Cowboys Dudded Again

The unbelievable decision, a symptom of a deeper problem?

How can six officials, assisted by the best technology available, miss a tackle count. It is unbelievable, it is indefensible, and an apology is simply not good enough.
I know the NSW officials and supporters of the Sydney based clubs will snicker and label what I'm about to say, a Queensland conspiracy theory rant, but seriously something must be done before the NSW-centric officials and media, destroy the game and send potential new supporters (and some old ones) into the arms of the other codes.
I believe that what happened last night, is symptomatic of a Sydney entitlement culture that is nurtured and kept strong by, not so much the administers of the game, but the people of influence who control them. They are so entrenched in the past glory of the Sydney based clubs, that they won't allow the game to move forward or consider the continued arguments from teams and fans from outside the Sydney area. For them the Sydney clubs are paramount and must be protected and remain relevant at all costs.

But lets deal with last night's Cowboys - Cronulla debacle first. On field referees Matt Cecchin and Henry Perenara unbelievably allowed play to continue after the sixth tackle had been completed. As the Cowboys defended grimly on their line, the referees dismissed calls from Cowboys players, who obviously can count, that the sixth tackle should have been called, allowing Beau Ryan to cross for a try on the seventh tackle.
That six senior officials, both on the field and those manning the technology, could all make such a crucial mistake, is beyond belief. It is unlikely that they were all being paid to allow the howler, so are they all just blithering idiots? Or could it be that they were so subconsciously willing Cronulla over the line, that they let play continue until the desired result transpired? For the life of me, I can't think of another explanation for the error outside those three possibilities, can you?
Whatever the reason, it has wiped the same team from the finals race for the second year in a row. Last year they were denied justice by another howler, allowing Manly to score from a blatant knock-on.

It is important to realise when trying to decide what course of action should be taken now, that the main play-makers for both sides, especially Cronulla, having ball in hand, would have been acutely aware of what number tackle it was. The count determines what type of play will be made next. Therefore by continuing on and claiming the try, Cronulla contributed to the farce and the dishonesty of the try as much as the officials did. In the interest of fair play and honesty, the try should be taken away from Cronulla and the game awarded to the Cowboy's. In law if you are the recipient of ill-gotten gains and know about it you are guilty of a crime. Why should the Cowboys be punished for something they did not participate in. Why should the perpetrators be rewarded. Officialdom didn't hesitate to strip players of points and grand finals when the salary cap was breached by the Bulldogs and Storm clubs. (Both Super League clubs just quietly, and therefore anti Sydney establishment) Why not now?
People may say they are two different matters, but I believe they both amount to cheating in the game and if left unpunished can lead to exploitation and potential game fixing.
Which leads me to the point that a culture is perpetrated in the NRL, which is both stifling the progress of the code, and feeding the very elements in and around the game that the officials pay lip service to stamping out, particularly player behaviour (On and off field).
Players are continually rewarded in the NRL for cheating, and players and coaches in some teams, play do dupe the gullible referees. Cheating is not only condoned but rewarded. How often do you see players stepping to the side of markers, holding the tackler down by the jersey to con a referee, or a player hitting at ball in a tackle to elicit a knock-on. And a relatively new trick of staying down after a tackle if you think you can get a penalty for a head-high tackle. A good remedy for this little trick would be to enforce a head bin of 5 or 10 minutes for a player who believes he is sufficiently injured to stay down, to ensure he doesn't have concussion. How often have you heard commentator Gus Gould congratulating players for drawing a penalty "Good work. He just gained a penalty for his side." He was a head coach and still has major influence on the game today.
I believe that this culture of cheating and winning at all cost, which is encouraged in this game, seeps into the psyche of the player and can carry through into life, creating the problems with drugs, gambling, assault and other problems we see with some of these young men.    

