Origin 2021: Peter V’landys reacts to no sin-bins in Game One
There were no sin bins in the State of Origin opener and ARLC chairman Peter V’landys says there’s a good reason why.
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Peter V’landys has rejected any notion that referees turned a blind-eye to a crackdown against players being hit in the head during State of Origin.
The ARLC chairman also said referee Gerard Sutton’s decision to resist sin-binning Queensland winger Kyle Feldt after appearing to collect NSW forward Cameron Murray high was spot on.
Despite fears that the game’s greatest showpiece could be marred by both sides being reduced in numbers from the sin-binning of players, at no point was a player sent from the field.
It has led some fans and commentators to suggest the code has gone soft on it’s steadfast mission to eliminate all forceful contact to the head.
“They (referees) didn’t ease up at all,’’ V’landys told 2GB’s Ben Fordham on Friday.
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“I think the players have adjusted their style.
“It just shows you that the elite players can quickly adjust and they did so in the State of Origin.
“There’s 700 tackles a game, there’s only one to five to the head — we just want to eradicate those.’’
In reference to Feldt staying on the field, V’landys said: “There was one incident that people thought the player should’ve been sin-binned, but the bunker has all these different angles and they looked at all the angles and they believed the contact wasn’t to the head in the first instance.
“The most important thing is, the players have adjusted and the thuggery to the head is gone.
“It makes the game more entertaining, but whats more appealing to me is, it brings the women back to watch our game.
“They don’t like to see hits to the head or the thuggery and I thought our game on Wednesday showed what it is, which is entertainment-plus.
“That was proven by the fact that it was the highest-rating TV show of the year.’’
Ivan clips Nathan’s critics after cutting Maroons to pieces
By James Phelps
Beaten black and blue as he steered NSW to a record-breaking win over the Maroons, Nathan Cleary returned to Sydney sporting the scars of his State of Origin war.
Last year Cleary played in a losing NRL grand final side, a losing State of Origin series and, to add salt to the wounds, missed out on the Dally M Medal despite being the raging favourite.
On Wednesday night, Cleary bled for his state in a five-star performance that proved to those doubting his big-game credentials, that he could deliver on rugby league’s biggest stage. But Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said he was unsure if it will be enough to convince every critic.
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“I don’t know if it will (silence Nathan’s knockers),” Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said.
“We can only control what we do and think. He won the Brad Fittler medal last year. I know they didn’t win the series (last year) but he had a pretty decent series. But I am stoked for all the boys after last night.”
Cleary received five stitches to the cut that saw him sent to the blood bin during NSW’s 50-6 win over Queensland, and would be unlikely to play against the Sharks on Friday night.
“He (Nathan) got a decent cut but there is no other damage as far as I know,” Ivan said. “When you see those ones, you worry about cheekbones and eye sockets but it appears to be just a cut. It looked pretty bad but he looks like that after every game.”
Ivan said all seven of his State of Origin stars were in line for selection.
“We will have a look at them when they get back tonight,” Ivan said. “But we got all the details after the game and they all got through okay.”
Cleary said the ease of NSW’s victory could help get all his players on the park for what is shaping as a revenge clash after the Panthers’ record-breaking run of wins came to an end last week.
“It is hard to tell until you see them but the game last night, you wouldn’t call it an 80-minute Origin classic, so that could play into our hands,” Ivan said.
“And they say it is easier to back up straight away.”
In a warning to the Sharks, Ivan revealed the Panthers were out to erase the disappointment of last week’s defeat to the Tigers.
“At the end of the day we were disappointed with last week and we feel like whoever takes the field should do a better job than that,” Cleary said.
“I would prefer to have them (the State of Origin) players on the field but it is a long year too. We just need to make sure we look after their best interests.”
Moment Cleary knew something ‘grim’ had happened
By David Riccio
Nathan Cleary has recalled the ‘grim’ moment he saw his blood-soaked NSW jersey from a deep facial wound that required eight stitches to repair.
The Blues playmaker is in doubt for Penrith’s away clash with Cronulla on Friday night after the right-side of his face was sliced, bruised and swollen after collecting what he thought was teammate Tom Trbojevic’s elbow or the head of Queensland rival David Fifita.
“I didn’t feel any concussion or anything like that,’’ Cleary said.
“But then I felt all this warm stuff just coming down my face.
“I put my hand up and it’s all this blood. I wasn’t sure how bad it was, our trainer came out and vaselined it right up.
“I had to change jerseys and when I looked down it (blood) was just all down my jersey.
“That’s when I realised it was pretty grim, but it was never sore or effected the way I was playing.
“There‘s no damage or anything like that.
“It didn’t affect my vision or anything, it just wouldn’t stop bleeding. I touched it and it felt fine so I think it was just a clean, clear cut that they stitched up.
“I just had my eyes shut the whole time they were doing it.”
Despite the obvious discomfort from the wound, Cleary was a content man following the Blues’ 50-6 rout of the Maroons.
He phoned his proud father, Penrith coach Ivan Cleary, immediately after the match.
“He just said how pumped he was obviously with a few Panthers boys debuting and how well they went he was just a happy dad and a fan,” Cleary said.
“He’s a proud New South Welshman, he was raving on about Tommy Turbo (Trbojevic) a lot. I can’t blame him.’’
Like the majority of NSW supporters, Cleary said he, too, was stunned at the performance Trbojevic.
Cleary described Trbojevic as the most instinctive player he has ever played with.
“His feel for the game is the best I’ve ever seen,’’ Cleary said.
“His feel for the game, he knows where to pop up at the right time.
“I think he ended up twice on the left setting up tries and then he‘s backing up scoring tries.
“He’s an absolute freak and I’ve never seen anything like it.
“Origin games suit him so much. Just coming in on those quick play the balls, he and Teddy (James Tedesco) rolling on, it’s pretty crazy.
“The distance he (Trbojevic) covers is unbelievable.”
During the match, Cleary was involved in a heated exchange with Jai Arrow after the Maroons forward held the NSW halfback‘s leg following a kick.
He played down the incident post-match.
“It was just kick pressure and then he wouldn’t let go of my leg,’’ Cleary said.
“I was trying to get out of it and then he just chased after me and pushed me.”
On the question of backing up for the Panthers, Cleary didn’t sound confident.
“I was a good chance if I pulled up all right, but we’ll see how this goes,’’ he said.
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