Thursday night’s Round 4 National Rugby Championship game between Brisbane City and the North Harbour Rays was a remarkable, high-energy contest suffused with the dynamic, running rugby that fans have come to enjoy and expect from the NRC.
It featured no fewer than 12 tries, countless extraordinary line breaks and a standout performance from Karmichael Hunt at fullback.
So much to talk about, but the thing that stuck in my mind as I left a chilly Ballymore with about 2000 others, was the red card that helped define the match.
Normally reserved for serious foul play such as head-butting or dangerous tip tackles, red cards are seldom brandished lightly, yet this one was as soft a red card as you will see at any level.
The Rays’ centre Dennis Pili-Gaitau was shown a second yellow card by referee Rohan Hoffman just 10 minutes into the second half for an infringement at the breakdown. After some consultation with the sideline, it was confirmed he had already received one yellow so was correctly shown a red.
Arguably, this was the decisive moment in the game. The Rays were just building momentum after an early Brisbane onslaught, but the red card stunted their attacking ambition and they would go on to lose the game 55-29, and with it their chance to steal the Horan-Little Shield from the competition frontrunners.
Pili-Gaitau was not alone in being shown yellow. Mr Hoffman brandished four cards in total, with Wallaby backrow teammates Scott Higginbotham and City captain Liam Gill both spending time on the sidelines.
Brett McKay’s statistical analysis of the first NRC season backs up the impression that more yellow cards are being brandished in the NRC, with 62 yellow cards being handed out over 39 NRC games, or 1.6 per game.
And I don’t really have a problem with players being pinged for cynical fouls at the breakdown if it improves the speed of the game. After all, dropping points for penalties from three to two almost encourages cynical fouls to be committed. Yellow cards are therefore necessary for the greater good, even if they are soft.
Pili-Gaitau’s yellows could be described as such, but you could say the same thing for other decisions in the game as well.
The 35th minute sin-binning of Higginbotham seemed to boil down to the assertion that when two players are in a disagreement and Higginbotham is one of them, it’s probably his fault and should be sent off.
Not normally a outlandish deduction, however in this case I thought the former Wallaby No.8 was unlucky. And although Higginbotham should have shown more maturity, being kneed in the back does tend to spark fire in most people.
However, I felt a little sorry for Pili-Gaitau as he trudged off, leaving his team down a man for the remaining half hour of the game last night, and felt perhaps the punishment was disproportionate to the crime.
The New Zealand-born Manly and former North Harbour ITM Cup player did get caught interfering at the breakdown twice, and there would be plenty saying that he got what he deserved.
But his send off allowed a tired and beaten up Brisbane City side – coming off a short turnaround from a brutal Queensland derby in Toowoomba last Sunday – to wrest back control of the game and put the Rays to the sword in the final quarter.
And despite the fact that mixing two yellows together always makes red (despite what teachers told you in art class), I think there is another option for these (albeit rare) circumstances that deserves some thought.
The black card
Borrowing ideas from a couple of other sports for a moment – in the less-than-original spirit of the sin bin in the first place – I would introduce a black card to the game.
Now I can understand the reticence in adding another card to the kaleidoscopic nature of a referee’s notebook (especially with Italy’s Serie B introducing green cards to bamboozle the colourblind minority among us) but I feel the experimental rule changing melting pot of the NRC would be a perfect place to test this alteration.
A black card was introduced to GAA in 2014 for “cynical behaviour fouls”, but with limited usage by hesitant referees so far its effectiveness has yet to be fully measured. In basic terms it allows for a player to be fully dismissed but replaced with a substitute meaning the team retain a full complement on the field.
If a player commits one of five indiscretions, ranging from deliberate tripping to vehemently remonstrating with a referee, they receive a black card.
In waterpolo a similar rule exists. If you are sent out (sin binned) three times in the game, the team is only a man down for 20 seconds each. On your third send out, you cannot return, but a teammate can replace you instead.
With my black card rule in place last night, Mr Hoffman could have showed a second yellow to Pili-Gaitau, followed by a black card which says that he was no longer allowed to return to the field of play after his 10 minutes in the bin.
