Monday Buzz: Thugs driving kids away from NRL, why Taylor has to go from Tigers

RUGBY league junior registration numbers are on the decline. At the same time AFL and soccer are on the rise. This doesn’t require a major investigation to reveal why, writes Buzz Rothfield.

BRONCOS VS RABBITOHS

RUGBY league junior registration numbers are on the decline. At the same time AFL and soccer are on the rise.

This doesn’t require a major investigation to reveal why. The reason is that rugby league no longer acts on foul play.

Mums and dads are seeing what happens in the NRL every week and deem the sport too dangerous for their kids.

Souths’ Paul Carter trips Brisbane’s Anthony Milford. Picture: Darren England

Earlier this season Manly forward Martin Taupau viciously and recklessly smashed Sharks centre Jack Bird in the head with a swinging arm that knocked him almost unconscious.

A dazed Bird came off for the rest of the game. Taupau stayed on and finished up getting one week.

I used to cover judiciary hearings in the days when Jim Comans was in charge.

I guarantee Taupau’s swinging arm would have led to a four to six-week ban in those days. Absolutely no doubt.

MORE MONDAY BUZZ: Weekend highlights, lowlights

This season we have had seven instances of tripping. It used to be an immediate send-off and suspension. Look at the photo above of Paul Carter trying to bring down superstar Anthony Milford. What a disgrace. Again nothing happens.

Go back and have a look at the replay of the Rabbitohs v Broncos on Friday night.

Manly's Martin Taupau looks on at Jack Bird after he knocked him out with late hit.

Look at Sam Burgess’ dog-act on an unprotected Joe Ofahengaue on the ground.

Look at Adam Blair’s late and high shot on Adam Reynolds, who is just back from a broken jaw.

This game was prime time television on Channel 9 and Fox Sports.

The referee Jared Maxwell showed he was completely out of his depth. That he didn’t at least use the sin bin is a disgrace.

I lost count of the number of times he warned both captains yet did nothing about it.

Todd Greenberg has been in the job for five weeks now as NRL chief executive.

The honeymoon period is now over. He replaced Dave Smith and got the top job in the game because he allegedly knew rugby league from the grassroots to the NRL.

Yet he has sat back every week and allowed tripping to become an epidemic in the game without even instructing his referees’ director Tony Archer to do something about it. The entire match-review and judiciary process needs to be overhauled.

A scuffle broke out between Broncos and Rabbitohs players after Sam Burgess tackled Joe Ofahengaue.

There are too many ex-players on so-called independent committees that are determining how we deal with this thuggery. Ex-players are ex-players. They are old school and have no understanding of the damage that their lack of action creates.

Television is the gateway to the game. The front door for casual observers. Many of those switching on this year would find some of it unsavoury.

Over the weekend I asked the AFL’s respected critic and former Brownlow medallist Gerard Healy what an AFL player would cop for attacking a player on the ground like Burgess did.

“I’d think six to eight weeks,” he said.

WATCH: BURGESS’ CHEAP SHOT ON OFAHENGAUE

It’s time Greenberg did something about it. Why do we even have an independent match-review committee and judiciary? Why don’t we just pick the best qualified people.

The best thing Greenberg’s predecessor Dave Smith did was introduce an automatic sin-binning for punching. It is no longer part of the game.

The same thing has to happen with all foul play. Use the sin bin and, like punching, it will soon stop.

The risk of leaving your team with 12 players for 10 minutes is a bigger deterrent than missing a game the following week.

SIXTY REASONS TAYLOR HAS TO GO

THE Wests Tigers have now lost six straight games. Up until Saturday night in Canberra, they were at least respectable losses. The performance against the Raiders was unacceptable and embarrassing.

Which brings us straight to under-siege coach Jason Taylor.

Tigers coach Jason Taylor. Picture: AAP

It is so obvious this team is going backwards under Taylor’s coaching that even chairperson Marina Go would understand he has to go.

It’s not like they were up against the Broncos or Cowboys in the 60-6 shellacking. It was the Canberra Raiders.

The halves Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses are either overrated or suffering from poor coaching.

Joey Leilua of the Raiders is tackled by Luke Brooks.

Not that you can blame them for the fact the forwards are getting belted. Taylor has to go. This team needs new leadership and new direction.

One of the game’s best coaches Ivan Cleary is currently unemployed. He would be a fantastic signing. Highly regarded Todd Payten at the Cowboys is desperate for an opportunity at his old club.

Long-suffering fans have had enough.

GUS’S BUNKER BLAST

THE NRL recently announced a crackdown on criticism of the bunker.

Clubs, coaches and players faced hefty fines if they continued to criticise decisions.

Phil Gould is general manager of the Panthers. Like everyone else he was shocked when the bunker disallowed a fair try to Parramatta’s Kieran Foran on Saturday night in Townsville.

Phil Gould was more than happy to criticise the bunker this week.

Gus took to Twitter to vent his outrage. “Honestly, that is a disgraceful decision ... they honestly have no idea,” Gus tweeted.

So will the NRL fine Gus? Somehow I doubt it.

Originally published as Monday Buzz: Thugs driving kids away from NRL, why Taylor has to go from Tigers