The people of influence, which I talk about controlling the NRL, in my view, are channel 9 and some of their commentators (not all, but you know who they are) and their little group of not-so-prominent comrades. The bias for Sydney based clubs, although they scoff at the suggestion, is apparent from the first whistle and is evident in every phase of the commentary. A prime example in last night's Cowboys - Cronulla game, was when Gus Gould could not stop talking about the minor glitch to the time clock at the end of the match, yet brushed off the seventh tackle try as if it were a minor event. He even continued to carry on about the time keeper glitch into the next match while seemingly putting the try, which cost a team a continuation in the finals series, behind him.
I truly believe that the referees should be very closely scrutinised and the interpretation of the rules taken out of their hands as much as possible, so that there is no room for error. With the rules as they are, and the closeness of the teams today, how hard do you think it would be for a corrupt referee to manipulate the outcome of a game. I am certain that it happens today.. If not because of corruption, because of subconscious bias toward one of the teams. I've seen too often one team penalised for minor infringements while the other team is let go for the same offence, creating try scoring opportunity in the right area of the field or allowing a team to get relief from their end of the field.
I know it sounds "Out there" but look whats happened in cricket.    

Gallen's Cheap Shot

There hasn't been a cheaper shot since Les Boyd on Darryl Brohman.

If Paul Gallen thinks that history will remember his cowardly, non-effective cheap shot on Nate Myles as the act of an Origin hero, he is as deluded as the desperate New South Wales officials, commentators and supporters who think that the act was acceptable in their forlorn bid to win a State Of Origin series.

He waited until Myles was pinned in a tackle by two of his team mates to swing a stiff arm into his face. When this had little effect on the Queensland tough man, Gall (Or is that Girl) decided to king hit him when he came up for air. His actions were nothing like other mutually contested Origin fights, they were those of an opportunist with no honour. Surely most observers would have seen this incident as out of kilter with the usual Origin battles, this was not a part of the battle. This was one opportunistic "sneak thief" throwing cheap shots. 

State of Origin is proudly built on Honour, and Gallen and the team officials sorely dented that honour last week.

When you are challenged and disrespected by one of the games legendary tough men, Gordon Tallis, to your face on live television, you then know that what you did was seen by your peers as dishonourable.

Tallis questioned Gallen on "The Footy Show" asking, "If you didn't like the way that he (Myles) tackled your in previous tackles, why then didn't you stand up to him then, Instead of waiting until his hands were pinned to attack him?"  

I've been disgusted by predominately NSW commentators, ex-players and officials who have dismissed Gallen's actions as an Origin incident, and slapped him on the back as a hero. Smiling and laughing about it on every football show I've seen. As they bask in the glory of one game win and driven by their desperate need to win a series, are they prepared to go to any length?

What about the reputation of the game and the message it sends to younger players. While governments and authorities are begging the population to stop endless cowardly "King-Hit" violence on the streets, NRL

officials seem to think it is OK for the NSW captain to make a cowardly attack on another player on national television and then condone it. Then, in another fine example as a senior player, Gallen comes out in the media and is not in any way remorseful, but "filthy" that he got one weeks suspension for it. If this had occurred in AFL he would have spent 6 to 8 weeks on the sidelines.  

What happens in the next state of origin match if others decide to take the cheap way out? Do we condone it and pat them on the back as well? Thankfully, I am confident that that won't happen, as I believe that most players at that level have more honour than Paul Gallen.      

Rumours Suggest Sharks Only The Beginning.

Anthony Watmough

The NRL's Season to get much worse if you believe the rumours. 

Unsubstantiated rumours are flying in rugby league circles currently, suggesting that Manly, Newcastle and Canterbury will be the next to feel the wrath of ASADA.

I recently received a text message outlining the recent rumours engulfing the NRL and creating a pall over our much loved winter sport. Some extracts are as below.

Steve (Beaver) Menzies

Rumour has it that retired Manly star Steve (Beaver) Menzies is cooperating with the authorities and is giving them a lot of information about doping involvement from his time at Manly and that they could be stripped of their 2008 and 2011 premierships.

