PAYTEN LAMENTS SIN BIN SPREE
COWBOYS coach Todd Payten has called for the game to “go back to the way it was” as the plethora of Magic Round sinbinnings reached exhaustive levels.
In North Queensland’s
30-16 loss to the Sydney Roosters, Lachlan Burr became one of 14 players to either be sent for 10 minutes or for the rest of the game throughout the Suncorp Stadium spectacle, as the NRL and its officials crack down on any contact with the head.
Burr was given his marching orders after collecting James Tedesco high as the Roosters fullback fell into the tackle.
While it has been a move made in an attempt to discourage any action that may impact an athlete’s welfare, Payten believes the extent to which players were being sin binned had stripped the game of the physicality that made it such a showcase.
“I kind of feel sorry for the players because as a game we’ve tried to speed the game up, and now we’re penalising players,” Payten said.
“With a fast game under fatigue they’re going to find themselves in vulnerable positions, and getting sent for that is disappointing.
“I feel sorry for the referees, because they’re the ones under pressure having to make those calls. And I really feel sorry for our supporters across the game.
“This is probably the biggest weekend in our calendar throughout the season, everyone is spending their hard earned money to turn up and we’ve taken away from the game of rugby league in the end.
“The thing I’ve loved about our game over however long I played is the physicality, and we’re just going away from that a little bit.”
Payten confirmed the Cowboys would most likely be without prop Coen Hess, who failed his HIA assessment during the game.
Given the club has a short turnaround — playing at home on Thursday night — it is expected the Queensland representative will not be cleared to return.