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Five questions from the NRL’s not-so-Good Friday

6th April, 2015
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The rules for touching referees need to be made consistent. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)
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6th April, 2015
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Rugby league – a sport that’s never too far away from scandal at the best of times – was once again in the headlines for all the wrong reasons over Easter, due to the Bulldogs versus Rabbitohs game being marred by an extremely controversial finish.

What happened at the end of the match was so surreal that one needed to take a step back, have a few deep breaths, and then try to process everything that had happened.

The only thing is, once you did, you were left shaking your head, along with wondering just how rugby league can continually produce stories that see the code make the transition from the back page to the front page so seamlessly.

After the Good Friday debacle and its aftermath, there’s only one thing to do: fire up the old ‘Five questions machine’ once again, and let rip.

1. Should James Graham’s attempted chargedown have been a penalty?
When it first happened, I vehemently disagreed with the call that was made against Bulldogs skipper James Graham for his attempted chargedown of Adam Reynolds’ kick.

However, given some time for the emotion to die down post-match, and thinking about the play with a touch more of a level head, I was willing to concede that the referee had got the call right.

The kicker’s legs had been taken out, and that is a penalty. Debate over.

Then I came across a number of Souths fans who actually believed it was a horrible decision, which made me start wondering about the call all over again.

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So, was it the right decision?

You can’t attack a player’s legs; we know that, and it will always be a penalty if you do so.

Here’s the thing though: Graham wasn’t attacking Reynolds’ legs – he was clearly making a play on the ball, and wasn’t attempting a tackle at all. The resulting contact was completely accidental.

Accidents happen, especially in a contact sport like rugby league. You can’t be awarding penalties based on the injuries sustained from an accident; the decisions need to be based on the actual rules.

To that point, referees boss Tony Archer said after the game “There can’t be late, high or dangerous contact”. Based on that interpretation, it was penalty, because if Reynolds is now sidelined for five months, then it was clearly a ‘dangerous’ play.

Then again, how much leeway should be allowed for ‘accidents’?

If Graham had been accidentally tripped by another player as he ran towards Reynolds, and that caused him to tumble to the ground, where he then preceded to make contact with the halfback’s legs, would that be a penalty? It’s highly unlikely, right?

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After it’s all said and done, I think the right call was made, because kickers need to be protected from serious injury, and a serious injury has indeed occurred because of Graham’s actions.

Yet I still have a lot of sympathy for Graham and the Dogs, because it was an accident, and as mentioned before, accidents do happen.

2. Was the reaction of the Bulldog’s players acceptable?
No, it wasn’t acceptable.

James Graham, David Klemmer and Michael Lichaa should all be punished for abusing referee Gerard Sutton, as should any other player found guilty of the same offence.

You simply cannot speak to officials in the manner the Dogs did after the controversial decision, and that message needs to be communicated loudly and clearly by the NRL.

However, I felt a fine and perhaps a one-game suspension for each would have sufficed. Instead the match review committee came out swinging, with all three players charged with ‘contrary conduct’ charges; Graham and Klemmer each given a grade three, and Lichaa a grade one.

Graham was also charged with a ‘grade two dangerous contact’ for his chargedown gone wrong, and is facing a total of five weeks on the sideline.

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Klemmer is facing a three-game ban with an early guilty plea, or a four-match suspension if he contests the charge and loses. Lichaa won’t miss a game if he pleads guilty.

I think the NRL has slightly overreacted, and the charges against Graham and Klemmer are heavy-handed.

Considering what punishment other players have (or haven’t) received for domestic violence, assault, dangerous tackles, peptide use and drink driving, it’s hard to reconcile a player facing a three-week suspension for simply confronting a referee.

However, if this is the start of the NRL cleaning up player interaction with referees, and they’ll consistently be this harsh on offending players moving forward, then I have no complaints.

Provided this was a turning point – rather than grandstanding – then it’s a good thing, and well overdue.

However, I have fears it’s the latter.

3. Was the reaction of the Bulldogs fans acceptable?
No.

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Not in any way, shape or form.

It’s a disgrace this question even needs to be asked. As a Bulldogs supporter, I was disgusted and embarrassed by the behaviour of a small number of fans. Throwing bottles at referees – heck, at anybody – is completely unacceptable, and there is no excuse that justifies doing it.

Life bans is probably a touch extreme – and I’m not even sure how you enforce such a penalty – but something in the region of a five to ten-year ban seems fair for such unruly, dangerous behaviour.

4. Should the Bulldogs be stripped of competition points for their fans behaviour?
I hate to be blunt, but this is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard.

How the hell can you strip competition points from a team due to the behaviour of the club’s fans? The club doesn’t pay these people; they’re not employees. The club has no real jurisdiction or control over people that want to support its team.

By all means, tell the club they have to spend more money on security. Threaten fans with life bans. Even go to the extreme of saying that future home games may be forced to be played with no crowd at all.

But docking competition points as a punishment for fan behaviour is completely out of whack with the crime, and directed at the wrong perpetrator. It’s like giving a speeding ticket to the car’s passenger.

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Furthermore, what’s to stop Doggies fans dressing up as Rabbitohs fans, throwing bottles at the refs, and costing Souths two competition points?

It’s very, very silly suggestion for a punishment.

5. Where to now?
Good Friday was an ugly day for rugby league, the NRL and the Bulldogs.

Hopefully everyone has learnt a lesson from the horrible events, and some good can come from it all.

Respect for referees, crowd behaviour, and the safety of all involved in the game are not trivial issues; these are vital elements to the success of the sport, and can have far-reaching implications if not addressed.

Let’s hope they have been. And let’s hope we’re talking about actual football next week.

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