Be wary, rugby league fans, be very wary. It’s all going to change in the next few seasons. The referees got the decision wrong a couple of Wednesdays ago and we are all going to pay for it.
If Paul Gallen gets sent off, nothing changes but he didn’t and things have.
The rule makers have rushed to protect the image that they muddied in the wake of the controversial Origin I boil-over.
I’m all for the game adapting to keep with the times, so to speak, but will change upon change cause more headaches than they are trying to elucidate?
Image protection has gone so far that the rules have changed one game into a three game series…it doesn’t make sense to me.
Furthermore, in creating the new rule of automatic sin-binning for any punch thrown, the NRL has stopped right in the middle of legalising and illegalising the act.
*whistle blown* Glenn, mate, you’ve come in and punched him – have 10 minutes in the bin to think about it.
I’m not sent off?
No.
On report?
Er..no. Just have a breather and come back.
Sweet.
I’m not saying that I want punches to be a part of the game and non-punishable, just that there needs to be a deep line in the sand between what’s acceptable and unacceptable.
The NRL won’t stop here. We’ve seen it time and time again in other codes and there’s nothing to suggest it won’t happen to the greatest game of all.
The rules change every season – even in the middle of and throughout the season itself.
Rugby league will continue to be censored to keep the masses happy and to avoid stepping on toes.
Far too often the lines: ‘my children watch rugby league’ and ‘what sort of example is it setting?’ are used to compromise the uniqueness of the game.
I know the players have somewhat of a duty to set a standard from the top down but to an extent is it not the responsibility of parents, local coaches and/or school teachers to set their own rules to keep control?
These rule changes will keep the players and coaches on constant watch and the game will slowly drift further and further away from its old, instinctual self. Rugby league is changing and, soon, will never be the same.
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