RFL to review disciplinary after coaches’ frustrations
IT’S BEEN A CONTROVERSIAL START
THE severity of disciplinary charges is set to be reviewed following a meeting of Super League coaches and RFL officials. After a controversial opening to the season, a pre-arranged meeting took place on Wednesday where a number of matters were addressed.
The head coaches of all Super League clubs, as well as the RFL’S director of operations and Legal, Rob Hicks, were on the call, as well as others, such as Paul Cullen, who has a senior role on the Match Review Panel.
The severity of charges was a major issue among coaches, with players across clubs already receiving suspensions that many believe are excessive and outweigh the offence committed.
As a result, it was agreed that officials would go back and look at the guidance surrounding suspensions with a view to trying to limit the number of suspensions imposed, as well as the length of them.
It comes after pressures from club owners, who have also been unimpressed with matters in the opening rounds of the season.
Nothing was set in stone at the meeting but the feeling is that appropriate changes will be made in line with what coaches were expecting before the season.
A number of coaches had been left bemused by charges handed out after being reassured that an increase in cards wouldn’t result in an increase in suspensions and their severity, though that hasn’t proved to be the case so far.
A number of other matters were discussed, such as the new rulings and interpretations surrounding the ruck and head contacts, while there was also a conversation about the behaviour of players.
The sight of players running in trying to cause a scene and a stoppage in play, which would result in the video ref analysing the incident, was raised as an area of concern.
Hicks is set to lead a media briefing on Thursday where he will further outline some of the work done on Wednesday, which also included a meeting with player representatives.