Compare the pair.
Twenty-five minutes into Saturday’s match-up between South Sydney and Manly, Sea Eagles half Daly Cherry-Evans puts a kick through and chases it past a few Bunnies defenders.
He runs across Rabbitohs fullback Latrell Mitchell, who turns to chase yet also conveniently gets into Cherry-Evans’ path.
Mitchell’s elbow brushes the hip of Cherry-Evans, who runs another ten metres then theatrically falls to the ground. I believe this move is called the ‘Billy Slater special’.
On-field referee Gerard Sutton converses with his touch judges and video referee Ashley Klein. Mitchell is called to face Sutton then sent away for ten minutes in the sin bin for an offence so apparently grievous it deserves a serious punishment.
Depending on where you sit, there’s an argument Mitchell’s actions didn’t even warrant a penalty, or that Cherry-Evans could even be sanctioned for simulation.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
I guess the rules are the rules and if you’re wanting to apply them, that’s what they’re there for.
But let’s rewind 48 hours, to the second half of Thursday night’s belter between Parramatta and Melbourne.
Eels second rower Ryan Matterson runs the ball and is met by three Storm defenders: Chris Lewis, George Jennings and Felise Kaufusi.
Kaufusi gets a hold of Matterson and drives his elbow into Matterson’s head as it hits the turf, knocking the Eel out almost instantly.
As Matterson lies on his back with his arms stuck in a fencing position (a classic concussion symptom), the single on-field referee Ashley Klein can’t see what’s happened because he’s moving to set the defensive ten metres.
Play is stopped and a penalty is awarded to Parramatta. Klein converses with his touch judges and video referee Henry Perenara.
Kaufusi is called to Klein and is surely about to be told to take a seat, the only question being whether it’s for ten minutes or the rest of the game.
Remarkably, with video footage from every angle available, Klein puts Kaufusi on report and the Melbourne premiership player resumes his place in the Storm’s defence.
Matterson leaves the field, fails his HIA and doesn’t return. Right now it’s in the air if he’ll play this week – not a good situation for a player with both a history of bad head knocks and a pending contract period to negotiate.
On Saturday, Kaufusi is charged by the NRL match review committee with grade two dangerous contact, meaning he’ll be suspended for two games if he pleads guilty, or three if the Storm choose to contest it at the judiciary.
One of these things is most definitely not like the other.
Parramatta are down a star player and had one less on the bench, Melbourne suffer no immediate punishment and a State of Origin quality player remains on the field.
If this was a once-off you could understand, but players committing dangerous or foul play and staying on the field while their target goes off has been happening for years.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
There’s rules in place to deal with acts like that from Kaufusi, and since 2018 (yes, 2018) the NRL’s Head of Football Graham Annesley has made a big song and dance about how could play would be sternly met with sin bins and send-offs.
Any charges laid and suspensions imposed in the days after the action should be on top of a send-off or sin bin, not after the team with the injured player suffers during the game.
But it just doesn’t happen and not only are players being injured, their teams are being left in the lurch.
Maybe it’s time for the NRL to introduce a concussion substitute on the bench, to allow a fresh player to come in so if something like Kaufusi versus Matterson happens, whether deliberate or accidental, it’s still 17 versus 17.
And before you get into the comments saying Kaufusi didn’t mean it or it was accidental – that doesn’t matter. He made the action dangerous by putting his elbow in that spot on a defenceless player.
The duty of a rugby league player to go bloody hard and put himself on the line is also weighed up against his duty not to knock his fellow player unconscious with his elbow if he doesn’t have to.
Geoff Parkes wrote in these pages last week about the NRL’s approach to concussion and I’ve also written about how player welfare doesn’t seem to be at the top of the administration’s list.
When you look at what’s been happening across the sporting world with the ramifications of head knocks and concussion, the NRL most definitely can’t afford to be seen to be blasé about the health of their players.
Like it or not, by not taking strong punitive action at the time of an incident, accidental or deliberate, we’re all left with this strong impression.
If you’re going apply the letter of the law to sin bin a player for their elbow literally brushing another player’s jersey, you must, must apply them when another player’s elbow knocks someone unconscious.
Steve
Guest
Melbourne also lost pappy to a neck injury in the same game in a tackle where he was crushered then knocked back to the ground by a para player using his knee and storm didn’t even get a penalty.
