Paul Kent: NRL must introduce NFL rule to end niggle and taunting culture, Zac Lomax debacle

The NRL’s punching ban has taken tension out of the rugby league narrative and removed any ‘natural justice’ from the game. But there is an easy fix, writes PAUL KENT.

Zac Lomax on Tyson Frizell's back as the Dragons celebrate a try. Picture: Fox League

It is a sombre reality to realise the only thing hurt in a rugby league brawl nowadays are feelings and television ratings.

The unspoken suspicion around the game, for instance, is that falling State of Origin ratings can be attributed to the fact there is no longer a brawl in Origin anymore and so many of those casual fans, the ones now missing, have gone because something is now lost.

It wasn’t so much the brawl that brought fans in, because not every Origin game had one. But it was certainly the threat of it.

Like any good action movie, the tension drives the narrative, and the threat of a brawl had many tuning in when normally they would not.

Yes, even the mums.

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Zac Lomax on Tyson Frizell's back as the Dragons celebrate a try. Picture: Fox League

With everybody holstering their fists nowadays, though, the tension is no longer there and Origin is simply slowly losing that unknown magic dust that made it something different.

So David Klemmer emerges as the quiet hero these past few days.

Most missed it, but after Sunday’s game Klemmer tugged on the arm of St George Illawarra centre Zac Lomax, who turned with the apparent belief Klemmer was going to shake his hand and congratulate him on the Dragons win, all standard kind of stuff, and then got quite the shock when Klemmer let loose.

“If you’re going to be a f…… smart arse like that again …”, he began, at which point Lomax quickly picked up the tone of the conversation and turned for a rapid exit, but Klemmer had his arm and held tight.

Klemmer was going back half an hour earlier when Jack Bird scored to push the Dragons ahead and Lomax thought it a good idea to jump on Newcastle’s Tyson Frizell and celebrate over him.

It was a mistake.

Safe to say Klemmer wasn't having it 🗣 #NRLDragonsKnights

👉 https://t.co/rLHvnRGoe2pic.twitter.com/u0wCfYVJet

— Fox League (@FOXNRL) April 17, 2022

Frizell is a proud man who gives every effort.

He did not deserve to be disrespected like that. Like everybody else, he knew that as well.

So he turned and grabbed Lomax by the collar and swung him to the ground, sparking a pile on.

In days gone past a few lefts and rights would have been thrown and Lomax would most likely emerge questioning his decision.

Not anymore.

Acceptable fighting disappeared after Paul Gallen, with early dreams of a boxing career, threw the only jab ever thrown in an Origin game to wake Nate Myles from his slumber and the two punched on.

Contrary to what most believe, punching was not banned from the game. It was always banned but it was also tolerated, a kind of natural justice in the game, but after that game then-NRL chief executive Dave Smith removed discretion from the decision and made it mandatory that any player who throws a punch would be sin-binned.

It did not seem entirely bad at the time.

Tyson Frizell slammed Zac Lomax after Dragons star jumped on his back following the try. Picture: Getty Images.

WHAT A TRY X2 🔥🔥🔥

📝 Live Blog: https://t.co/6PP7GQOM3k
📺 Watch #NRLDragonsKnights on @Foxtel CH 502 or stream on @kayosports: https://t.co/cRVRplaIx5
🔢 Match Centre: https://t.co/pOVKcUDgWhpic.twitter.com/ujnRA5jVhd

— Fox League (@FOXNRL) April 17, 2022

Someone at the club needs to have a good yarn to Lomax, that act sums him up at the moment #serioustickets

— christopher werrell (@magicdragon10) April 17, 2022

The Zac Lomax incident on Frizell comes from stupid try celebrations. An absolute clown. NRL Players act like you have scored or witnessed a try before. Some absolute carry on jumping on top and over each other regardless of score. #NRL#NRLDragonsKnights

— Buddy Watson (@BuddyWatson12) April 17, 2022

Straight past #Lomax the absolute grub 🐛

— Anthony Sinclair (@mushsinclair) April 17, 2022

By then, the Origin brawl began to look contrived.

The game had advanced so much, played so fast from the kick-off, that Queensland was already settled well into their game by the time the Blues realised the clock had ticked around to Brawl Time.

So they obliged, and the Queenslanders thought it rude not to respond, before they went on winning, anyway.

But after Gallen clocked Myles, Smith, hoping a ban on fighting would convince the two million or so viewers who watch Origin — but who are not among the 400,000 or so who watch home and away games — might begin to watch the club games as well.

It did not work out as planned.

The Origin figures dropped without the expected pick up in home and away games.

The other side effect, though, was the emergence of the cocker spaniel.

Without fear of real retaliation a new offence emerged, one that saw players taunting and niggling opponents because they knew there was no true threat of retaliation.

It created an imbalance that was not anticipated and for which the game struggled to find an answer.

Why is anybody’s guess.

If Tyson tried any harder, Zac Lomax would have been lost 6 feet under the grass. #NRLDragonsKnights

— James West (@jameswestau) April 17, 2022

Lomax not so good at grabbing someone on the ball in live play. Might have to stick to the cowardly stuff.

— Christopher Owen 🦪🔪💩👨‍🦲 (@oysta) April 17, 2022

@RedVMail why did Lomax do that act on Tyson ? After that he has missed two Conversions and been very ordinary in defence…@NRL_Dragons#dragons

— Michael Macris (@macris_michael) April 17, 2022

America’s NFL carries an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that is given against a team if the officials believe a player is taunting his rival.

The NRL has no such rule so for some years now the cocker spaniels have teased and antagonised rivals with no fear of retribution, given the punching ban, which removed the element of natural justice.

Instead, the game has developed these ridiculous looking melees where players rush in with their chests all inflated, where they basically pull each other’s jerseys and smile at each other until they get pulled apart.

If there is a bigger waste of energy in the game it is yet to be seen.

The old third-man in interpretation has died a silent death, the NRL instead encouraging such behaviour.

Why the NRL failed to introduce a taunting penalty remains one of life’s unpondered questions.

Then lo and behold, on Sunday the NRL responded by charging Lomax with a contrary conduct charge, costing him $1000 for an early plea.

Finally.

It is long overdue.

Originally published as Paul Kent: NRL must introduce NFL rule to end niggle and taunting culture, Zac Lomax debacle