What on earth does a rugby league player need to do these days to get sent off?
After the game between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Wests Tigers on Thursday night, I genuinely have no idea.
You all know the incident I’m referring to; in the seventh minute of that match, Robbie Farah makes a dash for the try line and is tackled. When the tackle was complete, you could see that Farah was clearly uncomfortable and visibly incensed. On closer look and with assistance from the video replay, you can clearly see George Burgess gouging at his eyes.
It was pretty despicable viewing and although we often hear the phrase ‘not a good look for the game’ thrown away; this genuinely was not a good look for the game.
After the game, Wayne Bennett suggested that Burgess may have been going for the forehead, which I find hard to believe. Bennett did acknowledge however that it didn’t look good.
Burgess will be punished. He could spend up to at least 12 weeks on the sideline, depending on how the judiciary view the incident. Additionally, Burgess is in the midst of contract negotiations. Despite his talent on the field, I wonder what impact this may have on the value of his next contract.
It’s not like this is the first time Burgess has been involved in such an incident. During his career, his rap sheet has included eye-gouging Dallin Watene-Zelezniak in an England Test where he got four weeks. He struck Mitch Barnett in 2017, threw a water bottle from the bench at an opponent in 2015, there was a chicken wing tackle on Steve Matai in 2014 and in that same year he also tripped Matt Moylan.
If a player is talented enough it doesn’t seem like too much focus is placed on their previous charges when trying to lure them to a club. There are some clubs reportedly interested including the Parramatta Eels and a couple of clubs in the Super League including Hull FC; will the amount of money they are looking to offer change because of his grubby behaviour on the field?
Aside from contract negotiations, my big question is, why was Burgess able to stay on the field? This to me was a clear scenario in which the referees could have made a decision to send a player off. This decision would have been justified in my view, given the conduct was not accidental.
The send-off is something we don’t see in rugby league very much anymore. In fact, it took me a while to remember the last time a player was sent off in a match (it was Curtis Scott for the Melbourne Storm in May last year after Scott lashed out a second time after being sent off in the first half for his role in a scuffle with Dylan Walker). Before that, the last send off was David Shillington in 2015 and even before that, sending a player off was pretty uncommon.
You can certainly understand a referee’s reluctance to send a player off for the remainder of a game; particularly if the game is in its early stages. It is a big decision and of course, has a significant impact on the club that is a player down. In the case of Burgess, in particular, it was so early in the game and Souths would have been significantly disadvantaged.
On the other hand; that disadvantage should not be the concern of the referee’s. For a player, if they do the crime, they should do the time and that time should discourage other players from doing the same thing.
Additionally, referees also need to know they have the backing of their bosses to make big decisions like that. Back in 2009, Phil Haines made the controversial decision to send a player off and was dropped from the NRL for his trouble.
In my view, for conduct that is clearly not accidental and falls into the category of foul play, the send-off should be used more frequently. Acts like eye-gouging and tripping certainly fall into that category and potentially even hair pulling (which is more relevant for the women’s game).
In the past we’ve seen players eye gouge and receive a fine or spend a couple of weeks on the sidelines.
It’s simply not enough. Discipline is key in rugby league and actions like eye-gouging have absolutely no place in our game.
There’s been discussion over this week about whether tackling should be allowed in the junior game given the recent reporting around the impact of hard tackles on the human brain. In my view though, it’s behaviour like eye-gouging which absolutely needs to be removed.
I hope Burgess spends a significant period of time on the sidelines but he also should have taken no further part in that game. I wonder if the ramifications had been more serious in the past whether Burgess would still be playing footy with a rap sheet longer than a grocery list.
James
Guest
Up to at least 12 weeks? Well which is it? Up to 12 weeks would mean a maximum of 12 weeks. At least 12 weeks would be a minimum of 12 weeks. So while Burgess' behaviour may not have been a good look for rugby league, it wasn't nearly as ugly as your writing is for journalism.
Mary Konstantopoulos
Expert
Thanks for continuing to click on my articles. You're a legend!
Ian_
Roar Rookie
This is a huge bugbear of mine. It's grubby and so childish. Stamp it out by penalising any unnecessary contact with the face of the opponent, and sin-binning or sending off in a lot of cases.
Emcie
Roar Guru
classy....
RollsEyes
Guest
About as much as you writing repeated, unasked for articles about the women's game. Sit down and shut up with your arrogance and hypocrisy towards others.