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
trouble is - it doesn't sound good if the commentator goes boonta saying "what a gutless dog shot it was by a pissweak POS hitting a defenceless player in the head possibly causing permanent/ career ending injury" - parent's wont want to hear that & then let little Jonny go out for a run on Saturday
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
i don't normally listen to what Paul Kent has to say as he seems to be in love with his own voice on NRL360 but he hit the nail on the head with this one - Chicken Wing, Crusher, Crocodile Roll, Cannonball, rolling pin, ankle twist, grapple, hip drop - all tackles "invented" by the Melbourne Storm where there has been only 1 constant in that time - the coach, and all tackles that the NRL have to make laws against to stamp them out. didn't see "elbow to the head" tackle on the list so obviously they're ok to do, as is falling to the ground like a girl if someone brushes your little finger (Academy Award to DCE)
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
a month plus lots of $$$ the financial penalties are pocket change for some players hit em in the back pocket with big fines & they’ll change their tackling height & technique quick smart it’s always the same culprits – so the NRL need to tell em they’llbe spending a lot of time watching from the stands for no pay (plus they’ll be out of pocket for their admission), or they can buy a lawnmowing round somewhere cuz they’re done playing
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
Kaufusi knew whathe was doing, he had the chance & time to change his body position. Typical grub act that is designed to injur an opponent. RL still proves there is no respect shown for an opponent
Rapha
Roar Rookie
Kaufusi should have been sent off and suspended for 4 weeks NRL and Referees - dsigraceful
Rapha
Roar Rookie
Agree - total rubbish by Referees and NRL
Davico
Roar Pro
Spot on!
Davico
Roar Pro
That would be my worry as well.
Jesse James
Guest
Kaufusi cocks/loads his elbow at the top of the motion. Nothing accidental. Total disgrace in today’s game knowing what we know about head injuries. Was hoping Abdo or V’Landys would over rule the grading and send it straight to judiciary. Perhaps the only way for the NRL to work out community and player expectations on player safety (it is our kids playing the game) is for Matterson/Eels sue NRL for duty of care.
Smoked
Roar Rookie
Greg, you’re missing the point mate. The incident was reviewed a thousand times and the wrong decision was still made. Great article AJ, Kaufusi should have been sent for a spell. Every parent with kids looks at the initial response from Klein then Annesley’s comment after the game that he was happy with no send off must be jumping to sign up their kids to league. Poor from Klein and Henry, but very poor from Annesley.
Geoff Parkes
Expert
That was the thrust of my article last week, Paul. Courts have already determined that these are workplace safety situations. There is a degree of implied consent and normal rough and tumble that all participants sign up for. But continued instances of head contact foul play that aren't sufficiently strongly handled by the administrators? Some of it is down to subjective interpretation, but we're moving well past that now, simply because there are so many incidents occurring. Because there are causative links established, the NRL must not only be seen to act, but must actually act, to minimise instances of concussion occurring, otherwise - as you say - they will be taken to the cleaners. It's not just Kaufusi, but in this case, allowing a mere 2 week suspension for an incident like that is borderline condoning it. At a minimum it shows that - whatever they might say - they actually have no understanding of the seriousness of the problem.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
Watch it again Rellum. The slow mo is super damning. Kaufusi cocks his elbow ready for the ride down.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
Well said. Look at any of the social media comments though and you’d swear near 50% of the comments are trying to claim that it was accidental and “play on”. The cocking of the elbow at the top of the dump looks so so bad. I thought once we saw that we were going to get one of those “straight to the judiciary” type referrals. 2 weeks? I’d have been more happy with something closer to 8 and a send off.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
You spelt Alan Langer wrong.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
I have to say that I thought it a good move to go back to one ref. So annoying hearing one ref say one thing and the other ref something different. In the bad old days, touchies would pick this up and to say "Ashley Klein can’t see what’s happened because he’s moving to set the defensive ten metres." The player is in the process of being tackled, why should he be worried about the defensive line if the tackle hasn't been completed. A big problem here and has been for a while is why aren't the touch judges doing more. All they seem to do is watch the line for a player to go out and adjudicate on goals. They used to come in and report foul play. Agree about teams being left short when a player is taken out and can't come back. Time for referees to show some intestinal fortitude and send players off for foul play like this. Will it happen? Probably not because the commentators will carry on about a send of spoiling the game.
Spartacus
Roar Rookie
No. One ref is the way to go but get the bunker to do their job and justify their expensive price tag! For dangerous foul play like with Felise Kaufusi the bunker had time to consult with the referee and Kaufusi should have been sent off, not sin-binned. I am tired of seeing players like Sam Burgess made an example of by judiciaries but Storm forwards and JWH continually get off for one offence after another. They must think we are all blind if they think we can't see the hypocrisy and favouritism going on at the judiciary.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
Bingo!!
Mr Speaker
Guest
Yes, but that's under the presumption someone will in fact be sent off.... Personally, I hate seeing a tight game where a thug is still on the park only because of the perception that the fans (re: the NRL exec) would rather him on the park than off it. I really don't know whether I stand in the majority or the minority of this.
Rellum
Roar Guru
I have only seen it once but my first impression was the elbow was the result of the tackle forcing Kaufusi into falling that way with his elbow. But seems most didn't see it that way.