Two weeks before the historic series victory to NSW, NRL CEO Dave Smith declared that banning the biff had been an emphatic success.
It took a single game without punches being thrown for Smith to declare his ‘one punch and you’re off’ policy a success.
This will go down in rugby league history as a gaff akin to US President George W. Bush declaring “Mission accomplished” in a May 2003 speech about the Iraq war, only to see the vast majority of military and civilian casualties occur afterwards.
Although Smith had the hindsight of presiding over the complete farce of the four-player sin bin in Origin 2, 2013. Fans from both sides of the boarder were left disgusted at what the CEO had brought the jewel in the crown down to.
Yet a week before Origin 2 2014, Dave Smith was crowing his own “Mission accomplished”, saying the no-punch policy broadened the appeal of the game.
After seeing arguably the toughest game of Origin history in Game 1, fans, sponsors and commentators alike got to witness 80 minutes of grubby, unattractive football as both sides were guilty of playing the man instead of the football in Game 2.
It had been the hallmark of NSW football for eight years of defeat. From 2006 onwards, a number of NSW players have concentrated more on how much forearm they could deliver, rather than how many metres they racked up or tackles they made.
That’s not to say Queenslanders were not also guilty of similar tactics. But when your performances with ball in hand over an eight-year dynasty far outweigh the niggle, the results speak for themselves.
NSW have been on the rise for a number of years and after a memorable Origin 1, the pressure began to show, with the Queenslanders guilty of becoming victim of a tactic that served NSW so badly for the better part of a decade.
In the past, such blatant foul play would have seen the proverbial Donnybrook unleashed on that hallowed State of Origin turf. That out of the system, we may have actually seen some attacking football played on Wednesday night.
Let’s face it. It was the great Arthur Beetson’s punch on his Parramatta teammate and club captain Mick Cronin that really lit the fire under the State of Origin concept in 1980.
State of Origin is already the most-watched event on the Australian calendar. Every year you’ll even see the AFL commentators talking about it. What wider audience do you really need?
Any appeal to a wider audience isn’t going to come from banning the biff. There is only downside risk of alienating the already loyal supporter base that rugby league already has.
I for one am extremely happy NSW won Game 2, if for no other reason it makes Game 3 at Lang Park a dead rubber. Hopefully without a series at stake, players from both sides will pay little attention to this ridiculous sin bin rule and unleash the fury in response to acts of grubby and unsightly play that maligned Game 2. Maybe then we’ll get to see some football played.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
SOO1 was one of the best games on record.No biff,little niggle of any consequence. The code does not need the biff,nor cheap shots.It is about getting the pill 100m to the other end via athletes who can run at speed,swerve ,handle the ball from various positions,tackle a player who is running at full face,kick before being riddled into the dirt,do so with corage and committment even via the pain barrier. SOO2 was controlled by 2 inept and gutless refs,who would not lay down the law and were as soft as balsa wood. The code will continue to mark time,if it does not adapt to the norms of modern day society.The ridiculous notion a good punch never hurt anyone,is apparently voiced by all of us who are brain surgeons.Absolute bollocks. Play the game the way it was intended, by the rule book.The NRL needs to get off their adequate rear ends,and spell it out clearly and concisely to refs and players alike. For the other smug coders' info,junior rugby league is growing and does not condone this sort of behaviour.Hence the reason female participation is among the strongest growth areas in rugby league.That being said ,you have to ensure behaviour at the top level is top notch.
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
Yes, I vividly remember telling the players before the game to rub each others faces and use dirty tactics wherever possible. You are right. It must be my fault. Here's a thought. Why can't the players play the game without punching each other or resorting to niggle? Let's assume that I promise not to instruct the players to use the niggle anymore. I love biff as much as anyone, but I was merely pointing out that the world had moved on and it is no longer acceptable for a number of reasons. The game also doesn't need it to be popular. The sheer physicality of SOO is tough enough without the likes of Gallen and Myles resorting to throwing punches.
