‘Embarrassing’ blight on the NRL no one wants to infect State of Origin

Maroons assistant coach Nate Myles has “planted a seed” that a horrible by-product of the NRL crackdown could infect Origin I.

Is that a penalty or a try Cherry-Evans is calling?

With the 2021 State of Origin series countdown drifting into hours rather than days from kicking off in Townsville, the football world is nervous about what will happen in rugby league’s showpiece event.

The NRL said last week that the league’s heavy handed crackdown on high tackles wouldn’t be relaxed for the Origin series, sparking fears that players would be sent off left, right and centre in the toughest games of the season.

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Talking heads haven’t believed that the sin bin dramas that have rocked the NRL in recent weeks would continue in Origin, but it’s likely more of a hope than a certainty as no one can be sure until the match begins.

But while the crackdown has been brought in for player welfare and in a bid to reduce the incidences of concussion around the league, the milking of penalties has become a more frustrating part of the equation.

It’s been so prevalent in recent weeks that the Origin teams have been asked to pledge to a gentlemen’s agreement not to lay down in a bid to earn a penalty.

Queensland skipper Daly Cherry-Evans called on both sides not to lay down.

It came to a head last week when the Wests Tigers Daine Laurie got up smiling after milking a penalty.

He is far from the only player however.

And speaking on NRL 360 on Tuesday night, Blues assistant Greg Alexander was asked if the Blues would be laying down, with the Panthers legend slamming the act.

“What’s happened in club football over the past couple of weeks, a few of the incidents that have happened are a stain on the game,” he said. “If anyone does it tomorrow from either side it’s certainly not Origin, it’s not rugby league.”

Nate Myles made the cheeky statement.

But when Queensland assistant Nate Myles joined the panel for the interview, he had an honest take on his view of the “gentlemen’s agreement”.

“S*** no, there’s no gentlemen’s agreement in Origin, we play for keeps,” he said.

Asked to clarify if he believed players would do what they need to do to get a penalty, Myles added: “Mate, if there’s a penalty to be given in the 78th minute and they need one point and they can kick a goal, they’re laying.”

Ray Hadley added afterwards that he believed that Myles was “having a little bit of a cheeky lend”.

But he added that the milking of penalties was "not a good look”.

Paul Kent said rugby league had looked down on theatrical diving from soccer but that it appeared the NRL was heading down the same path, unless the players put an end to it.

Ikin said that he felt Myles was “planting a seed” as “the last bloke who would ever lay down at any level of the game was Nate Myles”.

Later, Queensland great Billy Moore said the gentlemen’s agreement is the way to go.

“It should be reverberating through players past and present as well as coaches, no lay downs,” Moore said. “It’s a dog thing to do and it's the sort of thing that can corrupt the game when blokes start doing that.”

Ex-Blues coach calls for Origin side to ‘rip in’

Brad Fittler said he doesn’t coach that way.

NSW coach Brad Fittler said he had “never coached that stuff” referring to milking penalties.

“I hope all players don’t do it. I’d love them to get on with it. It would make it a lot easier for the refs and make it better for everyone,” Fittler added.

But former Blues coach Laurie Daley scoffed at the pledge, saying the ferocity of the Origin environment meant the players needed to test the line.

“I hope this gentlemen’s agreement doesn’t happen. I hope we go out there and rip straight in and test the waters of the referee,” Daley told Sky Sports Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast.

“You don’t (want to see players milking penalties) but I think Origin is all about that passion, just going out there and ripping in right from the start and seeing what the referee is going to allow or accept and whatever happens after that happens.

“I’m one for just that rivalry of hatred. Going out there and showing that you want to win, having that passion, blowing off a bit of steam early, sorting each other out and then the football happens after about 20-30 minutes.

“I don’t want to see this gentlemen’s agreement thing. What I want to see is just two teams going at it.

“For me personally, I’d be saying to my boys ‘it’s State of Origin. Don’t worry about this NRL stuff, it’s State of Origin. We need to go hard at them early, if we give away some penalties early, it’s through effort and it’s through that passion and desire.’

“You can’t let that overcome you, you can’t just play on passion alone. But I tell you what, I’d be testing the waters. I wouldn’t be going out there and just dipping my toe in … it’s just headfirst in.”

‘Embarrassing’ question Origin will answer

High tackles have been at the centre of the NRL’s attention in recent weeks.

In reacting to the pledge news, rugby league great Phil Gould tweeted: “Does anyone else feel embarrassed for the game, and the players, over this extraordinary situation? What terrible headlines.”

Channel 9 commentator Ray Warren, who is set to call his 97th State of Origin match, said the milking epidemic was a concerning development for the game.

“It happens all the time we make changes and there is a domino effect, so the game once again gets a bollocking,” Warren told the SMH.

“What is embarrassing is when a player gets the penalty for his side, then is first receiver from the ensuing free-kick and runs 50m. Now it really starts to smell.

“I covered my first game in 1966. They didn’t go down then for any other reason other than they were hurt. In fact, it was a badge of honour not to go down.”

Similarly, Fox League commentator Andrew Voss was equally disturbed by what the game is becoming, writing an opinion piece for SEN.

“It is becoming a real blight on the game,” he wrote. “A sport that has always prided itself on toughness, that scorns the actors you see in football that roll around the ground in pain, well league has its share of actors, we have to admit that.

“Referees can’t play doctors, they can’t be sure if a player is actually injured or not. To rid this game of the practice, it can only be driven by the players.”

He continued to add that new rules are determined by the players with the officials acting on dangerous play, meaning it’s entirely up to the players to end the milking farce.