However, after that 10 minutes is up, Rays coach Tai McIsaac could replace Pili-Gaitau with another player.
As far as I can see, this sufficiently penalises both the individual and the team, but not to the extent that it ruins the game based on a solitary decision for a fairly minor indiscretion. Red cards should be limited for serious foul play, not technical fouls.
Of course, I have no doubt that there are plenty of those who would suggest that if a player is stupid enough to be caught committing the same offence twice then he deserves all he gets.
And this might be as a rare an occurrence as being given out obstructing the field, therefore remaining an annoying but necessary quirk of the system that doesn’t need adjusting on condition of its rarity.
It would be interesting to gauge peoples views on whether this is needed or would work.
RobC
Roar Guru
Thanks for the idea, Simon. But, Im with Bakkies. Its not a disincentive to foul play
Bakkies
Guest
I can remember the 90s where the bin was used regularly. It was a matter of whether it was 5 or 10 minutes.
Hello
Roar Rookie
I like that idea Peter
Dave_S
Guest
I saw the game and agree the decision was somewhat unfortunate for DPG, the Rays and the fans. But while I'm in favour of allowing sufficient referee discretion so that the punishment fits the crime, in practice, complicating the discretion often has unintended opposite consequences. In society, as on the rugby field, there is a certain personality type that cannot help but push the limits of legality and punishment (I'm no psychologist, but I think of it as a type of narcissism). I suspect that players (fetchers and front rowers in particular) have become incentivised to ride the infringement line because they perceive they are likely (and entitled) to get away with it (or at least, the reward outweighs the risk). Accordingly, hard and fast rules often work better than grey lines because transgression becomes less attractive. I would also keep in mind that things happen very quickly on a rugby field, and decisions are often made with high emotion (even experienced refs can loose their patience and too easily become reactive). Accordingly, what seems like a fairly straightforward judging exercise in the hypothetical case (when law makers are designing the laws) and in hindsight (when all of us become wise and just juries) is not so straightforward on the field. Increasing the complexity for referees is as likely to increase the opportunity for a poor decision. There is some degree of discretion in the "yellow + yellow = red" formula - the ref can decide to not issue a yellow card if the offence is at the low end. Otherwise I think the next best approach is to refer contentious or key decision to off-field judges (eg video refs). However this has already proven to slow the game down to such an extent it annoys many of us and ultimately detracts from the game, and so I do not want to see that either. Personally I would do away with video refs all together. Therefore, while small refinements are fine, I'd prefer to retain the present system.
Simon Smale
Roar Guru
Ye I definitely get your point. And yes, the "reward" for foul play at the moment does not match the risk it entails (i.e. 3 points as opposed to 5/7 is not enough of a deterrent). The only drama is referees being given too much power to influence the game based on a 50:50 call.
Simon Smale
Roar Guru
I wouldn't have thought I would have been the only one to be frustrated by the lack of this rule being utilised by the referees.
Simon Smale
Roar Guru
http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/the-great-debate-is-it-time-for-hurling-to-introduce-the-black-card-for-cynical-fouls-31467170.html An interesting two view points on whether the black card should be introduced in hurling - parallels with whether it would be suitable in other sports as well... I particularly like the statement "it came about after years of unrest with some unsavoury aspects of play emerged that the rule book simply wasn't equipped to cope with", which when the rules in union are being played with as in the NRC, loopholes can be created and the possibility for these new cards can be created... Just my opinion.
Jonathan
Guest
There will always be missed calls in a game as complex and physical as rugby, but the laws can be designed so that ref subjectivity plays a smaller role in the outcome. The issue isn't just that sometimes a team wins due to a questionable ref decision (2' RC for instance), but also that the contest is ruined as well. Even if Rugby is going to suffer from inconsistent or incorrect reffing, it should NOT build into its own laws a mechanism for destroying all interest in a game because of just one player. Even if that player throws a punch -- that's grossly out of line, but what unfair advantage did his/her team gain from that stupid handbag? Nothing. Get that one player off the field and ban him/her for months -- the best way to stop fights is to keep known fighters from taking the field (rather than taking them off one game at a time).
