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The NRL's refs, pests and penalties

Jarryd Hayne can pontificate his love for Parramatta, but he's betrayed the club. (AAP Image/Action Photographics,Colin Whelan)
Roar Guru
29th April, 2013
11

Rules and laws of games are made so that the game being played is fair. Simple? Well, it should be, but not so in the NRL it seems.

There are serial pests playing the game whose sole object appears to be to advantage their team by persistent rule infractions designed to disadvantage the opposition or force referees to make – or, just as importantly, not make – a penalty call.

Were referees to penalise these serial pests, the whistle wouldn’t stop for 80 minutes in NRL games when certain teams play.

Any spectator of any NRL game knows who they are. And it must be said that the refs are very, very, tolerant and lenient on these serial offenders. Too tolerant and lenient by far, in my opinion.

Readers know only too well the sheer frustration of watching the same players, week after annoying week, violating with rule infractions over and over.

Hand on the ball in the play the ball, lifting the foot of the tackled player while returning onside, loses the use of his arms in a tackle and lays all over the tackled player, debates every refereeing decision, and a thousand and one other things no-one has even considered yet.

Were a player in the NFL to infringe rules at such a rate as NRL serial pests, he simply wouldn’t have a job as a player. Period.

NFL coaches come down hard on players who do not consistently play within the laws of the game.

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Not so in the NRL though.

It is an historical relic and technique that has become an accepted part of NRL play, and is perhaps even sanctioned by some NRL coaches.

The NRL would do well to introduce a ‘persistent infractions’ law that would enable refs to blow the whistle on these game-spoiling pests, and send them to 10 minutes in an isolation booth in full view of all spectators.

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