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Penalty decisions – correct or incorrect – are having too much influence on the outcome of NRL matches.
In a game of grey areas like rugby league, any losing coach or fan with a DVD player and an axe to grind can easily find a dozen examples of questionable (or missed) penalties that – perhaps, possibly, maybe – affected the outcome of any match.
So here’s a thought. Instead of focusing on whether refs are getting all their calls right, let’s find ways to reduce the impact a referee can have.
Here are just two ideas that come to mind. Either eliminate the penalty kick for touch, or keep it, but do not restart the tackle count.
These ideas have been touched on before, but never seriously discussed.
They should be, because at the moment the punishment for most infringements simply doesn’t fit the crime.
Too often, teams pinned in their own area and under pressure from enthusiastic defensive lines are piggybacked out of danger and into attacking position thanks to the most minor of transgressions.
It feels like the grind for field position has just about disappeared from the game, replaced with the march of the whistle.
It also feels like a lot of the creativity has disappeared. Instead, we get boring attacking movements that culminate in the uninspired lottery of a last tackle high ball.
And it’s made even worse when a referee interprets a similar incident differently at the other end of the field.
We’re at the point where anything except an equal penalty count at the full-time whistle is looked upon with suspicion.
“I’m not saying the penalties weren’t justified, but there’s no way the other mob weren’t infringing too.”
How many times have you heard words to that effect from a coach on the wrong end of a 9-4 penalty count?
So let’s work on ways to reduce the impact a referee can have.
Of course, history shows that most rule changes solve old problems while creating new ones. The same would probably happen if we eliminated the penalty kick for touch.
For one, defensive teams on the back foot might start infringing intentionally, knowing full well they’ll have time to reorganise their line.
Also, major infringements – a swinging arm, a lifting tackle, a leg twist – might not get the punishment they deserve.
Any rule changes would need to be fine-tuned and moulded around the new issues that would inevitably arise. Repeated infringements, dangerous play and so forth would need to be penalised accordingly.
At the end of the day, though, the premise is simple.
Referees don’t want to be in the spotlight, and no fan wants to see referees in the spotlight. So let’s work on ways to take them out of it.
The power to influence matches needs to be taken away from referees and put back where it belongs – in the hands of players.
The closer we move towards that goal, the more we’re all going to enjoy our rugby league.
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