It is also rumoured that there are phone tapped tapes of Anthony Watmough and Paul Gallen discussing how they could beat the system, and that Des Hasler is implicated in so far as he had known about the administering of performance enhancing drugs in his time at both Manly and Canterbury. The rumours say that there could be as many as 17 current and past Manly players involved.

Jeremy Smith

It is also rumoured that there are 7 players at Newcastle to face the music and that Jeremy Smith is in the gun as the guy who first introduced Steven Danks, the sports scientist who is allegedly behind the whole doping scandal, to the Sharks, StGeorge and Newcastle and in doing so involving the squeeky clean Wayne Bennett as his coach at two of those clubs. 

Now of course this is all rumour and innuendo at this stage. However, naturally rumours will fly maliciously around the world until the facts are out there. This is entirely down to the to Labour Government ministers Lundy and Clare, the Australian Crime Commission's John Lawler and ASADA, for coming out too early, beating there chests and the bushes to see if they could flush out anyone stupid enough to put their hand up.

If they don't put up or shut up, the rumours will get more plentiful and elaborate until people's reputations and the game of rugby league are seriously damaged. What an absolute fiasco, presided over people who get paid enough money to know better.. or you would think.

NRL Doping Joke

Put up or shut up.. You idiots.

Crime in sport report

Here we go again, Cronulla and rugby league fans in general wake this morning to find that the Sharks future in season 2013 may be in jeopardy, with threats of 14 players being stood down unless someone confesses to performance enhancing drugs use.

These incompetent morons at ASADA running this investigation into doping in rugby league, are fishing around for players to come forward on their own, or else. Or else what? If they have the evidence, charge them now and have done with it.

Sharks

They come out with their bullshit on the eve of the season start, casting a pall over the whole season. As well as clouding the joy of the fans at having league back in their lives at last. They keep throwing innuendo about like fishermen casting a bait net to see what they can find, without making a charge.

Do they think of the fans in all of this while they are playing their games? What about the millions of fans doing their tips today or finalising their Fantasy League sides? How many fans would have Paul Gallen in their Fantasy side as captain, only to be thrown into doubt at the last minute.

Dank

How long have these incompetent fools had to sort out an incident that had it's roots back in 2010-2011. Sports Scientist Steven Dank was employed by the club back then, and allegedly administered a form of peptide to the players as a part of their training program. It is said that, at the time, these peptides were completely legal but later banned by ASADA.

My guess is that they believe that some players have continued to use these peptides, however they can't test for it so they need someone to confess so as to have a case.

Stop playing games you idiots, put your evidence up or piss off and leave our sport alone.

If you have some evidence, charge someone and get on with it. Don't drag the whole game in to disrepute and destroy the season at the same time.

Australian Sports Doping .. Scandal or Political Beatup

Yet another stuff-up by the Australian Labor Government.

 Here we go again, everything this government touches becomes a farce.

It would seem that Federal Sports Minister Kate Lundy and Federal Justice Minister Jason Clare have presided over, either one of the most appallingly constructed investigations of all time, or the most baffling "witch hunt" that has ever been perpetrated on the Australian public and the world. 

It's been almost two weeks now, since John Lawler, CEO of the Australian Crime Commission, released their report on sports corruption with great fan fare and accusation. Aided and abetted with great indignation and chest thumping by Ministers Lundy and Clare. 

Yet now it founders, with the federal police, by their own admission, with little or no evidence to investigate, and sports administrators, players and more importantly fans, in a state of bewilderment with Australian sportsmen and women being branded around the world, as possible sports cheats with links to match fixing.

Still no charges are laid or even evidence produced, Yet this political grandstanding is overshadowing the launch of our summer football codes and casting a pall over our cricketer's tours to India and England, the most important and exciting tours for many years. 

