NRL 2021: ‘Disturbing’ suspension figures for head, neck incidents attracts Graham Annesley’s fury
Runaway figures for head and neck incidents this season have seen the NRL’s head of football, Graham Annesley, deliver a scathing rebuke to players and coaches.
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Graham Annesley has defended the NRL’s match review committee and judiciary panel while delivering a scathing rebuke to players and coaches over “disturbing” suspension figures for head and neck incidents this season.
Annesley, the NRL’s head of football, warned players to “reset attitudes” or lengthy bans for head and neck contact would continue this season.
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Victor Radley, Jordan Pereira, and Josh Curran have all been sin binned for high shots, while Canterbury’s Jack Hetherington was sent off.
“Disturbingly, there has been a significant increase of charges and players being suspended for incidents that involve head and neck,” Annesley said.
“I know this will horrify people and say ‘the game is going soft’, ‘they’re love taps’ and ‘it didn’t do any damage’ … just think about how many of our great players have had to retire prematurely because of head-related injuries. “It can’t continue.”
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In a 60-minute Round 7 briefing Annesley also addressed directives to referees in sending off players and an openness to exploring rewarding players who make tackles on the lower body.
In the first seven rounds of the season players have notched up 37 weeks of suspensions for head/neck contact from 27 charges compared to 43 weeks from 53 charges over the course of the entire 2020 season.
Seven of the eight players cited in Round 7 have been charged with an incident related to the head or neck.
St George Illawarra winger Pereira is facing up to five weeks on the sideline after he was sin-binned for an ugly hit of Roosters fullback James Tedesco, who didn’t finish Sunday’s Anzac Day match as a result of the high shot.
Cronulla’s Siosifa Talakai has also accepted a four-match ban for a shoulder charge on Canterbury’s Matt Doorey.
While fans and commentators overwhelmingly agreed Pereira should have been marched for the hit, Annesley said there would not be a directive, either way, handed to match officials to send players off for foul play, despite the ‘concerning’ increase in incidents of illegal behaviour.
Annesley also insisted it was the responsibility of players to stop playing “with reckless abandon”.
Canterbury’s Jack Hetherington, who was sent off in round six, is the only player to be marched this season.
“We’ve given no instruction to referees they are not to send players off,” Annesley said.
“We have seen dismissals this year. If a player deserves to be sent off, he should be sent off. Again, it’s a judgement call and they [referees] make it very quickly.”
Annesley also dedicated 30 minutes of Monday’s briefing to defending the match review committee and judiciary process after calls to overhaul the system and accusations of inconsistencies following South Sydney fullback Latrell Mitchell’s four-match ban and Penrith centre Paul Momirovski’s three-match ban last week for dangerous head/neck tackles.
After profiling the four MRC members, the five judiciary members and judiciary chairman Geoffrey Bellew, who is a Supreme Court Justice, Annesley said: “There have been comments made over the course of the last few days which we think are unfair, they don’t accurately represent the judicial system in the NRL.
“We think it’s not befitting of the status due to the who are involved in the process.
“The independence of the process was questioned, we have a responsibility to protect their integrity, and their independence can’t be questioned.”
While both Mitchell and Momirovski failed in their respective attempts to have charges downgraded at the judiciary last week, Annesley revealed that of the 68 cases to front the judiciary since 2017, 40 per cent have had charges dropped or downgraded.
“There might be a perception out there that what’s the point of going to the judiciary, you just go in there and get whacked, you have no hope because … that is completely untrue. A 40 per cent success rate is pretty good in my view when it’s based on video evidence,” Annesley said.
Earlier on Monday, NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo also released a statement in support of judiciary members and outcomes.
“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,” Abdo said.
PEREIRA FACES LONG STINT ON SIDELINES
Dragons winger Jordan Pereira faces a ban of up to five weeks for the shot that knocked Roosters star James Tedesco out of Sunday’s Anzac Day clash.
Pereira has been hit with a grade three careless high tackle charge by the NRL’s match review committee, which carries a base penalty of 300 points. He would miss three weeks with an early guilty plea, and risks a five-week suspension if he opts to fight the charge at the NRL judiciary.
Dragons coach Anthony Griffin could be in need of a new wing pairing this week, with Mikaele Ravalawa also facing a ban for a shoulder charge on Roosters centre Josh Morris.
Ravalawa would miss two games with an early guilty plea, or three if he fought the charge at the judiciary and lost.
St George Illawarra forward Tyrell Fuimaono was also charged with a grade one careless tackle for a hit on Tedesco but has escaped with a $1,300 fine.
