Memo to Tony Archer: Here’s how to fix the send-off problem in the NRL

IN future, when there are incidents as shocking as the Sia Soliola tackle on Billy Slater last Saturday night, this is how they should be dealt with.

THERE is a very simple way to fix the NRL’s send-off problem. So simple that even refs boss Tony Archer will get it.

In future, when there are incidents as shocking as the Sia Soliola tackle on Billy Slater last Saturday night, the player is sent to the sin bin.

Under this proposed system, a match review panel member is permanently placed in the bunker. He has 10 minutes to study every camera angle available.

If it is as serious as the Soliola incident, he determines the player cannot return to the field or be replaced by another player. There are no doubts about it. He’s sent off.

Soliola was not sent from the field for his shot on Slater.

The same with the Josh Papalii shoulder charge the week before that knocked Josh Dugan out of the game. He is marched for 10 minutes. No delay to the game.

The match review panel member determines it’s a full-on shoulder charge. Again, he stays off for the rest of the game.

Let’s say there is another incident which is not quite so obvious. The player is sent to the sin bin. The match review panellist decides he doesn’t have a case to answer. The player is allowed to return to the field. No harm done.

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In two weeks the NRL’s competition committee will meet at Moore Park headquarters.

Trent Robinson, Michael Maguire, Mal Meninga, John Lang and Darren Lockyer will attend, among others.

Privately, the NRL has said it will be considered. It should be the No. 1 issue on the agenda.

For two consecutive weeks, Canberra Raiders players have concussed rival stars.

Yet they have kept their full squad on the field.

Josh Dugan was forced from the field by a Josh Papalii tackle last week.

Both could easily have been dealt with under the system we’re proposing.

The same as Brookvale last year when Marty Taupau knocked out Jack Bird.

If he’d been sin-binned for 10 minutes and a match review panellist had studied it, he’d have stayed off the field. But he didn’t even get 10 minutes.

Like the time when Canberra five-eighth Blake Austin was bashed in a game against St George Illawarra last year. Maybe 10 minutes would have been sufficient for the player who got him.

At least the Raiders would have received some advantage.

By having 10 minutes and every camera angle available, pressure is taken off the referees.

They refuse to send players off these days because they are worried about the consequences if they get it wrong.

At least this way they have a guarantee the incident will be dealt with fairly, and with no delays to the game.

There would even be excitement and anticipation while we wait for the decision to be made.

Originally published as Memo to Tony Archer: Here’s how to fix the send-off problem in the NRL