Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans calls for NRL stripping rule to be clarified

The rise in peel-off one-on-one strips is putting unnecessary pressure on NRL referees according to Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans.

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Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans says the peel-off one-on-one strip has become “cloudy and messy” and heaped “unnecessary pressure” on NRL referees.

“We shouldn’t put the game in the situation where we are having to make tough decisions on the run,” Cherry-Evans told The Daily Telegraph.

Canberra have pinched the ball one-on-one 24 times this season — more than double any opponent — and will be out to target the Sea Eagles at GIO Stadium on Sunday.

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Canberra are the kings of the one-on-one strip. Picture: Fox Sports

Manly have been preparing for Canberra’s stripping tactics with Cherry-Evans saying the rule had placed enormous additional pressure on referees.

The peel-away tackle happens when defenders fall off mid-tackle leaving one defender to legally strip. There have been 97 one-on-one strips this season.

“I think it’s a very hard one to judge in terms of refereeing. I feel it is putting a lot more pressure on the referees — unnecessary pressure on the referees,” Cherry-Evans said.

“There are instances where it’s just a black-and-white one-on-one strip and that’s fantastic, a great part of the sportsmanship of rugby league.

“But, as for the clouded ones, where there are people in the tackle, then there are people letting go of someone holding onto someone, but the ref can’t see it, all those little things that make it a really tough decision against the side with the ball.

“In instances where we can make it easier for the referees, I think we probably should.

What we had was fine but now we have put ourselves in a position it’s a talking point where it probably shouldn’t be. We have just made it a little bit cloudy and a little bit messy.”

While cautious about the side effects, Cherry-Evans wouldn’t call for the one-on-one strip to be banned.

“I have to be nice and clear. I like the rule, it’s been a part of the game for a long time,” he said.

“But I just feel as though what we have done is we’ve opened it up to put the referees in a situation now where they are getting scrutinised for someone else now. As a game, we don’t need to put anyone in that position.

“If there are instances in rugby league where we can tidy it up and make it look a bit cleaner, then why not do it.

“There were situations in the Warriors-Parramatta game (round 19) where teams didn’t get the right call but, upon reflection, they were obviously not the right calls.

Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans says the Sea Eagles have been training to negate Canberra’s strip tactics. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

“In the context of a game of footy, when you’re leaving big decisions like that to be made on the run … if we don’t have to put the referees in that situation then why don’t we tidy it up?”

Manly have trained to combat the tactic used so effectively by Canberra.

“I think you have to, you have to acknowledge what they are doing with that side of the game. They are obviously the best team in comp at it,” he said.

“I think it would be silly for us not to be at least aware of it but it is probably easier said than done, to stop them. It looks like they have a few little structures in place to get it done. We will be aware of it but not letting them do it is another thing.”

A crowd of around 20,000 is expected to watch the match at a chilly GIO Stadium.

“I definitely like the style of footy they are playing, it’s very uncompromising and they certainly have a lot of strike in their side,” Cherry-Evans said.