While Tedesco was forced out of the game after the ugly Pereira hit the Dragons winger was only sin-binned, igniting a debate over the on-field inconsistency from referees in dealing with foul play.
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Roosters coach Trent Robinson wants on-field referees to make the tough calls on what constitutes a send-off and what doesn’t so it issues a direct message to “mothers and parents” watching at home that foul play won’t be tolerated.
A week after referee Ashley Klein sensationally dismissed Canterbury prop Jack Hetherington for a sickening high shot on North Queensland’s Valentine Holmes that resulted in a five-week ban, Klein this time determined a sin bin was sufficient for St George Illawarra winger Jordan Pereira after he clobbered Tedesco late in the first half with a sickening hit that left fans and experts raging with anger.
Fox League’s Braith Anasta and Mal Meninga had no doubt it warranted instant dismissal, while fans in The Daily Telegraph’s online poll voted overwhelmingly.
It was Tedesco’s third serious concussion in 10 months after an incident in State of Origin III at the end of last season, while he was also heavily concussed when attempting a tackle on Parramatta’s blockbusting winger Maika Sivo in July.
“We don’t need (the) judiciary to teach them lessons, we need the on-field ref,” Robinson said.
“So mothers and parents and that at home understand that the punishment happens right then and there.
“Not on a Tuesday night (at the judiciary). They don’t watch Tuesday night.
“We have to make sure we protect the brutality that our game is played with and why people watch but they need to get their lessons on field.
“That is when we will get our real lessons and that is when we will get people knowing we are serious about it.”
It would seem unlikely Tedesco will be available for this Saturday’s clash against the Knights in Newcastle.
But Robinson reported Tedesco was in “good” spirits.
“As soon as we went in at halftime, because it was just before then, he remembered the incident but he got two good knocks there so he wasn’t going to come back,” Robinson said.
But in respect to whether it constituted a send-off, Robinson gave a reasoned and detailed answer where he pointed out why it was such a serious issue for the game to confront.
Robinson was not indicating that he thought Pereira did the high shot intentionally but questioned which team came out of it better off.
Robinson said the game doesn’t want to end up overreacting to minor incidents but it was “a fine line”.
“I think we are somewhere in between where we have always been and where rugby union is,” he said.
“If someone takes Teddy out for the game … I mean you obviously saw what Ben (Marschke) did to get 10 in the bin and then what Pereira did.
“They are completely different parts of the game.
“Ben sort of gets in his way and we are easy enough to send him off for 10 for that but for the protection of our players we find it a bit more difficult.”
James Tedesco failed his HIA after this hit in the 1st half. Will enter concussion protocol, some concern there with this being Tedesco’s 3rd concussion in the past 10 months. Roosters are a team known for their careful approach to players returning from concussion pic.twitter.com/riZPHApADf
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) April 25, 2021
Tedesco also copped another high shot from Dragons’ forward Tyrell Fuimaono in the opening minutes that was placed on report.
“It is hard because I am not where rugby union is and what we saw at the World Cup where people are just getting yellow and red cards for silly reasons,” he continued.
“But I also don’t think it is up to Tuesday night to decide if players are in or out (at the judiciary). If we can do it on-field and through the bunker better we will make a statement about improve your technique. Players don’t want to let other players down.
“If you say who really got disadvantaged today by the 10 minutes or losing Tedesco for that period of time, if you can take Tedesco out and have someone 10 minutes in the bin, I know what I would choose.
“He (Pereira) didn’t mean to do that but who got punished more?”
Anasta had no doubt what should have happened: “This is clear, just a swinging arm to the best player in the world. I’m confused by this. We’ve got (Paul) Momirovski who got three weeks, we’ve got Latrell Mitchell who got four weeks for nothing compared to this.
Tedesco was falling as he got hit and pereira was looking away so he could tackle with his arms and not shoulder... that’s a joke! Penalty yes okay not much Jordan can do but sin bin and send off? Shut ya mouths.
— Mitchell Sweeney (@MitchellSween19) April 25, 2021
Tedesco ducking and weaving into tackles = the tackler gets him high EVERY TIME.
— Bazzio101 (@Bazzio101) April 25, 2021
WHOSE FAULT?
“We’ve got (Siosifa) Talakai looking at four to six weeks. We’ve had a directive from the NRL to be strong on contact to the head and tell the match review to be strong on players being contacted with the head and all this time and you look at that shot from Pereira and all he gets is 10 minutes in the bin. He should have been sent off straight away.”
