No crackdown for Magic Round

NRL head of football Graham Annesley has moved to allay fears of another Magic Round high tackle crackdown, adamant “we have not read the riot act” to referees.

It comes amid concerns that the decision not to send off Jesse Ramien for his dangerous high shot last weekend could result in another over-the-top reaction at the blockbuster Brisbane event.

Last year’s Magic Round was marred by controversy with 14 sin bins and three send offs across the eight games.

Annesley did not hide from his comments earlier this week that he thought Ramien should have been sent off and not sin binned for the tackle that knocked out Warriors forward Euan Aitken.

But he said that did not mean the refs would be under specific instructions to get tougher this weekend.

“They have just been told, in the same way they have been told all year, to just try and get the decisions right based on the circumstances of the incident,” Annesley said.

“But they have been given no direction this week to go harder on that sort of stuff.

“They have to make judgment calls on these things.”