When the Parramatta Eels scored their third try yesterday against the Penrith Panthers to make the score line 14-0, I had a devastating feeling of déjà vu.
In the exact same game in the exact same round last year that Parramatta got out to the same lead. Then Mitchell Moses was sent to the sin bin just before half time, the two teams went into the sheds and when the Eels came back for the second half they capitulated.
Parramatta went on to lose that game 24-14 and it really set the tone for the remainder of what was a dismal season.
Yesterday’s game followed a similar narrative; except everything was slightly delayed. It took the Eels until the 44th minute to be 14-0 up thanks to a Reed Mahoney try. It was at this point that I started to panic.
Then, at about the 55th minute, Isaah Yeo was taking the ball up. He lost the ball, Eels debutant Maika Sivo pounced on the ball and ran 30 metres to score.
The try was sent up to the video referee and Sivo was later to be denied a try on debut, once the video referee examined the hit on Yeo.
Michael Jennings’ swinging arm caught Yeo around the chin and it was as a result of this foul play that Yeo dropped the ball. It took Yeo several moments to get to his feet and he eventually left the field.
Most commentators thought that once the ruling had been made by the video referee the Panthers would receive a penalty and play would continue. But then a decision was made which had the potential to turn the game on its head.
Referee Ashley Klein called out Eels captain Clint Gutherson and Jennings and ruled that because it was unlikely that Yeo would return to the field, Jennings should be put on report and sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes.
This prompted confusion. Especially amongst the commentators.
Andrew Voss found it ‘extraordinary’ that Michael Jennings was sin-binned. Michael Ennis saw the contact as not deliberate and offered the excuse of ‘accidents happen in this game’.
But the call was correct and I applaud Ashley Klein for making a bold decision.
Last year there was a change to the NRL Laws and Interpretations. The Australian Rugby League Commission endorsed a recommendation from the Competition Committee to strengthen the sin bin rule to protect players from foul play.
Prior to this rule change, referees could only send a player to the sin bin if the player impacted by the foul play was unlikely to return to the field. Now referees are able to use the sin bin for foul play whether the player impacted has to leave the field or not.
This explanation of the rules also answers another question which Andrew Voss had during the game which is what happens if a player stands up immediately after high contact and then leaves the field minutes after?
This happened in the game on Friday night between the Sydney Roosters and the South Sydney Rabbitohs when Latrell Mitchell put a high shot on Sam Burgess. Burgess later left the field and Mitchell stayed on the field.
(Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images)
Given the changes in the rules though, it was also in the referee’s discretion to send Mitchell off in these circumstances.
Accident or not, it is imperative that we protect our players from high contact, particularly given the increased research and understanding about the impact of concussion.
I know that rugby league is a contact sport and that mistakes and accidents happen. But if an accident causes an injury or an accident is careless, then it still needs to be appropriately addressed.
Additionally, it makes sense to send off a player for ten minutes, to give the team impacted by the foul play an advantage.
In a circumstance where a team is down a player for the remainder of a game due to high contact, that team receives no benefit during the game if the player charged with high contact is simply put on report.
That potentially only impacts the charged player and his team in coming rounds (if he misses games).
And we saw that advantage play right into Penrith’s hands during this game. In the ten minutes when Jennings was off the field, the Panthers scored two tries and fought their way back into the game, reducing the deficit to just two.
But as an Eels fan it would be remiss of me not to remind you all how the story ended. Even though I had déjà vu when the score was 14-0, this story had a happy ending. The Eels went on to defeat the Panthers 20-12 and claim their first win of the year.
It will be interesting to see how Penrith bounce back from this loss. Last year they were the comeback kings and on average scored 14 points in the second half of each game.
However, 2019 may be different given the off-season that the club has just had. You would be foolish to think that that hasn’t had an impact.
Time will tell.
Roaring Giant
Guest
As an eels fan I have no problem with a one week suspension for the careless tackle. I do have a problem with Latrell Mithcell not being suspended for his cheap shot. Only difference being Burgess is a lot harder than Yeo and wasn't concussed. I also don't understand how the deliberate diving at legs of kickers received such light suspensions. Those type of dog acts could cause serious injuries possibly career ending. The NRL had a chance to send out a very blunt message to protect kickers but has failed miserably. I think all anyone wants at the end of teh day is consistency and that never appears to be the case.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Like Latrell Mitchell elbowing Alex Johnston in the back of the head after AJ had scored a try? Or like Latrell Mitchell throwing AJ to the ground without the ball after the ball was over the dead ball line and the play was dead? Like that?
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
"stiff swinging arm to the head of the defenceless Yeo was measured,deliberate and cowardly. It deserves four weeks" Then how many weeks should Latrell Mitchell have been suspended for instead of just copping a fine? Latrell Mitchell escaping a suspension for three successive profession fouls or acts of foul play is what I call an "Uncle Nick Steggles Special" $$$$
PaulC
Roar Rookie
Jenning's action was a carbon copy of an old fashioned "stiff arm/coat hanger tackle" from a by gone era. The closed fist in the swinging arm action was a dead giveaway. Mitchell's tackle on Sam Burgess also should have been cited for a Judiciary call up.
