Small incidents are currently having too big an influence on the outcome of games. And that is a problem.
There’s too many yellow cards given too easily for incidents that essentially should not be yellow cards. We know there’s been a clampdown on foul play this season but the issues - players being excessively binned and banned - probably started with some miscommunication right at the start with the changes in rule interpretation.
Rather than do that two weeks before the campaign started, they should have realised whenever you make changes like this, it’s the stakeholders - fans, coaches and players - who get frustrated.
The powers-that-be needed clearer communication about where they wanted to take the sport. Now, officials need to start erring on the side of caution as having someone in the sin bin for 10 minutes in a tight game can make such a big difference to the result. We saw that happen to Castleford after Mahe Fonua’s yellow at Wigan on Thursday for something many felt was not even a foul.
We need to move more towards putting players on report for those that they may feel are borderline yellow cards. That way, at least, it won’t have as big an impact on the game. We need to get it right. With any story, the truth is in the middle somewhere.
Confrontation and collision are fundamental parts of what makes rugby league such an exciting sport and why it’s attractive to watch: it’s because of the brutality of it.
If you take away too many USPs from any product, people won’t want to be involved. That’s where we’re going if this carries on with rugby league.
We’re diluting the quality of the product. They really do need to find common ground so we get both the product we all want and the safety we need.
BETFRED - PASSIONATE ABOUT SUPER LEAGUE
