NRL referee boss Graham Annesley has rejected claims there’s mass confusion about excessive tackles, insisting referees, the bunker and match evaluation committee are largely on the identical web page.
The aftermath of a dramatic weekend continued on Monday, with Roosters veteran Jared Waerea-Hargreaves going through a three-game ban for a excessive deal with.
Cronulla centre Jesse Ramien can also be going through a one-match ban out of the Sharks’ win over St George Illawarra, after he too was sin-binned on Sunday.
Canterbury’s Stephen Crichton accepted his one-game ban for his controversial excessive deal with, whereas Cameron Murray will combat his grade-two cost on the judiciary.
A season-high 30 penalties have been blown for prime tackles in round-25 matches, with the quantity of contact with the pinnacle rising dramatically in current weeks.
Of all penalties, it was Crichton’s excessive shot that left Roger Tuivasa-Sheck concussed that drew probably the most controversy.
Annesley admitted on Monday that bunker official Liam Kennedy had made a “critical error of judgement” in not sin-binning Crichton, and indicated he may very well be dropped for this weekend.
There are additionally query marks over why Haumole Olakau’atu was sin-binned in Manly’s loss to Wests Tigers, after he acquired a lesser cost than Crichton.
However on the entire, Annesley was insistent the match officers and the evaluation committee have been aligned.
Graham Annesley stated 85 per cent of gamers sin-binned or despatched off this 12 months had been handed a grade-two cost or worse. (Getty Photographs: Cameron Spencer)
At his weekly briefing, Annesley produced numbers that confirmed 85 per cent of gamers sin-binned or despatched off this 12 months had been handed a grade-two cost or worse.
And of the 23 gamers banned for prime tackles this season, 18 have been sin-binned or despatched off for the deal with.
“After all we want this to be larger — 80 per cent will not be ok,” Annesley stated.
“We have to be getting a lot nearer to an ideal rating right here.
“However 80 per cent does give a sign that throughout the course of the season, the referees have been moderately in line with this.”
Annesley additionally indicated it was unlikely specialist bunker officers would change into the norm, in a bid to have them do extra matches and create higher consistency.
“We have now a number of video games. We use most of our senior referees now within the bunker,” Annesley stated.
“They’re alternating between refereeing on subject and dealing within the bunker.
“They’re our most skilled officers, and they’re within the mindset of taking a look at an incident and making a choice. That is a bonus.”
Annesley’s feedback got here after Gold Coast coach Des Hasler claimed on Sunday there was confusion round excessive tackles, after a weekend of commentary on the problem.
“There may be not a number of confidence with gamers round what’s a excessive shot and what is not a excessive shot,” Hasler stated.
“There are a number of nervous individuals on each side in the intervening time.
“The officers appear to be down on confidence a bit bit in the intervening time, and it’s in all probability one thing we now have to handle fairly rapidly going into finals.”
In the meantime, the Waerea-Hargreaves cost means his NRL profession may theoretically be over if he accepts an early plea and the Roosters miss out on the highest 4 and are eradicated within the first week.
The extra possible state of affairs is that the Tri-colours stay within the high 4, and Waerea-Hargreaves doesn’t play once more till the Roosters’ first knockout match in week two or three of the finals.
AAP