Jonathan
Guest
The key is that a change in the Red Card laws needs to come with a concurrent change in the citing rules. If a player is willing to intentionally and cyncially take out another player, then it is unsafe for that player to be on the field and s/he should never play again. Better for the citing committed to sift through evidence of an injury conspiracy than for the ref to make that determination on the field. I doubt too many players would be willing to risk the loss of their livelihood for years in order to make one injury. It's also questionable whether the opposing team would actually gain from such a strategy, even if they had a player ready to sacrifice. The injured player could be subbed immediately, while you'd be down to 14 men for 10 minutes -- how amazing would that one injured player have to be to make such a strategy worth it?
Bakkies
Guest
Mascord or Smith wrote an article on the league about the lack of sin binning in the NRL.
Bakkies
Guest
No black cards in Hurling. It's been debated whether it should be.
Simon Smale
Roar Guru
Couldn't agree more - you're absolutely right. Doesn't matter if it's the 1st minute or the 79th minute, the rules are the rules. Happens in the Northern Hemisphere too, you see warnings given for offences that are blatant yellow cards and then later on, yellow cards for the same offence. Consistency is the key to anything. You're right, they'll soon learn (you'd hope...)
Daffyd
Roar Rookie
I'm thinking a red card should involve the following: 1. The player is sent from the field and cannot return to the field under any circumstances. 2. A replacement player can come on after the equivalent of a quarter of the game. In test and super rugby this would be 20 minutes -- ie a "double" the yellow card time. 3. The player receiving the red card may receive further sanctions after visiting the judiciary. This way the team itself s punished for a maximum of a quarter of a game. The individual will receive further punishment, unless acquitted.
Simon Smale
Roar Guru
That could easily work Rob - and would discourage blatant cheating at the very least (you'd hope) while attempting to preserve the contest.
Daffyd
Roar Rookie
Too many professionals are prepared to sacrifice 3 points to save 7. I'd rather see the penalty try awarded than a shot at goal from in front, because their cheating has stopped 5 and a possible 2. But I'd prefer to see players heading to the side line and the game open up -- until the next score, then all return for the kick off to go 15 / 15.
Simon Smale
Roar Guru
Ye I know what you are saying 30mm tags. The DJ seemed very over the top and was widely under appreciated by everyone around me at both the games I have seen this season. At best they ignored it, and most simply shook their heads and engaged their mates in conversation (loudly so they could hear themselves over the noise...) I also love the new rules - or at least appreciate the effort to make a difference and change things - and I think they did well to do so and have made a change to the effect that they play some wonderful attacking rugby under them.
Simon Smale
Roar Guru
Thats a really good point Bakkies, I hadn't thought about that. It does limit the effectiveness purely from a safety point of view... I can't even begin to think of a way around that unless a team is made to sacrifice a back in that situation just as if a front row player was in the sin bin for a scrum. And yes it was hurling where I've heard it mentioned that they don't use it much/if at all. In fact I'm not sure they have yet - despite there being plenty of occasions where it could/should have been used.
Simon Smale
Roar Guru
Inept officiating is a plague that affects every sport moa. Inconsistency is the biggest crime for me...
Simon Smale
Roar Guru
My only argument with that is for dangerous play - such a tip tackle or a punch etc. I think that should be a red card and off regardless of time or circumstance. But a second yellow card is too minor an offence to have such a major impact on the game.
Daffyd
Roar Rookie
I agree remove the two reds equals a red. Keep the red for nasty stuff. One thing that particularly annoys me is seeing in professional competitions like Super Rugby, the same refs with the same teams giving the same penalties & warnings for the same offense that happened last week. Stop messing around. These are professional athletes not kindergarten kids. It's absurd there's so many warnings each game. "Now captain go away and tell your players they are being very naughty," says the ref wagging his finger. If they don't stop it I'll send them to the naughty chair." After the 4th offence in as many minutes. Instead, give each offender the yellow card for any cynical penalty, especially when 5 meters out, ie, offside or coming in from the side or diving over the ball -- even if it's in the first minute of the game. "Number 7 the rules haven't changed from last week. " the ref should be saying as he shows the yellow in the opening minute of play. And keep giving them yellow cards until they work it out.