Monday Buzz: NRL must curb thuggish behaviour by players

MONDAY BUZZ: Rugby league is already a brutal game so it’s time the NRL started policing foul play and the thuggish behaviour of players.

George Burgess elbows Mitch Barnett.

RUGBY league is a brutal game.

The toughest body contact sport in the world with the most extraordinary athletes who risk serious injury every game, every week.

Inevitably players are going to get injured, even when the game is played within the rules.

It’s why the proper policing of foul play is so important to lower the percentages and chances of stars being hurt.

Not that the NRL or referees boss Tony Archer seem to care.

Over the weekend a number of players were guilty of foul play but stayed on the field.

We’ll start with the thuggish behaviour of the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the first half against the Newcastle Knights on Saturday.

■ GEORGE Burgess elbows Knights lock Mitch Barnett in the face, UFC style;

■ CENTRE Hymel Hunt bashes Brendan Elliot with a vicious swinging arm to the jaw;

■ ZANE Musgrove attacks the unprotected legs of rookie five-eighth Brock Lamb after a clearing kick.

MONDAY BUZZ II: Highlights, lowlights

BAD BUNNIES: Rabbitohs facing huge bans

Brendan Elliot receives treatment after a hit by Hymel Hunt.

The laws of the game are clear if you check the NRL website.

It says the referee can: “In the event of misconduct by a player at his discretion, caution, temporarily suspend for 10 minutes (sin bin), or dismiss the player.”

These rules are being ­ignored.

Burgess was sin-binned for throwing a punch, not the elbow.

And they wonder why the normally calm and collected Trent Hodkinson’s frustration boiled over and he was sin-binned for back chat.

The match review committee eventually caught up with them. Burgess got two weeks with an early plea, Hunt four weeks and Musgrove miraculously escaped charge (apparently it’s now legal to tackle a kicker in the air).

But that’s not the point. Sin-binning punchers got rid of punching.

And it would work the same with other areas of foul play because no one will risk leaving their team with only 12 players.

On Thursday night, Sam Thaiday intentionally tried to bend Jess Bromwich’s injured thumb. Lovely stuff, Sam.

What does he get? A $1500 fine despite earning $10,000 a week.

Sam Thaiday tugs on Jesse Bronwich's thumb.

In round one, Penrith’s Peta Hiku suffered a broken eye socket from a Russell Packer swinging arm. Again, no action taken.

I go to the football or turn on the television to watch the remarkable skills of Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston.

The pace and power of James Tedesco, Val Holmes, Latrell Mitchell and Tommy Trbojevic.

The toughness of James Graham, Jesse Bromwich and Matt Prior.

Or the remarkable power of Josh Papalii, Jason Taumalolo and Tyson Frizell.

We don’t need the crap.

The one weakness in NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg’s leadership is his unrelenting support for Archer. He can do no wrong.

We have this debate over concussion every week yet we do nothing to wipe out the main cause of it.

This is an area of the game that really needs to be fixed.

A number of players have already suffered serious concussions and other head injuries from accidental collisions after just three rounds.

Cameron Munster leaves the field with a broken jaw. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Cameron Munster broke his jaw on Thursday night.

Will Hopoate suffered one of the worst concussions I’ve seen and a smashed eye socket against the Sydney Roosters. He was rushed to hospital in an oxygen mask.

Manly prop Lloyd Perrett suffered a broken eye socket in round one.

That’s the point of this ­column. They weren’t the victims of foul play.

The game is already tough enough, brutal enough, and dangerous enough.

Sin-binning players who attack the legs of kickers will put a stop to it.

Sin-binning or sending off players who intentionally attack the head of opponents will put a stop to it. The sooner that happens, the better.