Phuzzy wrote:
Cruncher, please don't take this as being argumentative. That's not my intention at all. I've always enjoyed your posts and, whilst I don't always agree necessarily, I can always see the merit in them. I just don't see what you're point is here.
We lose players to a much richer competition. That's simple economics. I hate it as much as you do but what's your real world solution?
You don't like the draconian punishments. Me neither. But with only 1 insurance company even prepared to consider our sport and only then with these measures in place, again what's your real world solution?
If you're just venting steam then that's fine. I get it. But if you think there's something the sport isn't doing that it should be then I'd be interested to hear it.
Where I will agree is that the disciplinary process isn't for for purpose. It's too inconsistent. However that doesn't extend to Tommy's ban. I think it's harsh but he's a serial offender who simply will not adjust his tackling technique. Mata'utia and Sironen have seemingly managed it, so why is he exempt? I like Tommy as a player and in another era I'd commend his no compromise approach but we aren't operating in another era.
I'd like nothing more than the game to remain as it was. If it did, there'd be no game at all. If you have a solution, I'd be the happiest person on this forum to hear it and I mean that genuinely.
Appreciate the thought you've given to this.
I'm not denying that they've been put in an difficult position by all these opportunist claims for damages (I'm not sure when these court cases will actually be heard, but it's certainly dragging on). But when it comes to punishment afterwards, they really need to start discerning between accidental contact and deliberate.
Just parking the Tommy Makinson example as there seem to be wildly differing views on that one, we're all in agreement that there have been a number of ridiculously OTT suspensions passed this season. And that's a real danger in a high-speed, heavy collision sport like ours. If they continue with this, the very nature of our game is under threat, which, given that it apparently isn't in Australia, could see the UK finishing up with a sport that is rugby league in name only.
One thing that is within our power is to sort out this sentencing process. Some referees are behaving as if red cards are a new toy, but if we can't do anything about that because the insurance people demand it, we can at least adopt a more measured approach when it comes to further action. The mere fact that no one's suggesting players get suspended for accidental head clashes indicates an awareness that accidents happen.
If nothing else, they need to take a far less cavalier approach to red card incidents, and go through the video thoroughly afterwards to ensure that that the head contact was, firstly, real, and secondly, intentional. I genuinely don't believe they're doing that at present.
