It happens often when unions instruct their workers to work to rule just to give it to the bosses and so the customers complaint... we are all complaining now. I blame the refs for being pedantic. Cheers MightyRooster!

I think that’s a fair summary of what happened Roc. Looks like it won’t be a one off though. I do understand what they’re trying to achieve with the concussions and everything. I guess it was just so full on and so a shock to the system with all the binnings and send offs.

[RoosterBooster]

It will be interesting to see if the product becomes so bad we loose sponsors, crowd attendances are down and then at the next TV rights deal the league looses money due to rating being so bad. There is no game without investment from sponsors and TV rights

[NorfolkStreetKid]

It will be interesting to see if the product becomes so bad we loose sponsors, crowd attendances are down and then at the next TV rights deal the league looses money due to rating being so bad. There is no game without investment from sponsors and TV rights

The return to enforcing the ORIGINAL rules re head high and late tackles and illegal conduct will make the game MORE popular, and ensure it continues to prosper. Audiences will INCREASE. It will not LOOSE... you mean LOSE i assume sponsoer, it will GAIN them. The speeding up of the game has made it more exciting, and will INCREASE popularity as well.

[Dr. Voodoo Man]

The return to enforcing the ORIGINAL rules re head high and late tackles and illegal conduct will make the game MORE popular, and ensure it continues to prosper. Audiences will INCREASE. It will not LOOSE... you mean LOSE i assume sponsoer, it will GAIN them. The speeding up of the game has made it more exciting, and will INCREASE popularity as well.

I don't think it will.

[RoosterFanNZ]

The return to enforcing the ORIGINAL rules re head high and late tackles and illegal conduct will make the game MORE popular, and ensure it continues to prosper. Audiences will INCREASE. It will not LOOSE... you mean LOSE i assume sponsoer, it will GAIN them. The speeding up of the game has made it more exciting, and will INCREASE popularity as well.

i've already lost interest in State of origin this year because thayve announced they will ref those games the same way.

nothing wrong with not wanting players to smack each other in the head, but they were just a bit too pedantic.

i dont see how a sport will gain viewership when the thing it prides it self on is toughness. its a bit of a tricky one

[RoosterBooster]

You could be right, it might be a better spectacle but if it's not and we have the safest game but hardly anyone goes or watches then PVL has backed himself into a corner

[NorfolkStreetKid]

i've already lost interest in State of origin this year because thayve announced they will ref those games the same way.

nothing wrong with not wanting players to smack each other in the head, but they were just a bit too pedantic.

i dont see how a sport will gain viewership when the thing it prides it self on is toughness. its a bit of a tricky one

Hitting someone in the head, or late or illegally is not TOUGH. As I suggested before, if anyone doesn't think it's a tough game they should go and let themselveves be LEGALLY tackled by JWH, or any other forward in the NRL. The dinosaurs will just have to adjust or perish. The game cannot afford to be seen to allow players to be concussed illegally, it HAS TO change. If the illegal play is allowed to go on there will not be a game in 10 years time, it will have gone broke paying out law suits. The game will be BETTER, and it will thrive.

[BenCumminsIsACheat]

The return to enforcing the ORIGINAL rules re head high and late tackles and illegal conduct will make the game MORE popular, and ensure it continues to prosper. Audiences will INCREASE. It will not LOOSE... you mean LOSE i assume sponsoer, it will GAIN them. The speeding up of the game has made it more exciting, and will INCREASE popularity as well.

You're delusional Mr V'landys

[Dr. Voodoo Man]

Hitting someone in the head, or late or illegally is not TOUGH. As I suggested before, if anyone doesn't think it's a tough game they should go and let themselveves be LEGALLY tackled by JWH, or any other forward in the NRL. The dinosaurs will just have to adjust or perish. The game cannot afford to be seen to allow players to be concussed illegally, it HAS TO change. If the illegal play is allowed to go on there will not be a game in 10 years time, it will have gone broke paying out law suits. The game will be BETTER, and it will thrive.

Use more capitals!

[zac]

nothing good about head high tackles. they should have cracked down on them before they cracked down on punching. head high tackles are dangerous and a sign of bad skill

[NorfolkStreetKid]

You're delusional Mr V'landys

I could agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.

[NorfolkStreetKid]

use more capitals!

noted...... I MEAN NOTED.