Peter
Guest
Why do so many posters here apparently think the “facial” is acceptable? Is it not attacking the head of the opposing player? And it certainly isn’t a”mistake” during a tackle - jt’s a deliberate assault when the victim is being held down by the attacker’s team-mates. Cowardice at its worst. I know “everyone” does it, but why does that make it OK? Warn everyone that it’s not on, and then sin-bin the cr@p out of it.
Rob
Guest
I believe the Bunker has different camera angles to what the fans see? There for I assume they have one showing Burgess’s hand on Robbie’s chest and Fusitu’s hand behind his back. Simples . Isn’t that the clap trap the officials in the Bunker have been telling the fans for a while now?
The Barry
Roar Guru
I’m old enough David. The judiciary dished out Linane’s massive suspension and guess what, no more problems with eye gouges. It always amazes me that things like elbows, eye gouges, tripping, etc got more harshly dealt with in the Wild West, anything goes days.
BA Sports
Roar Guru
Has Johns ever agreed with a forward pass ruling against a half?
Paul
Roar Guru
"You can certainly understand a referee’s reluctance to send a player off for the remainder of a game". For this type of infringement, no Mary, I can't understand ANY reluctance at all. This is an instance where the NRL needs to take a leaf out of Rugby Union and let the bunker ref have a good look at the infringement. If they believe it is a clear case, send the player off. There are actions that have ZERO place in our game. This rates with biting, punching, stomping, kicking, doing a Hopoate, etc. None of these actions are Rugby League, so if a play stoops this low, they get an early shower.
Adam
Roar Guru
Nothing. Nothing will get you sent off. The flow of the game is more important than player welfare! The NRL knows that there's plenty of people with two eyes who can come on into the competition if one of them happens to lose an eye. I jest of course. But it seems that the NRL needs to empower their referees a little more and encourage/mandate that they send a player to the bin or send them off depending on thresholds. Something along the lines of that was a) dangerous b)intentional that's a send off. If it is dangerous but not intentional it's a sin bin - or something along those lines (I'm not paid to make the rules, so I'm sure some well paid suits can come up with the actual rules). Does anyone actually care for a close game when they know they didn't get a close game cause a Burgii decided to scoop someones's eye out of his head?
Adam
Roar Guru
But don't you want to hear about it? ad nauseam?
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Well spotted Albo.
Adam
Roar Guru
Well in fairness there is a policy on mobile phone use during games....
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Football boss Graham Annesley to be grilled over NRL bunker blunders Graham Annesley is expected to be grilled on the use of the NRL’s bunker system when the football boss fronts media on Monday. https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/football-boss-graham-annesley-to-be-grilled-over-nrl-bunker-blunders/news-story/2364292dac34d66f24ba52489a0694eb Leaked response from Graham Annesley: “Oops! We got that wrong. Our bad”
Noosa Duck
Roar Rookie
The referee is there to referee the rules ...or once upon a time that was the case. these days they make the rules up as they go along. Phil is a pretty reasonable fella but by golly sometimes he gets it wrong. As for Andrew Johns ....Andrew all of us that have played football know what a football does when you kick it in various ways .....
Noosa Duck
Roar Rookie
I said to a mate on Saturday , WTF has a bloke got to do to get sent off, throw a punch at the ref ?? He said "no mate you only go to the Sinners Bin for a punch.......Then again sledging the ref with a decent biblical quote might do the job" Mary, I wish I could answer your question for if that was not a send off offence nothing is .
P Air
Guest
There was no advantage to Wests with the on-field punishment apart from 2 points for a penalty goal. Yet the next 12 teams to face Souths won't have to worry about Burgess. Grossly unfair. The Bunker had a clear view and he should have been off. Weak officiating yet again from the NRL. While I'm screaming at the clouds can we get a serious push on to finally get the trainers off the field?
Noosa Duck
Roar Rookie
You and me Dave, I asked the same question when I saw that ...WTF have you got to do to get sent off .....it is crazy....."Oh you are on report" and the ref is then void of all responsibility.... Shameful to be honest ...... If Comans was still in the chair that would be 12 weeks possibly 16 weeks on the sideline
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
Georgie Porgie. Pudden & Pie. Dug his fingers into Robbie's eye. What he did was a bloody disgrace. However his coach Wayne said he brushed his face.