I can't quite believe how the game is these days !! Players banned for next to nothing and I'm not just on about wigan players. The game is being spoilt by all this nonsense

I absolutely agree in the main but I think this ban is warranted tbh. They’re hot on head injuries and rightfully so. Josh Jones went down holding his face and Hastings knows he shouldn’t be trying to drag a bloke to his feet, even more so with a head injury.

The ridiculous yellow card for KPP is the sort of decision that is spoiling the game. This incident is something Hastings should’ve known better on IMO.

We would be baying for blood if an opposition player picked up a Wigan player with a potential head injury and rightfully so.

I'd be annoyed if said Wigan player was milking it like Jones was. He took an elbow to the nose. It was pretty clear to everyone that he was fine and was playing for time. If he was sparked out on the floor, you'd have a point but he wasn't.

Part of a wider issue here imo. The players know they can milk stuff like this because the powers that be are terrified of concussions, regardless of the negative impact it's having on the game. Doesn't help that all the officials sit in their echo chamber telling each other how well their doing, even when the game is going to the dogs.

I have to say the amount of play acting going on in the game at the moment is bordering on the farcical. The players don't appear to be aware that it's turning supporters off in their droves and, ultimately, it will be their livelihoods that will suffer. They seem to absolve themselves of all responsibility to play the game according to the values of the sport and it's supporters. To put it in a nutshell, we aren't football fans (in the main) for a reason and the players need to recognise that their paying audience doesn't want to see this fakery.

I don't think it helps that the referees aren't applying the rules consistently either. The ref claimed on Sunday that he didn't stop the game for the Sam Powell injury because he didn't regard it as a head injury then stopped the game when a Huddersfield player quite clearly had a knock to his back. You find heads in funny places these days!

Play acting is undoubtedly an issue that’s crept in but there’s just no need for Hastings to try and help him to his feet. Play to the whistle and take the advantage of playing against 12 men for as long as the ref allows it (and I know the frustration really comes when the ref predictably blows up).

The wider issue of bending the rules to give you an advantage needs addressing but what can you expect when some teams seem to have lost the morality to even turn up for games or release players for representative fixtures. Imagine the flak Wigan would be getting now if we’d acted in the way a couple of teams who’ll be playing in London at the weekend have recently. It doesn’t bare thinking about.

What's the alternative? Have the refs, who have no medical qualifications, determine on the spot whether a head injury is legitimate or not? I agree that players are milking it, but there's bugger all the officials can be expected to do about it.

Id say immediate time off the pitch for a compulsory HIA on ALL suspected head contact would do the trick. if the player stays down they go off

The alternative is to not ban someone post match, especially when nothing was said on the day.

The medical staff are allowed to come on immediately and make the call. No need to stop the game for that to happen.
Stopping the game only encourages teams to go down (particularly at the start of defensive sets on transition).

I mentioned 2 weeks ago about 3 of the last 4 games having 7/8/9 stoppages, and 95% of those stoppages happen first 2 tackles of a defensive set.
Thats why I questioned you about a player having to leave the field if he goes down and game is stopped. That would discourage players going down unnecessarily. I thought we had brought it in over here for general paly but maybe its only NRL that do it?

Either way, I'm telling Lam from now on play it that way.
Kick deep, make first tackle and go down injured tapping your head. Let defensive line set and get some energy back. Job done
We'll kill the sport (and it will be wigans fault) but hey who cares.
Forget Powell having a shoulder injury and game.playing on, just tap your head and game will stop for o reason 40 years away from play.

On the game thread I mentioned at HT that it had happened 3/4 times first half, and then within 20mins of 2nd half starting another 4 or 5, its a joke.

Ended up arguing with The Hudds fan, who was having a go at Powell for time wasting when he actually had to go off !!!
The Nerve of their spectator

We improved the game a couple of years back with scrum clock and shot clock, weve got tondo something about this pretty soon because its making the game a joke.
Nearly 2hrs Sunday for an 80min game