NRL 2022: Match review committee independance guaranteed even after ARL Commission judiciary move
While the ARL Commission can now refer matters to the judiciary, Peter V’landys says it’s purely an ‘insurance policy’ and the match review committee’s independance won’t be compromised.
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ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys insists he and his fellow commissioners have no plans to become pseudo match reviewers - and that their extended powers to refer matters to the judiciary have been designed purely as an insurance policy.
The ARL Commission signed off on charges to the match review and the judiciary process this week and while the match review committee will remain independent, NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo and the eight commissioners have the ability to refer matters for inspection.
The change effectively extends the power of the ARL Commission, although V’landys insisted he would be surprised if it was ever used.
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“It was a recommendation by management which I thought was sensible,” V’landys said.
“The commission sets policy and if their policy is not being followed, they have a right to ask why it hasn’t been.
“The independence is still there. All we do is refer (any incidents) to them. They can still knock it back. We are not overruling them.
“It is a safeguard. If there is an injustice, you always have to try to correct it. There are times when they do miss one or two that should have been referred.
“We’re all human.”
Abdo insisted the power had always existed, at least as far as the chief executive was concerned.
“It has rarely been used,” he said.
“It is only the power to request the match review committee to review an incident. It is not charging people.”
The changes to the match review and judiciary have been largely praised in clubland, simplifying a system that players and officials often found convoluted.
Not everyone was happy. The Rugby League Players Association had been campaigning for fines to be removed for lower level offences but their plea fell on deaf ears, prompting the union to release a statement outlining their concerns with the decision to retain monetary penalties.
They also spoke about their disappointment at the decision to make grade one crusher tackles and shoulder charges punishable with fines.
“A post-season review involving players from all clubs showed that fines as a punitive measure were no longer working as a deterrent, and were also having a disproportionate impact on many lower wage earners,” the RLPA said.
“This evidence was provided to the NRL as part of the RLPA’s original submission. Additionally, we believe the decision to move grade (one) shoulder charges and crusher tackles to a finable offence is a step backwards in decreasing instances of two of the most dangerous on-field discretions.
“Both of these offences carry significant health and safety ramifications and the threshold for these offences requires closer attention. The RLPA’s genuine concern is the health and safety element of crusher tacklers and shoulder charges.
“The players do not believe fines have acted as a sufficient deterrent to any offences and, despite this, these two offences have now become finable offences. Fines were introduced to prevent players missing both regular season and important milestone matches, while also not overloading the judiciary system with lower-level offences.
“However, the removal of fines will not increase the risk of players missing milestone matches if more targeted improvements are made to the threshold for major matches.”
The RLPA added that the view of the players should take precedence over that of other stakeholders in the game “considering it is their own health and safety that is being dealt with.
“While we acknowledge deterrence is an important factor when working toward behavioural change, the RLPA maintains the best way to improve the chance of achieving the desired outcomes is through education and training, not punitive measures,” the statement said.
“The RLPA will monitor the application and management of the new judicial system during the 2022 NRL season, particularly the threshold levels of each grading.
“We will continue to engage with the players and continue to seek their feedback on this important area impacting them every time they take the field.”
NRL make major last-minute judiciary overhaul
- Brent Read, Michael Carayannis
The NRL will add a former coach and an ex-referee to their match review committee as they prepare to announce sweeping changes to their judicial process.
Former Cronulla coach Stuart Raper and retired referee Steve Clark will be new additions to the MRC.
NRL boss Andrew Abdo and the ARL Commission will also have the power to refer incidents to the MRC that have not already been captured.
The NRL has dramatically streamlined the match review process and eradicate carry-over points, having taken advice on the changes from players and club officials over the off-season.
Significantly, they have retained the fine system, despite a request from the Rugby League Players’ Association for the removal of fiscal sanctions.
The players’ union had pushed for fines – used to sanction low-level offences – to be removed as part of the review but the NRL has opted to retain them.
The NRL consulted clubs and players as part of the review, which was only finalised late on Wednesday after a further round of discussions, this time involving freshly minted commissioner Alan Sullivan QC.
Clubs and the players’ union were officially informed of the changes on Thursday morning – only hours before the season began when premiers Penrith hosted Manly at BlueBet Stadium.
The NRL is still in the process of finalising how they will treat representative football and finals matches after a request that the threshold for suspension be lifted for those games.
Judiciary chairman Geoff Bellew will be given significantly more power under the changes.
The judiciary panel will be cut to two members, with Bellew given the casting vote where the verdict is not unanimous.
He will also provide a summary which explains the reasons for the panel’s decision, thereby ensuring that the clubs, players and public are more informed of the reasoning behind the decisions.
Former Canterbury fullback Luke Patten will take over as head of the match review committee from Michael Robertson.
The existing points system, including carry-over points, has been scrapped and every player will have a clean state.
Players serving suspensions from last season will be required to complete their existing suspensions. The number of offences have also been streamlined into eight categories and players who enter an early guilty plea will be eligible to have their suspensions reduced by one week.
Injury uproar: Knights’ fury puts heat back on judicial process
- Phil Rothfield, Brent Read, Michael Carayannis
Newcastle are privately fuming at a hip drop tackle that has left NSW star Daniel Saifiti with a broken leg and the NRL’s judicial process back under the microscope.
The Knights on Tuesday confirmed Saifiti would miss the opening month of the season in a devastating setback for the club as they prepare to open their campaign against the Sydney Roosters on Saturday afternoon at the SCG.
Canterbury prop Luke Thompson was charged with grade one contrary conduct over the incident and fined $2700 by the match review committee.
However, he will be free to play on Sunday night when the Bulldogs open their season against North Queensland in Townsville.
Meanwhile, the Knights have been stripped of one of their best players and they are understandably upset with the process, which has taken place as the match review committee and judiciary face an overhaul following an off-season review by the NRL.
The NRL is expected to confirm changes to the match review and judicial process as early as Wednesday.
Only a matter of weeks ago, St George Illawarra’s Tyrell Fuimaono was banned for five weeks for a hip drop tackle that ended the season of Parramatta’s Haze Dunster.
Thompson, on the other hand, won’t miss any games over an ugly incident that has left the Knights reeling, with revelations it will keep the Newcastle representative star until round five and forced the club to call on two rookies to fill their forward spots for Saturday’s season opener against the Sydney Roosters.
The incident, which occurred in the first half of the Knights’ first trial match on February 21, received the lowest grade from the match review committee.
Vision shows Saifiti break the line and Thompson, in an effort to bring him down, drops his body weight onto the Newcastle prop‘s leg, causing Saifiti to wince in pain.
Saifiti stood up and played the ball, before pushing Thompson and exchanging words with the Englishman.
“Saifiti resented the fact that when he went through the line, bent the line and found his front… it felt like his knee or ankle twisted in the tackle,” Cooper Cronk said during commentary on the game on Fox League.
“He’s blamed the Englishman, Thompson and wanted to go a couple of rounds with him.”
But it’s the Knights who are on the ropes, having also lost co-captain and hooker Jayden Brailey to a season-ending knee earlier in the pre-season.
In Saifiti’s absence, brother Jacob will partner David Klemmer in the front row against the Roosters, with debutant Leo Thompson and three-game rookie Jirah Momoisea getting the prop spots on an inexperienced bench.
Daniel Saifiti missed three matches last season with a knee injury after being caught awkwardly in a tackle against the Sharks.
Thompson has had his judiciary problems in recent seasons and would have faced a lengthy ban had the incident occurred last season due to his prior.
However, the fine system — used to sanction players for minor offences — starts over again at the beginning of each season, which means that Thompson began the year with a clean slate.
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