Referees will look to show more caution when brandishing cards after the RFL’s disciplinary chiefs met Super League head coaches for urgent talks about the state of the game.
The start to the new season has been dominated by the governing body’s crackdown on foul play with a vast swath of yellow and red cards in the opening six rounds. Although supporting the RFL’s bid to reduce injuries and clean up the sport, coaches and players alike have felt they have gone too far with many fans also becoming increasingly disillusioned.
What may before have warranted a penalty has now, in 2022, often seen sin-binnings or even dismissals. Coaches have become increasingly vocal about how the heavy-handed use of cards is ruining the spectacle of the sport. However, they held positive talks with RFL’s match review panel chief Paul Cullen, head of match officials Steve Ganson and director of operations and legal Robert Hicks for over an hour on Wednesday to discuss the hot topic.
