Graham Annesley‘s message for NRL teams attempting to slow down the play-the-ball

NRL Head of Football Graham Annesley has a blunt message for teams attempting to slow down the play-the-ball: “You’ll be punished if you break the rules”.

The Bulldogs did their best to slow the game down. Image: AAP Image/Craig Golding

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IF you want to roll the dice and break the rules, you’ll be punished.

That is the emphatic message from NRL head of football Graham Annesley after a number of teams attempted to slow down the play-the-ball over the weekend.

The Good Friday clash between South Sydney and Canterbury was marred by the Bulldogs’ slowing down the ruck tactics.

There were 20 penalties awarded, prompting Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett to criticise the officials for failing to penalise the Bulldogs.

Adding to Bennett’s frustration, when Souths were in possession they had 56 play-the-balls that lasted beyond four seconds.

Sam Burgess of the Rabbitohs makes his point to referee Tim Roby. Image: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Annesley conceded the play-the-balls during the Rabbitohs and Bulldogs match were above the acceptable range but he dismissed Bennett’s belief that slowing down the ruck was a game wide problem.

He also reinforced the referees will penalise teams that deliberately try and break the rules to gain an advantage.

“Wayne said referees should referee what is front of them — well that is exactly what we’ve said since day one,” Annesley said.

The Bulldogs did their best to slow the game down. Image: AAP Image/Craig Golding

“We are not in disagreement about that and the referees know that is their responsibility.

“They know that if clubs are trying to get an unfair advantage by the approach that they take to a game, then they have to be prepared to suffer the consequences.

“But to suggest on the basis of one game that we’ve got a massive problem in the NRL is a huge overstatement.

“Is there the potential for this to drift out? Of course there is but that is why we have referees on the field to keep it under control and they will continue to do that.”

Annesley stressed penalty counts, both high and low, will be depend on the players’ on-field discipline.

Annesley wants teams to play freely, within the rules. Image: Toby Zerna

“The referees have a responsibility to judge every game on its merits,” he said.

“I’ve made it very clear from day one that we want the referees to stay out of the game as much as possible.

“But I also made it very clear that this is not a free-for-all and the extent of the referees staying out of the game will largely depend on the approach that the players and coaches take into the game.

“And that will change from game-to-game.

“We’ve seen some games with less than 10 penalties and others up around the 20 mark and that could go beyond 20.”

The Rabbitohs were nonplussed with Canterbury’s tactics. Image: Phil Hillyard

South Sydney skipper Sam Burgess has urged the referees not to throw the rule book out and use “common sense” if teams deliberately attempt to slow the play-the-ball down.

Burgess agrees with Bennett and says the Canterbury players went too far in their attempt to slow the ruck.

“Wayne warned them (the NRL) that players and coaches are smart and you’ll see this (the penalties) happen,” Burgess said.

“And because the game moves fast, we get to the weekend and there were a couple of penalties that I thought were ridiculously slow.

“This was always going to happen but now we can address it.

“We can use common sense and if it looks like it’s too slow, then let’s blow a penalty but let’s not turn it back into a blow-a-thon because I think that isn’t good for the game.

“But I think the referees have done a great job. It is probably the best start to a season we’ve had, so I’m not complaining.

“But it (too many penalties) can impact the flow of the game but they probably need to use a bit more common sense.”

Originally published as Graham Annesley‘s message for NRL teams attempting to slow down the play-the-ball