NRL 2021: CEO Andrew Abdo hits back in statement on judiciary controversy
An outcry from fans, players and coaches following a week of controversy at the judiciary has forced the NRL to hit back at criticism.
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The NRL has launched a defence of its judiciary process following a week of controversy.
Rabbitohs star Latrell Mitchell’s four-week ban last week prompted an outcry from fans, commentators and South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett.
The NRL has responded to the criticism, with chief executive Andrew Abdo releasing a statement on Monday.
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“The judiciary panel operates in a challenging environment and its members are tasked with making difficult decisions, requiring independent thought and unique insight which comes through playing the game at the highest level,” Abdo said.
“There are currently five judiciary panel members who have played almost 1000 premiership games collectively and won grand finals, State of Origin Series and Test matches. Their knowledge and understanding of rugby league is unquestionable.
“The judiciary panel are independent of the NRL or any club. Our panellists are meticulous in their consideration of evidence and unquestionably independent in the way they deliberate.
“Aside from decorated rugby league careers our panellists are also successful in their chosen fields.
“There will always be varying public views about every Judiciary decision, just as the facts of every Judiciary matter are unique, but there is no place for anyone to question the independence of the panel.
“The game is very fortunate to have a judiciary which is chaired by Supreme Court Justice Geoffrey Bellew. Justice Bellew’s services are an asset to our game. His summary of evidence and directions to the panel are again independent and mirror the process of a courtroom.
“Just as the court system issues harsher penalties to citizens with prior offences, our judiciary system also issues harsher penalties to players with prior offences and carry over points. This acts as a deterrent to foul play which assists in keeping players safe. It also recognises and incentivises those Players who maintain an otherwise clean record of play.
“The NRL judiciary system, as is the case with all processes and systems within the game, will be reviewed during the year. As always, the review will be considered by the Australian Rugby League Commission who will determine what changes may be required taking into account all views.”
Talakai facing long ban for shoulder charge
- Martin Gabor
Cronulla’s Siosifa Talakai is facing a four-to-six match ban after he was hit with a grade three shoulder charge by the match review committee for the tackle which ended Canterbury youngster Matt Doorey’s night.
Doorey was forced off the field and failed a head injury assessment while the Sharks wrecking ball was sent to the sin bin for the crunching shot in Canterbury’s win over the Sharks on Saturday night.
If he takes the early plea, Talakai will cop four weeks but should he fight the charge and lose at the judiciary, it will cost him six matches.
The incident led to Canterbury half Brandon Wakeham making history, becoming the first player to come on as an 18th man after Doorey couldn’t continue.
Backrower Doorey was officially ruled out of the game at halftime, which allowed the Bulldogs to activate Wakeham under the NRL’s new foul play rules which were brought in earlier in the year after the Sharks were forced to play Parramatta with an empty bench for the final 40 minutes.
Unaware of the intricacies of the new rules, Wakeham sat petrified on the bench fearing his career would end that night if he had to play on the edge against a fired-up Talakai.
Instead, he sat on the pine in his Bulldogs jacket until four minutes and 41 seconds to go when Brad Deitz was forced off in heavy contact.
“I didn’t even know the rules,” Wakeham said.
“The staff on the bench told me that if Matt Doorey doesn’t pass his HIA, then I had to be ready to go.
“I thought the rule was that I had to go on for him in the back row, so I was getting scared because I’d just seen what had happened to him. If that was me on the receiving end then I would probably have to retire.
“It was a fun situation that I was in and I can have a laugh now that I was the first 18th man to come on the field.”
Wakeham isn’t entirely sold on the 18th man concept, but he’s more than happy to enter the history books after playing his part in a wild night at Kogarah that saw Trent Barrett in tears after Canterbury claimed their first win of the year.
Plenty of people scoffed when the rule was brought in, and even Wakeham thought he was no chance of playing after earning an 11th-hour call-up to replace Dallin Watene-Zelezniak who was hospitalised with an infected knee.
“I told my dad to not come to the game because the chances of me playing were probably none. He didn’t end up coming which was a shame,” he said.
“I wasn’t even in the 21 at the start of the week. I found out on Friday after training that I was a chance. It was still touch and go because the club wanted to give Dallin as long as possible to see if he could play, but he got ruled out and I got picked instead. It was a weird situation.
“I went on, and I think they scored the very next play. I was thinking to myself ‘bloody hell, I should have just stayed off. I’m bad luck for the team’. It was nerve-racking, but we got them in the end.”
While the new rule provides fringe players with an opportunity to get some NRL experience, Wakeham fears it can have a detrimental effect if the 18th man doesn’t get on and misses a potential 80 minutes in reserve grade.
The 22-year-old has had a solid start to the year with Mounties but was a late scratching for their 30-14 loss to the Newtown Jets.
Instead, he made one tackle, belted out the team song and became a pub trivia answer, but he’s not sure if that’s what he wants going forward.
“I like to play, so it’s hard to sit on the bench wasting a week doing nothing,” he said.
“It’s good to be 18th man because you know you’re on the fringe of playing first grade, but at the same time, you want to get your fitness up playing footy with the NSW Cup boys.
“If I’m 18th man, then I wouldn’t be able to play NSW Cup and I’d end up just training without actually getting on the field. I thought it was probably better to get some game time under my belt in NSW Cup, but today showed that it can work out.”
Originally published as NRL 2021: CEO Andrew Abdo hits back in statement on judiciary controversy
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