HU8HFC wrote:Bit my tongue on the MRP situation, until now. It is becoming nothing short of embarrassing at this point.
I am all for player welfare etc, and Jesus, I could even tolerate the multiple sin bins you see every game now, but to then compound misery with banning a player for two matches, when essentially the attacker ran into Evans chest, is way, way over the top.
the harsh reality is, no matter how hard the RFL come down on players, high shots and late hits are going to happen in our game when 100KG, 6ft+ blokes are running into each other like wrecking balls. The game has moved on from the days of the biff. The vast majority of high tackles/late hits are purely accidental rather than purposely trying to take the other players head off.
The constant banning of the best players in the game is only going to do more harm than good for the sport.
Your are right. It’s a laughing stock. Having the best players sat in the stands for nothing is just what a marginal sport needs….!
Joined: Jan 30 2004 Posts: 8185 Location: Never never land away with the fairies
Shabino wrote:Your are right. It’s a laughing stock. Having the best players sat in the stands for nothing is just what a marginal sport needs….!
That's the frustrating thing and the RFL can't see the damage its doing with the new officiating and disciplinary policies. No one is denying the need for player safety but there also has to be an acceptance that there are risks involved in a contact sport. All I hear is Paul 'Cliche' Cullen spouting the same rhetoric every time and using the same handpicked incidents to argue the case about these have always been yellows, reds and suspensions. The ones he uses just about everyone agree those incidents have always been punished the same (unless you were Sean O'Loughlin of course ). What is ruining the game from being a watchable sport is the over zealous officiating and banning of players for what are incidents which are not malicious acts of foul play and are simply the consequences of players playing a tough physical game. Most of the yellows and bans are where a player has ducked, lost their footing or falling in a tackle and some contact is made with the head. I'm not sure how you yellow card a player for that or ban them for the very slightest little thing. Against Leeds Jack Walker made it look as though he had been knocked out as he laid motionless for about 3 to 5 secs which brought about the yellow for Evans but where was the HA for Walker as he carried on in the game. People do not pay to see players sat in stands or sent from the field of play. The current policy has brought in a worrying trend for gamesmanship by some players who now see this as an opportunity to gain an unfair advantage by acting to see a fellow player binned.
I really enjoy long walks especially when they are taken by people I don't like!
Chris71 wrote:That's the frustrating thing and the RFL can't see the damage its doing with the new officiating and disciplinary policies. No one is denying the need for player safety but there also has to be an acceptance that there are risks involved in a contact sport. All I hear is Paul 'Cliche' Cullen spouting the same rhetoric every time and using the same handpicked incidents to argue the case about these have always been yellows, reds and suspensions. The ones he uses just about everyone agree those incidents have always been punished the same (unless you were Sean O'Loughlin of course ). What is ruining the game from being a watchable sport is the over zealous officiating and banning of players for what are incidents which are not malicious acts of foul play and are simply the consequences of players playing a tough physical game. Most of the yellows and bans are where a player has ducked, lost their footing or falling in a tackle and some contact is made with the head. I'm not sure how you yellow card a player for that or ban them for the very slightest little thing. Against Leeds Jack Walker made it look as though he had been knocked out as he laid motionless for about 3 to 5 secs which brought about the yellow for Evans but where was the HA for Walker as he carried on in the game. People do not pay to see players sat in stands or sent from the field of play. The current policy has brought in a worrying trend for gamesmanship by some players who now see this as an opportunity to gain an unfair advantage by acting to see a fellow player binned.
I agree with a lot of that, but I think that's unfair on Jack Walker. He did get hit hard and I've no doubt it shook him a little, but I don't feel like he milked it at all. He had a defender on him on the ground and didn't struggle to get up quick but as soon as the defender peeled away he got straight back to his feet.
Joined: Jan 30 2004 Posts: 8185 Location: Never never land away with the fairies
Mr. Zucchini Head wrote:
Chris71 wrote:That's the frustrating thing and the RFL can't see the damage its doing with the new officiating and disciplinary policies. No one is denying the need for player safety but there also has to be an acceptance that there are risks involved in a contact sport. All I hear is Paul 'Cliche' Cullen spouting the same rhetoric every time and using the same handpicked incidents to argue the case about these have always been yellows, reds and suspensions. The ones he uses just about everyone agree those incidents have always been punished the same (unless you were Sean O'Loughlin of course ). What is ruining the game from being a watchable sport is the over zealous officiating and banning of players for what are incidents which are not malicious acts of foul play and are simply the consequences of players playing a tough physical game. Most of the yellows and bans are where a player has ducked, lost their footing or falling in a tackle and some contact is made with the head. I'm not sure how you yellow card a player for that or ban them for the very slightest little thing. Against Leeds Jack Walker made it look as though he had been knocked out as he laid motionless for about 3 to 5 secs which brought about the yellow for Evans but where was the HA for Walker as he carried on in the game. People do not pay to see players sat in stands or sent from the field of play. The current policy has brought in a worrying trend for gamesmanship by some players who now see this as an opportunity to gain an unfair advantage by acting to see a fellow player binned.
