The game is a complete joke now with the way the MRP and Cullen hand out totally disproportionate bans.
How Ashworth gets a ban is laughable, but to then see Percival only getting 2 for his cleaner record yet I would argue a worse offence (and done with a degree of intent) just makes it an even bigger joke. So you can take someone out using your shoulder and making direct contact with the head and get 2 games or get 3 games for a totally accidental head clash???
A full on contact sport like rugby league you will always run the risk of accidental head clashes and banning players for that isn't the answer. Accidental head clashes shouldn't be given such a draconian charge if any at all, but to give a Grade D is almost up there with an intentional head butt which just shows the disparity in the thinking and understanding of the game.
The RFL and the MRP are just making a complete mockery of the sport. The level of incompetence within the RFL is mind blowing as its not just the huge difference between the view/decisions made by the officials & video ref's in games to the view/decisions of the MRP but the glaring inconsistencies in the decisions and the punishments handed out with very little transparency of the findings.
Its almost as if with the number of bans and charges handed out after each round the MRP are effectively saying the on field officials are not up to standard.
I really hope AP and TS fight the RFL and MRP on this.
As for the RFL talking about its all for player welfare well that's just an excuse they are hiding their incompetence behind as the way the are dishing out bans and fines is not looking after player welfare, far from it. They are also the reason why the game is struggling in this Country and no amount of work by IMG or money thrown in will change the fact that the RFL are erroding the foundations of the sport from within. Until the game accepts that the RFL are the biggest problem and a total overhaul of how the sport is governed in undertaken the game here will continue to slide in to oblivion.
) and we're getting somebody banned every single week whereas other teams are getting nothing.
