Monday Buzz: Alarming numbers prove NRL’s high tackle crackdown denial is a load of rubbish

The NRL hates us using the word crackdown, but there is no denying the cold, hard facts. PHIL ROTHFIELD reveals the sharp spike in sin-bins for high tackle offences.

The NRL hates us using the word crackdown.

They insist there has been no directive leading into the finals to come down harder on high tackles and foul play.

This is rubbish.

We can reveal the proof that the number of players being sent to the sin bin between rounds 20 and 25 is up by a staggering 120 per cent compared to the first five rounds of the season.

Now here are the facts:

● 12 players were sin binned between rounds one and five;

● 27 players were sin binned between rounds 20 and 25. That’s a 120 per cent increase;

● Set restarts between rounds 20 and 25 are up 13 per cent on the first five rounds;

● Penalties between rounds 20 to 25 are up 10 per cent on the first five rounds;

● Over the entire season set restarts are up by 20.4 per cent compared to last year.

The sin bin has been a much more common occurence since round 20. Picture: NRL Photos

Fans and coaches have had enough.

Everyone endorses the protection of players from concussion and serious injuries.

But what we’re seeing right now has gotten out of hand.

It brings back memories of the disaster that was Magic Round, 2021.

Stop, start, stop, start, stop, start, stop start.

Constant delays for the bunker to review incidents where it’s obvious players are taking a dive.

Different rules, different interpretations are ruining our great product.

Over the weekend we heard from two of the most level-headed figures in the game.

Fox Sports expert Michael Ennis is one of the more measured commentators in rugby league.

Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon is a similar character. Both rarely blow up.

Ennis spoke on Fox Sports after the Penrith-South Sydney game in which we saw referee Peter Gough blow 20 penalties.

One long-time Panthers fan emailed me: “That game was the best advertisement for AFL.”

Ennis blew his stack on Fox Sports in the post-game show.

“We’re all frustrated,” Ennis said. “Go back to Las Vegas and everyone commented on the flow and how great our game and the product was.

“The stop-start yardage penalties are killing the flow. It is a massive, massive concern that Graham (Annesley) has let spiral out of control as we head towards the finals.

“If we get to the finals and they put the whistle away we’ll be saying, why did they do that (penalty crackdown) for the last five weeks. Why did we have to sit through that?

“Two or three years ago Peter V’landys and the hierarchy brought in the set restarts because they wanted to speed the game up. Well, if anything it’s gone backwards in terms of the flow of the game.”

Fitzgibbon was equally as frustrated after his Sharks were run down by the Warriors on Saturday.

“We wait until a couple of weeks before the semis to start doing a crackdown,” he said

“That was a disaster, stop, start, stop start, stop start and then gamesmanship starts coming into it.

“How bad are they? It hurts, they stay down, we all know what they’re doing.

“We wait until this time of the season to crack down on it. Game after game after game. We want to see good footy. This is the time of the year we should be letting the game flow.

“I’m all for the protection of players but there’s a balance.”

I keep thinking back to the start of the year. Manly v Souths in Las Vegas. Six penalties and a wonderful spectacle. And last year’s grand final with Adam Gee in charge.

Just five penalties and we all raved about the quality of the game.

We have to get back to that style of refereeing.

Originally published as Monday Buzz: Alarming numbers prove NRL’s high tackle crackdown denial is a load of rubbish