Gorden Tallis says players and coaches are to blame for penalty crackdown

PLAYERS are doing the wrong the thing because they are coached to do so. If you’re looking for someone to blame for the penalty crackdown then blame the players and coaches, writes Gorden Tallis.

Cameron Smith of the Storm gestures after Cronulla were awarded a penalty

IF you’re looking for someone to blame for the recent penalty crackdown across the NRL, the answer is simple.

Point your finger at the coaches. Point your finger at the players. But leave the referees out of it.

The penalties are coming because they are warranted, because the players are doing the wrong thing and because they are coached to do so.

If people who have been in the game for years are confused with these rules, then why are they in rugby league? It’s not confusing at all.

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Referees are escorted from the field after awarding 33 penalties in the Sharks v Storm game.

The coaches will deny it but they have been sending out these messages to play this way.

And it comes to the fact it’s the last bit of power they have.

The referees are trying to get back control of the game but the coaches don’t want to lose that power.

Just look at Friday night’s match between the Sharks and the Storm.

There were 33 penalties but Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan was happy.

I believe he’s one who coaches those penalties.

There was not one blow up with Cronulla the whole game and it’s because everything was going the way they wanted it to.

In that post-game press conference, Flanagan looked like a rat with a gold tooth because he outsmarted the system.

Cameron Smith looks on next to referee Matt Cecchin after Cronulla were awarded a penalty.

But what he really did was ruin the product and all the blame was placed on the referees.

I believe the game just needs to stay strong and the players also need to take responsibility.

While their coaches may send them out with this type of game plan, the players are partners of the game now.

That’s how they sold it anyway with the RLPA when they fought for that CBA deal.

Instead of saying they were money hungry, they claimed they wanted to be partners in the game.

It’s a pretty smart way to sell it.

But the product was supposed to benefit and it hasn’t because the players are letting us down by continually breaking the rules.

How is that giving back to the game they love and where is the RLPA in all of this?

The referees have slowly started using the sin bin as a means of punishment and I applaud that.

It’s about time they got their powers back from the coaches and the players.

LESSONS TO BE LEARNED

CRICKET Australia should have learnt from the Broncos and the mistakes they made with Matt Lodge.

The public like it when athletes and sporting bodies put their hands up and are honest when they have done the wrong thing.

Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft did the right thing when they flew in from South Africa, immediately answered questions and showed real, honest emotion.

Matthew Lodge during Broncos training.

They have earned plenty of sympathy from doing that.

But David Warner didn’t receive that same reception yesterday because he waited over 24 hours to front up.

He waited to get advisers, used his family as a barrier at the airport, he didn’t answer all the questions and it was clear that it was PR gone crazy.

When you’ve done the wrong thing or are dealing with a difficult situation, just be honest.

The Broncos learnt that earlier this year when they hid Lodge from media and didn’t properly address the issue.

Hopefully Cricket Australia and Warner have now also learnt their lesson.