NRL physio Brien Seeney said Tedesco would enter the NRL’s concussion protocols and there had to be some concern given it was his third concussion in 10 months.
Seeney noted that the Roosters are a club “known for their careful approach to players returning from concussion” given their history of care relating to Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend.
Seeney told The Telegraph: “Recovery from concussion is quite unpredictable case to case, but two factors that raise concern for Tedesco are his recent history of concussion … and history of complex concussion symptoms – he had delayed and recurring symptoms after a concussion in June 2020.
“Most NRL players are able to return in one or two weeks but considering these factors and the Roosters’ tendency to be conservative with players in these case, some time on the sideline for Tedesco would not be a surprise.”
Cordner has not played this year since suffering his latest concussion in last year’s end-of-season State of Origin series and is not expected back for another five rounds.
Friend recently retired after suffering his latest concussion injury.
WALKER LIGHTS UP ANZAC DAY
— Matt Encarnacion
At one point, the eighth Immortal ran out of superlatives.
But it didn’t matter, as boom teenager Sam Walker did all the talking himself in the Sydney Roosters’ 34-10 rout of St George Illawarra to claim the Anzac Day Cup.
If he hadn’t done so already in his first three NRL games, Walker produced a coming-of-age performance, in front of 37,620 at the SCG, to once-and-for-all prove that the hype on him is real.
The 18-year-old halfback scored a try, played a hand in two others, and kicked six goals in the type of display that will be remembered as one of the best in the long history of the annual fixture.
However his man-of-the-match effort is likely to be overshadowed by an ugly first-half tackle from Dragons winger Jordan Pereira that knocked out James Tedesco for the day.
The swinging arm prompted the second use of the league’s new 18th man rule in as many days.
But a rampant Roosters team, who also had hooker Ben Marschke binned in the second half, hardly missed their star fullback, putting the Dragons to the sword with the next five tries.
And it was the off-contract Walker who inflicted the most damage, setting up two tries and crossing for a third in a game-deciding eight-minute period bridging halftime.
The victory consolidates the Roosters’ top-eight spot on 10 points, while the Dragons remain towards the bottom of the eight on eight points.
HOOK REACTS SWIFTLY
Anthony Griffin showed he isn’t afraid to react swiftly to close losses, making the surprise decision to bench halfback Adam Clune in favour of the bigger Jack Bird.
Mid-season signing Billy Burns was also thrust straight into the starting side for his club debut, with Josh Kerr also getting relegated to the pine.
The Bird call looked a masterstroke early when the former NSW State of Origin representative latched onto a Corey Norman grubber for opening points in the 11th minute.
DRAGONS SEE RED
From there it was all Roosters for the half, where both Dragons wingers finished on report for separate shoulder charges that were both followed by Roosters tries.
Mikaele Ravalawa was cited for a 13th-minute no-arms hit on Josh Morris, who immediately recovered to put Daniel Tupou over for their first four-pointer.
The contest turned into an arm-wrestle until Tedesco was floored by Pereira in the 34th minute, with Sitili Tupouniua crossing a minute later.
The incident immediately drew criticism in league circles, led by Immortal Mal Meninga.
“The question is could he have pulled out of that tackle, and I think he could have,” Meninga said on Fox League.
“He’s gone through with the tackle, the ball’s gone past Tedesco with a touch of the hands to the winger. It’s late, and I think it should have been a send off.”
Three Dragons ended the game sweating on Monday’s charge sheet, with second-rower Tyrell Fuimaono also put on report for a high shot on Tedesco in just the second minute.
WALKER’S EIGHT-MINUTE SHOW
“To sit and watch him play at his age on this stage …” Johns said on Channel Nine commentary.
“He just backs himself. He just plays.”
And that was after Walker set up the first try with a long cutout for Brett Morris that ended in Tupouniua going over.
He followed it up with two left-foot steps that put Nat Butcher over for a 10-point halftime lead, before doing it all himself with a show-and-go two minutes into the resumption.
“Junior coaching now and how much structure is in the game, the long pass is coached out of young halfbacks,” Johns went on to say later in the game.
“You talk to the outside backs at the Roosters, they love playing with Sam, the way he gets them early ball with a long pass.”
The Dragons defence fell apart thereafter, with Lindsay Collins and Joey Manu crossing for soft tries in the middle of the field that will be of major concern to Griffin.
The Dragons 33 missed tackles almost doubled the Roosters’ 18, with Ravalawa claiming a consolation try late.
Originally published as NRL 2021: ‘Disturbing’ suspension figures for head, neck incidents attracts Graham Annesley’s fury
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