‘It’ll turn into Oztag’: Bulldogs and Raiders blast NRL after controversial clash

Two of the game’s most respected figures have applied the blowtorch to the NRL after an 11-man Raiders side secured a come-from-behind win against the Bulldogs, warning the game would soon become “Oztag” if rules continue to change.

An inspired Canberra overcame the sending off and sin-binning of their two best players to end the club’s five-game losing streak against the Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon.

Both Canberra coach Ricky Stuart and Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett raised major concerns over the future of the sport after 10 players were sent from the field in the first three games of Magic Round.

“It’s a contact sport,” Barrett said, despite benefiting from Jack Wighton being sin-binned and Josh Papalii being sent off.

“It’s pretty hard not to touch anyone’s head when you’re trying to tackle someone. It’s impossible not to. Bearing in mind most of us coaches played as well. I know I’m going to get hit in the head occasionally. I’m fine with that.

“There’s no thuggery in the game any more. There’s no swinging arms and elbows. it’s not like it was in the 80s. No one intentionally goes out to do it. It’ll turn into a game of Oztag. If that’s what they want ... that’s the concern for us. We have a great game, but if we keep changing the rules who knows where it’ll end up.”

Josh Papalii was sent off for this tackle on Tuipulotu Katoa.Credit: Fox Sports

Canberra’s season was on life support when they were reduced to 11 midway through the second half, but Stuart’s men produced a Magic Round miracle to run down the Bulldogs for a 20-18 win.

When Wighton (sin bin) and Papalii (sent off) left the field, it appeared the Raiders would succumb to another second-half capitulation and slump to a sixth loss in a row, but two tries in the final 15 minutes saw the Green Machine finally turn the tide.

“I know we have to play to our mums and dads,” Stuart said. “I’m the first to promote the game ... I do it because I feel it’s my responsibility to promote the game and I want to promote the game to parents.

“But Jesus, we have a game that’s quite unique. We have a game that’s not for everyone. It’s as simple as that. It’s a tough, brutal, contact sport. If we want to take it away, let us know. I will start recruiting a different type of player.”

In a weekend of controversy revolving around the NRL’s new edict about high and forceful contact, Papalii became the second player sent off this season after his shoulder hit Canterbury winger Tuipolotu Katoa on the chin, leaving Stuart shaking his head in the coaches box.

It came just seven minutes after five-eighth Jack Wighton was sin-binned for a cannonball tackle on Adam Elliott, leaving the Raiders to play three minutes with just 11 men.

The State of Origin ambitions of both Wighton and Papalii are now hanging by a thread after both players were put on report for the incidents.

Stuart said the sending off should save Papalii from suspension, and believes Wighton has no case to answer for.

“[Josh] definitely hit him high but he was falling into the tackle,” Stuart said. “There are going to be a whole heap of send offs this year if that’s a send off incident. I just hope they don’t change now. If that’s going ot be the precedent then we’re going to find a completely different game of rugby league than we’ve been following for many, many years.

Josh Papalii checks on Tuipulotu Katoa after the dangerous tackle.Credit: Getty

“Jack hit him above the knee and they said it was unnecessary contact. If he doesn’t make that contact then I’m into Jack saying why aren’t you chopping into the legs to try and create the third man technique that you need to get the player on to the ground and on to his back. It was just very unfortunate how the player ended up.”

After three games of football in Magic Round, nine players had been sin-binned and one sent off. Only three of those players were sent from the field for incidents involving contact with the head.

The win was also hooker Josh Hodgson’s first game back since standing down as captain, coming off the bench in the second half as a ball-playing lock after a four-week lay-off.

The Bulldogs, minus Kyle Flanagan, dominated possession in the opening exchanges but it was the Raiders who opened the scoring with back-rower Corey Harawira-Naera capitalising on a George Williams line break to give Canberra a 6-0 lead.

The Raiders celebrate the winning try to Sebastian Kris at Suncorp Stadium.Credit: Getty

Repeated infringements defending their own line saw Canterbury concede a penalty goal from in front of the posts, extending the Raiders’ lead to eight points with 10 minutes remaining in the first half.

The Raiders should have scored their second try of the half through Semi Valemei, however, a copybook tackle around the bootlaces from Canterbury fullback Dallin Watene-Zelezniak denied the Canberra winger.

The Bulldogs went into the second half confident of a come-from-behind win, especially considering the Raiders’ second-half capitulations in recent weeks.

It looked as though the Raiders would stay true to form when Nick Cotric burrowed his way over to score against his old club.

Wighton then found himself in the bin and the Bulldogs wasted no time capitalising on the extra man as Brandon Wakeham put Nick Meaney through a gap to take a 12-8 lead with 21 minutes remaining.

When Papalii was sent off, the Bulldogs were in the box seat to nab their second win of the year, but two tries in three minutes to Curtis Scott and Sebastian Kris allowed the Raiders to reignite the club’s finals ambition. Watene-Zelezniak crossed late for Canterbury but it was to no avail.

“Our club is not broken,” Stuart said. “It’s a wonderful club. We’ve just been losing football games. We’ve had no luck. We had no luck there today.

“Criticise me all you want for saying we’ve had no luck. Yeah we have been in poor form, we have played bad football at times in periods in game, but not for 80 minutes.”

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