Roosters say they will call out players they think are milking penalties

THE Roosters have vowed to continue Trent Robinson’s crusade against players laying down for penalties and will call out those feigning injury.

THE Sydney Roosters have vowed to continue Trent Robinson’s crusade against players laying down for penalties by becoming on-field vigilantes.

Fired-up forwards Sam Moa and Aidan Guerra argue their coach was only reflecting the views of the playing group with his controversial ANZAC Day outburst and have declared they will now call out opponents they deem to be feigning injury.

Moa says the Roosters aren’t trying to prove they’re tougher than anyone else by taking matters into their own hands, but believe they can play a role in removing a blight on the game by publicly shaming opponents who are guilty of soft sportsmanship.

“Of course, we started doing it last year. It’s not a thing where we’re chest beating pretending we’re the toughest blokes in the NRL. It’s hard for refs to govern it, but players know,” said Moa.

“Us players, we know if you stay down to milk the penalty. Of course there’s players you know who are doing it and the NRL can’t govern it, nor can the refs, and that’s fair enough.

“They can’t decide who is doing it and who is not.

“It just comes down to the player. If the player is happy to go home at the end of the game after laying down to get the penalty.

“To be honest I felt proud (Robinson and Jake Friend) said what they did say. I don’t think they went overboard at all and they were speaking on behalf of the playing group.”

The Roosters now have it as their mission to make it doubly hard for those players to be able to sleep at night.

Moa knows it can be tricky territory to be accusing a player of not being injured when he very well might be — but the Roosters aren’t talking about the line ball calls.

“There are guys that get an accidental hit to the head and their knees buckle and their face plants on the ground for 10 or so seconds … until it’s reviewed and then they’re back to their feet and back in position with a smile on their face,” he said.

“It’s happening in the game. Especially with the concussion rule how it’s going now … there’s little loopholes around that now that unfortunately (the game) can’t govern.

“… But as players 100 per cent we know who is doing it.”

Sam Moa believes its up to the players to police themselves.

Guerra said the spate of players staying down has made the NRL a far cry from the tough pillars on which rugby league was built.

Rather than believing Robinson has tarnished his reputation by blowing up when his team is 1-7 to start the season, Guerra believes his coach is the voice of the people.

“The majority of people I speak to are in agreeance. The majority of people that I’ve spoken to from footy circles, not just fans of my side, but fans of the game agree with it. Even other players agree with it because it’s damaging the image of the game when players lay down,” he said.

“The majority of the focus of (Robinson’s) attack or the underlying point of it is on the players laying down. You know as well as I do whether you’re sitting in the stands, sitting at home or on the field, you can tell when someone is laying down for a penalty. Everyone in the stadium can.

“The sport of rugby league was built off that tough mentality and the foundations of it were to get up and to keep going.”

Originally published as Roosters say they will call out players they think are milking penalties