Re: This week’s disciplinary : Wed Feb 19, 2025 9:12 am  

This is interesting:
"The rules around unreasonable and/or frivolous challenges have been toughened up, meaning that any unsuccessful challenge to a charge of Grades A-D will automatically incur five penalty points to the player’s record."
So they are now saying that any unsuccessful appeal will be deemed frivolous and punished. The right of appeal is central to any fair judicial system, but they seem hell-bent on taking that right away, or at least making it too risky to embark upon. Doesn't sit right with me at all, that.

Re: This week’s disciplinary : Wed Feb 19, 2025 9:34 am  

The Speculator wrote:

This is interesting:
"The rules around unreasonable and/or frivolous challenges have been toughened up, meaning that any unsuccessful challenge to a charge of Grades A-D will automatically incur five penalty points to the player’s record."
So they are now saying that any unsuccessful appeal will be deemed frivolous and punished. The right of appeal is central to any fair judicial system, but they seem hell-bent on taking that right away, or at least making it too risky to embark upon. Doesn't sit right with me at all, that.

Our neighbours in WA9 are sure to think that this amendment is to stop them from making so many appeals against the judiciary decisions.

It`s a conspiracy!!!

Re: This week’s disciplinary : Wed Feb 19, 2025 9:36 am  

BOSS HOG wrote:

Our neighbours in WA9 are sure to think that this amendment is to stop them from making so many appeals against the judiciary decisions.

It`s a conspiracy!!!

Actually made my day seeing that. So many failed appeals last season with no repercussions was crazy.

Re: This week’s disciplinary : Wed Feb 19, 2025 9:44 am  

karetaker wrote:

Actually made my day seeing that. So many failed appeals last season with no repercussions was crazy.

But there will come a time (probably several times) during the season when a Wire player gets punished, we will believe it is unfair, but we will not appeal it because it is now too risky. I don't see why the panel can't just judge each appeal on its merits rather than deeming every appeal to be unreasonable. If Saints, or anyone else, keep making frivolous appeals, then keep punishing them, but why tar everyone with the same brush?

Re: This week’s disciplinary : Wed Feb 19, 2025 10:46 am  

Because appeals are largely just a drain on the game's resources to the benefit of lawyers. At some point, just as players do on the field, you have to take the authorities' ruling on an issue and move on. You can still appeal and, presumably, if you can bring compelling new evidence to a case, you can win your appeal. But clubs have increasingly been using appeals as a means to postpone suspensions without bringing any new reasoning to the table.

Re: This week’s disciplinary : Wed Feb 19, 2025 11:36 am  

The Speculator wrote:

But there will come a time (probably several times) during the season when a Wire player gets punished, we will believe it is unfair, but we will not appeal it because it is now too risky. I don't see why the panel can't just judge each appeal on its merits rather than deeming every appeal to be unreasonable. If Saints, or anyone else, keep making frivolous appeals, then keep punishing them, but why tar everyone with the same brush?

If you have a genuine case then I would not be afraid. Saints were appealing if the offence were blatantly obvious and their claim would be it was the other players fault for being there.

Re: This week’s disciplinary : Wed Feb 19, 2025 12:17 pm  

karetaker wrote:

If you have a genuine case then I would not be afraid. Saints were appealing if the offence were blatantly obvious and their claim would be it was the other players fault for being there.

I really hope you're right, and I do get this side of the argument. I just fear there will come a time when we feel very aggrieved over an incident but also feel unable to appeal it because of the possibility of increased punishment. It will be interesting to see who, if anyone, tests the water with an appeal this season. We always feel we have a genuine case with these things, but the panel rarely sees it that way. As Just Browny said earlier, it will probably end up where you just have to accept the ruling and move on, unless you find yourself in a 'nothing to lose' situation, where a player would miss a final, for example.

Re: This week’s disciplinary : Wed Feb 19, 2025 12:26 pm  

The Speculator wrote:

. The right of appeal is central to any fair judicial system, but they seem hell-bent on taking that right away, or at least making it too risky to embark upon. Doesn't sit right with me at all, that.

But there is no appeal against a yellow card or red card during a game when arguably the loss of a player in game is the biggest impact. The disciplinary ruling has to be accepted and quite rightly.

We need to stop the frivolous appeal process just because a club does not like the outcome and lawyer up.

Re: This week’s disciplinary : Wed Feb 19, 2025 3:30 pm  

Rugby League is a simple game but the powers that be are making the understanding of the game farcical . Rule changes every season that are hard to follow during the viewing of games & disciplinary procedures that could diminish even further a teams ability to play its best side & if individual player know their scores are totting up it'll be like playing with one arm tied behind his back.

Re: This week’s disciplinary : Thu Feb 20, 2025 11:18 pm  

Lewis on 3 points from last week, chances are he will get 3 more after tonight.