The Roar
The Roar

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League’s new order is impressing no-one

17th September, 2013
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Dave Smith achieved a lot in a short time as NRL CEO, but is still lacking on player welfare. (Photo: AAP)
Expert
17th September, 2013
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Rugby league’s new, you-beaut administration is causing major consternation and alarm from just about everyone associated with the game.

Our new hierarchy might be looking for a pass mark at season’s end but in the eyes of the public, I reckon they will be battling to collect anything higher than a big, ugly fail grade.

With every passing week, serious issues are raised and the resultant action (or inaction) from the people at headquarters beggars belief.

Inconsistency seems to be the biggest problem and league fans are rapidly losing whatever faith they placed in the New Order promised by Messrs Smith, Greenberg, Grant and Doyle.

Listed below are but a few recent mysteries I cannot explain:

Manly coach Geoff Toovey gets his club fined $10,000 for an emotional outburst in which he urged the league to launch an investigation into on-field officiating after his centre Steve Matai was denied a try by the video ref.

Toovey didn’t mention anything about bias or perceived cheating. He just called for/demanded an investigation.

The Sea Eagles appealed but were told on Monday the fine will stand with the ten grand to be deducted from their annual grant.

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North Queensland coach Neil Henry and the Cowboys’ main man, Johnathan Thurston, each gives the league a bitter spray after the seventh tackle shocker in the finals game against Cronulla.

They allege bias, even a conspiracy against their club, in almighty blowups in front of media representatives. What happens?

No fine or breach notice, not so much as a caution. In this instance, it was obviously OK to scream the joint down and make all manner of wild accusations because the league’s referees stuffed up and allowed a try on the seventh tackle.

Such inaction sends out so many mixed messages.

Let’s say a club and its coach are howling after a bad call in this week’s opening finals game and give both barrels to the media. Will the breach notice be forthcoming? If it is, you can hear the screams already on the back of the Cowboys inaction.

If it doesn’t come, what about all the clubs who have been fined earlier this season?

The niggly Burgess incidents (face pushing, eye gouge, pretend stomp) in the final premiership game against the Roosters provided a disgusting look for the game yet the Souths’ star faced no penalty.

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We are told he might have got a quiet phone call from the big boss and an accompanying tut-tut letter from HQ. I just don’t get it.

Could it be that the league needs the leader of Team Burgess to remain on the field and keep generating feel-good publicity during the Rabbitohs’ finals run?

Sure, no-one got hurt but the big Englishman should have done some time, for illegal tactics or at least for his stupidity.

I also don’t understand why the Manly club failed to get a finals game at their home ground, Brookvale Oval.

The Sea Eagles also offered to host one at Bluetongue Stadium but their pleas were ignored. The resultant crowd for the double header was an embarrassment.

And then there was the brilliant decision from the top to raise the price of grand final tickets. Hellooooo? Shouldn’t you guys be trying to fill ANZ Stadium on the big day?

Seriously, I’d love to be writing otherwise but the new-look ARLC/NRL administration looks to be spluttering at the very time when it should be firing.

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Long-time fans are throwing their hands up in exasperation and some are even looking elsewhere for their sporting entertainment.

Mixed messages, knee-jerk reactions and above-all – inconsistencies – are making many aspects of this great game a laughing stock.

And you know what? It’s not at all funny.

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