Superspud
Roar Rookie
Was actually thinking no sin bin but you obviously have to burn an interchange.
Ben
Roar Guru
In a game full of passion and energy, these things happen. It was careless, but had Yeo of not been falling, it wouldn't have hit him on the chin. We aren't talking about Steve Matai here...
Don Aprile
Roar Rookie
After 10 minutes of sin bin time ?
U
Roar Rookie
There is no way Jennings meant to do that. Storm in a teacup
The Barry
Roar Guru
I agree with this - particularly when the opponents have a player who can’t take any further part in the game. Keep it 13 on 13 on the field but 16 on 16 off it...
Superspud
Roar Rookie
I actually think it raises the fact that we need to make a change to the send off rule. We need to introduce a system where a player can be replaced on the field but he can take no further part in the game. The soft option of putting a player on report does nothing to benefit the team who has lost a key player and had their interchange plans disrupted but on the other hand the sending off of a player and the prospect of ruining the contest seems too harsh. So give the refs the power to eject a player from the game but allow him to be replaced on the field.
Hoy
Roar Guru
I was happy enough for the binning. It was a high shot. Bin them. That is the end of the story. Rugby players are mostly binned for high shots and shoulders. It's automatic. What I wasn't happy with was seeing Moses take a dive after being pushed... yes the push was stupid and unnecessary, but I can't stomach divers trying to get attention and benefit. He stayed down like he was knocked out, then when the whistle blew, he sat bolt upright, had magic water, moved his neck, to ensure everyone knew it might be a neck problem, then got up. I find that behavior a really bad look for the game, and much harder to deal with really...
The Barry
Roar Guru
I’m not really referring to the ones where there’s glancing or insignificant contact but if you’ve been hit there’s a distinct advantage to staying down. An example is Sam Burgess on Friday night. He got hit but got up and played on for a couple of minutes until the trainer could get to him for the tests, when he went off for the HIA. But his team would have been better off if he’d just stayed down. He’d still got have to go off for the HIA but maybe Mitchell gets binned as well. In my understanding of this rule Mitchell would have to be binned. I don’t think it will take coaches long to twig to this at all. It’s a big ask to put on refs whether contact was hard enough to cause a head injury. I’m not against the rule as a result of this but I don’t think it will be a completely smooth transition either.
BA Sports
Roar Guru
We have had multiple clubs (including Parramatta) get in trouble in the past for using the HIA regularly to try and get a free interchange, so with that in mind it stands to reason that what TB says is a possibility. It would put a referee in an impossible position if they had to suggest a player was faking a head injury and risk forcing them to play on. I just think yesterday you had (as an example), one player hit a falling player high and it results in that player going to the bin while another player (Maloney) also carelessly swings his arm into an opponent who is much taller (he has to leave his feet to do it). If you gave me that information and nothing more, the later would be the more dangerous tackle that should be put in the bin. But the referee is sin binning based on the injury which is wrong, it should be the intent or lack of care.
Vic
Roar Rookie
Spot on BA Sports, couldn’t have said it better. He was correctly punished for a careless but dangerous act, case closed.
Jewboy
Guest
Not really an Ashley Klein fan but would have to agree he got this one right....good to see them starting to bin them from the start of the season . Agree with TB ...there will be some contentious ones but with the help of the video ref they should get most of them right. Overall the refs had a good weekend and let the games flow which made the footy much more enjoyable.
Adam
Roar Guru
I don't think the referees were born yesterday though. I'm hoping that they have some ability to distinguish between what is forceful impact to the head and what isn't. I don't think they necessarily need a blanket rule on head high contact but i do think that the NRL needs to, and to their credit they are beginning to, take high contact that little bit more seriously. There is definitely the mentality from commentators and fans that if it's an accident then it's all good. If that's the case why do they have a careless charge at the judiciary?
The Barry
Roar Guru
No doubt whatsoever about the Jennings one but they won’t all be as clear as that. It’s very thin ice for refs and video refs to make calls on how hard someone has been hit and whether they’re legitimately concussed or not. I hope not but I bet this comes up as an issue during the year.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Now there’s a precedent..referees are now obligated to follow, you’d expect team doctors to be dragging their ‘to be assessed’ players off immediately to influence the referee..the clear message is stay right away from the head.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Yeah, this Jennings incident was fair enough but, what happened in the Bunnies v Chooks game? When SamB got blatantly stiff armed by goofy Mitchell and SamB was taken off for a HIA and nothing was done about that, then and btw, Mitchell continued on like a "goose" and caused other incidents in the game and nothing was done about that also? Lets hope that consistency prevails as the first round was a bit 'how you going' in a few games and the old 2018 ref syndrome(s) were coming back!
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
I don’t see a big issue TB . Ref has discretion. Video ref can tell where the player was hit and to some degree how hard. If you stay down for a light slap around the chops the video ref should be able to tell. There will always be the grey ones but the Jennings one was as clear as any imo.