Graham Annesley admits the bunker should make better choices when intervening at times but he’s not about to criticise his officials after imposing one of the NRL’s most dramatic crackdowns.
NRL head of football Annesley says it’s important the bunker continues to stop and rewind play in order to penalise foul play and he believes the video refs did a good job overall in enforcing new guidelines in Magic Round.
Annesley did concede they should not have pinged Cronulla half Chad Townsend for pressure on Cody Walker’s head late in his team’s loss to South Sydney.
But a day after Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett blasted the NRL over the increasing stoppage trend, Annesley insisted incidents couldn’t just be left to on-field officials and the match review committee the next day.
Bennett’s major gripe in a fiery 12-minute press conference was that the momentum of the game was being ruined, fearing casual fans would switch off in stoppages.
It came amidst a host of such incidents over Magic Round, including one occasion on Friday night where officials went back a whole set to penalise Tevita Pangai in Manly’s win over Brisbane.
Annesley said incidents couldn’t just be overlooked because they were missed on ground, encouraging the bunker to step in if they warranted a player being put on report.
“I think Wayne had a valid point if the bunker is taking us back to prior incidents for what are relatively minor indiscretions,” Annesley told AAP.
“However I don’t think anyone would like to see a player get away with a major indiscretion just because the referees missed it.
“That can have implications for free interchanges, the activations of the 18th man.
“The bunker just needs to use the right judgement in deciding which ones are serious enough for us to intervene on.”
Annesley said bunker and on-field officials regularly review foul play to better align on what are reportable and sin-bin offences.
Townsend’s belated penalty was easily the most crucial, as it ended Cronulla’s comeback against South Sydney and put the Rabbitohs in position to score in the next set.
Townsend was not charged following the match review for the pressure on Walker’s head, with Sharks coach Josh Hannay labelling the penalty as “soft” and Bennett taking no joy out of it.
Annesley won’t be critical of his officials this weekend, but admitted play shouldn’t have gone back.
“Probably not. You have to look at the degree of seriousness,” he said.
“But what we are doing this weekend is recalibrating. And I think the refs and touch judges have done a pretty good job on getting that recalibration right.
“Now on that particular one maybe they didn’t get it quite right.
“But I’m not going to be critical because, given their instructions they have been given for this weekend and the amount of pressure that they have been under, they’ve done a good job.”
Annesley defended the timing of the crackdown of head and neck contact that has led to a deluge of sin-bins across Magic Round.
“Magic Round goes into the history of the game after today,” he said.
“We have to make sure that players have the rest of their lives unaffected by serious head knocks.
“When you look at the length of someone’s life and the quality of their life compared to one round of football, it just pales into insignificance.”
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
Didn’t see the TPJ tackle , can’t comment.The Chad one was soft ,wouldn’t have crusher a grape.
Ian_
Roar Rookie
I think the milking call is often used by the refs to avoid giving penalties, especially if they are worried the penalty count is too high or uneven. I would love to see an alleged milker penalised. I think the bunker going back several plays should be used sparingly, ie only for serious incidents. The Pangai one on the weekend, I saw immediately as high so was surprised the officials missed it at the time. The Townsend one I haven't seen.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
The supporters of the crackdown don't get what many of the critics know. Critics aren't supporting a game of dangerous head attacks, they are critical of poor leadership that throws adhoc solutions at a bigger problem. We now have bunkers refereeing games, and they are supposed to be getting it right, but they aren't and there is still huge inconsistencies. I saw head high being dealt with differently though similar and more than one not dealt with at all. Also, I look forward to the litigation from the player knocked out by hips and knees because they are forced to go so low. You can't risk a tackle around the body because of someone like Teddy who constantly ducks and gets your otherwise legal hit penalised. They theory is fine, the execution diabolical.
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
I know Refs are not Medicos and shouldn’t be. The first word/ Jargon the Refs are taught at NRL Refs school is “milking” ,The Refs scream it out 20 times a match.Surely the Bunker guy has not forgotten his time with the whistle and judge a potential crusher tackle accordingly.Players and coaches have tried to manipulate gullible officials since 1908. Overall I think match officials are doing an excellent job and the standards have improved in the last couple of year,however to implement Black n White rules on one aspect is not the NRL way.Our sport invented the 50/50 call.If the on field officials think it’s relatively OK ,then leave it for the Review process to take it up.
Tim Goodacre
Guest
The critics of the clampdown just don’t get it. The world has changed and concussion concerns and duty of care are paramount. Congrats PV and hold firm. The game is tough enough without unnecessary and sometimes brutal attacks on the head and neck.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
While I agree with the crackdown on high shots, taking us back 4 or five tackles because something was picked up by the bunker is as DUM as. Once a game moves on , it has moved on . The future has already changed,. Going back is only an option in Back to the Future movies. Each PTB is a discrete piece of history. You can't go back and change it. My second objection and this will happen for sure is what happens when the match review panel picks up an offence that was missed in the game . ? One team has had play rewound for foul play and another hasn't. Its a disaster waiting to happen.