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
Yes businesses will sponsor anything that makes money. That's why they don't want to be associated with violent unruly behaviour. It doesn't sell and society frowns on it these days. It may have been acceptable a few years ago but our standards have changed. You can argue whether its for the better or for the worse, but they have changed and business has changed with it.
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
Yes of course, Watching actors fake violence is just the same as watching players illegally hit each other.
Knightblues
Guest
Its because of people like you that we now have Grub ball, oh you cant handle a few punches, oh you soft little sook, but forearms being rolled across players heads on the ground is perfectly alright for strange people like you?
Bluebag
Guest
Do you mean the International Diving Championships? The Third World Cup? I don't condone the "bring back the biff" cry, the game is tough enough already but I am sick of every moron who screams out that soccer is safer and that mums will abandon junior league. In four decades of playing, coaching and parenting that hasn't been my experience - if anything many women love the code more than ever!
Rumpy
Guest
Always pandering to the minority.
AJL
Guest
Had the referees exerted their authority early, by penalising the grubby crap from both sides (and binning players if necessary), we would have seen a much better game. The FFA would have been the main winner if there had been a punch-up. Every fight in top flight Rugby League is free advertising for soccer to every parent in the country.
Silver Sovereign
Guest
businesses will sponsor whatever makes them money. capitalism trumps morals anytime. Watch any origin match from the 80s or 90s. They are much more unruly than today's game. If you let the players blow off some steam early, chances are the rest of the match will settle down. Watch game 2 last year where they binned 4 players. a bit of an overreaction, but there were no more disruptions from grubs
Storm Boy
Guest
Have a cry. Sponsors still find money for tv shows with punches in it.
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
Chris, you are aware that punching somebody is illegal? That allowing fighting in the workplace could be seen as a failure to provide a safe workplace and lead to prosecution by work cover? You do realise that businesses won't sponsor sports that are associated with violent, unruly behaviour (unless of course the sport is fighting itself like boxing)? You do realise that mothers don't want to see their children plays games that allow violence to go unpunished? The fact you would like to see biff and want to see Dave Smith give himself an uppercut, hints that maybe you should watch UFC rather than league.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
Millsy that's exactly my point. The fear of the send off for punching is exactly what caused the rubbish in the game. Let the boys throw a few and get on with the game.
millsy of perth
Guest
I think the thought of being sent off / sin binned kept the players from losing control. The poor old refs were on a hiding to nothing the way the players were behaving. The players need to take s hard look at themselves and hopefully they think of the game and the spectacle ad we all know they have the talent yo promote attacking football.
millsy of perth
Guest
I think the thought of being sent off / sin binned kept the players from losing control. The poor old refs were on a hiding to nothing the way the players were behaving. The players need to take s hard look at themselves and hopefully they think of the game and the spectacle ad we all know they have the talent yo promote attacking football.
Eup in the north
Guest
While the grubby niggling from both sides was a major turnoff, I thought the really late hits on the kickers during play was worse. How that game didn't descend into fully blown anarchy is beyond me. The ref's had no control whatsoever and were lucky the players managed to keep their cool as much as they did.
Storm Boy
Guest
Most of my AFL mates only watch Origin in the hope there is some biff and heavy body hits. But the NRL has got rid of shoulder charges and punching and its been replaced by AFL style niggle and cheap shots. Most pointed out to me on Thursday that now Origin is just the same as AFL full of niggle and shirt tugs so the NRL has killed off a big reason to even watch Origin. They got rid of Gallop as he was supposedly reactive.
code 13
Roar Guru
For Origin they might've been better off looking at some of NHL type rules. Something like: * One on one: Five minutes * Second man in/secondary fight/second report: Ten minutes * Third report: Full game * Clearing the bench: Full game
AdelaideWill
Guest
We will see the AFL style shirt grab, shake and wrestle soon. I guess it is acceptable to the SUV driving, latte drinking suburban mums that the NRL is so desperate to impress