I agree with a lot of that, but I think that's unfair on Jack Walker. He did get hit hard and I've no doubt it shook him a little, but I don't feel like he milked it at all. He had a defender on him on the ground and didn't struggle to get up quick but as soon as the defender peeled away he got straight back to his feet.
I agree I don't think he milked at all and maybe using the word 'made' makes it read that way, the point I was trying make was that he went down and laid there for a few seconds as if/though he'd been knocked out then jumped straight back up, I think he probably did have a moment of birds flying round his head. The officials then decided Evans should be shown a yellow but I was surprised that Walker wasn't made to have a HA. I certainly don't think Walker did it intentionally but when you watch it, it just looks as though he is momentarily out then jumps to his feet (you see this a lot when people have this sudden quick moment of unconsciousness that they leap straight back up) and its that bit for me that should have lead to him having a HA as it looked a genuine pause not one of milking it. Had there been no pause I'm not sure that any action would have been taken in terms of yellow.
In that same game Fusitua takes Griffin out off the ball with a more deliberate attempt of a shoulder charge which is outlawed and gets nothing in the game or by the disciplinary yet both Evans and Prior yellows for contact that is a consequence of a contact sport nothing more and then get a ban to further add to things.
I really enjoy long walks especially when they are taken by people I don't like!
Joined: Dec 22 2001 Posts: 31972 Location: The Corridor of Uncertainty
I get the feeling that we're a season or two behind the NRL in this whole area. Last year they had yellow cards galore and players accused of milking penalties. This season it looks so far as if it's been sorted barring a few teething problems where players haven't been taken off for HIAs quick enough.
Players get put on report instead of yellow carded. Of course bans get dished out but there's been relatively little noise about it yet in comparison with last year.
Same applies to the six again rule - they've re-introduced a penalty for offences in the opposition 20. It's got rid of a lot of the cynical holding down.
Seems we choose to go our own way over here rather than learning lessons already learnt.
"If you start listening to the fans it won't be long before you're sitting with them," - Wayne Bennett.
No other players to return. Guess that means no Lane this week
Assuming the guys that had niggles last week (Satae, Savelio etc) are fit to play, I'd go for:
Connor Swift Vulikijapani Griffin Shaul McNamara Lovodua Satae Houghton Fash Ma'u Savelio Brown
Sao Bowden Johnstone Wynne
It's still got a makeshift look about it, but it's really not bad. A decent forward pack, some good ball carriers and decent pace in the back line. Lovodua and McNamara will just keep it simple and try to supply Connor with good ball so he can work his magic. If we play with intensity then we can get a result.
Edit: Just seen Shaul is definitely out too, so probably Mitch on the wing, Wynne at centre and promote a young back to the bench to cover.
Saints and Catalan are far and away the best 2 teams, then Wigan, Wire, Hudds. and hopefully us. I see this game as a test of wether we’re good enough to make that six. Play with the same intensity as last week plus the extra days rests and we’ll be there or thereabouts but which FC is going to turn up.
Mr. Zucchini Head wrote:Assuming the guys that had niggles last week (Satae, Savelio etc) are fit to play, I'd go for:
Connor Swift Vulikijapani Griffin Shaul McNamara Lovodua Satae Houghton Fash Ma'u Savelio Brown
Sao Bowden Johnstone Wynne
It's still got a makeshift look about it, but it's really not bad. A decent forward pack, some good ball carriers and decent pace in the back line. Lovodua and McNamara will just keep it simple and try to supply Connor with good ball so he can work his magic. If we play with intensity then we can get a result.
Edit: Just seen Shaul is definitely out too, so probably Mitch on the wing, Wynne at centre and promote a young back to the bench to cover.
I'm sure I've just read Lane might be available.
If so: Connor, Swift, Griffin, Wynne, Mitch, McNamara, Lovodua Sao, Houghton, Satae, Savelio, Lane, Brown Fash, Bowden, Ma'u, JJ
If Lane doesn't make it then Manu starts with Severs on the bench.
IF and uts a big If, we get through this game and the Sheffield game injury/suspension free we should have Carlos, Mcintosh, Gale and Evans back against Wigan. Hopefully we can start to build some momentum
Armavinit wrote:Saints and Catalan are far and away the best 2 teams, then Wigan, Wire, Hudds. and hopefully us. I see this game as a test of wether we’re good enough to make that six. Play with the same intensity as last week plus the extra days rests and we’ll be there or thereabouts but which FC is going to turn up.
Probably the one that always lets us down at home when extra fans turn up because we played well and won the previous week
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). What is ruining the game from being a watchable sport is the over zealous officiating and banning of players for what are incidents which are not malicious acts of foul play and are simply the consequences of players playing a tough physical game. Most of the yellows and bans are where a player has ducked, lost their footing or falling in a tackle and some contact is made with the head. I'm not sure how you yellow card a player for that or ban them for the very slightest little thing. Against Leeds Jack Walker made it look as though he had been knocked out as he laid motionless for about 3 to 5 secs which brought about the yellow for Evans but where was the HA for Walker as he carried on in the game. 