I'll tell you how it looks from where we fans and punters sit. It looks as though the politicians have once again  decided that, for the sake of a headline and a photo op, they would treat their constituents as gullible mugs who'll believe anything, and then they duped some incompetent public servants into jumping without a parachute, in the hope that they could flush out a criminal or two in an election year, with the Government on the ropes.

It would seem that the Crime Commission has come up with some unproven, hearsay evidence connecting organised crime and a very small minority of sportsmen, and have decide to go on a fishing expedition by encouraging sportsman from all codes to confess to ambiguous accusations, instead of doing the hard yards and collecting proof and evidence, and the politicians have encouraged them to their own political ends, in the process sullying the good name of Australian sport both in Australia and across the world. 

All this without consideration of the consequences to a sports proud nation in having our pride in Australia's good name in world sport diminished, before any evidence is produced or anyone is convicted.

The media too have jumped on the band waggon when they smelt blood, but quickly changed sides when it started to show all of the hallmarks of a farce. In the last two days they have gone quiet on the issue. I would hope that they would stalk Lundy, Clare and Lawler aggressively, until they have come up with proof and charges or until they resign.   

Anthony Mundine - Freak Show

Is there any bigger racist in Australia than Anthony Mundine?

Every time he opens his racist mouth and utters his hate filled, unfiltered statements, he not only sounds like an lunatic, he also damages the plight of the Australian indigenous races and the progress of the reconciliation process.

Mundine's racial rant about Daniel Geale (quote below) is a little much, even for him.

"I don’t see (Geale) as representing us black people, or coloured people. I don’t see him out in the communities doing what I do with people … he got a white woman, white kids."

Not that it matters, but for the sake of the argument, I would be willing to wager that there is plenty of European ancestry in Mundine's genealogy.

Mundine saying that he represents Aboriginal People is a bit like Colonel Sanders saying he's there for the chickens. He is a user and an abuser of his heritage. It is all about him not the Aboriginals. He's shut himself of from the majority of European Australian support with his Muslim antics and by playing the race card, and now with this latest statement about Geale, a lot of indigenous support would have disappeared as well.

As Aboriginal activist and lawyer Michael Mansell says in reference to the rant on Geale.
"He's talking about 80 percent of the (Aboriginal) population of Australia, including himself. It's hypocritical and it's stupid."

 Now he is going to turn his back on the national anthem and the flag. Perhaps he should move to a Muslim country and spew his racial hatred there.

When he has gone from the news and sports headlines with his buffoonery, instead of being remembered as a champion sportsman, as his father is, he will be remembered primarily as a racist fool, disliked by most and a rugby league footballer and boxer who never quite realised his potential as a Champion Australian Sports Hero.

I hope, as I believe most Australians do, that Daniel Geale smashes Mundine tonight.

ACB Player Rotation Will Harm Aussie Cricket.

Without Spectators and Viewers there is no Cricket.

If we can't watch the best players and our established heroes play each week, the fans will drift away.
We understand injury, poor form and retirement, however we don't understand this academic theory of rotating players, particularly when there is no proof that it works. How many injured players do we have currently despite the policy?

Any sportsman will tell you that the best fitness is match fitness and that you lose your edge if you are out of the battle even for a short time.

To date the results from this rotation policy show that there is little or nothing to be gained and a great deal to lose. I give some examples of negatives below.

Two of the best players in the country in all forms of the game were rotated out of the first of the ODI matches this week. Dave Warner it seems was the victim of the rotation policy, and Mike Hussey seems to have upset someone because he retired from test cricket. The selectors say that they are selecting the side with World Cup 2015 in mind. Are you serious? That's two years away. The best available team should always be selected, or don't Sri Lanka or the West Indies deserve our best?

Cricket is a team sport; the best players do their very best to cement their place in that team. Then to be sidelined when they are in their best form, by a group of wankers for a two year experiment, is Bull Shit. This can only disrupt a tight team and put doubt and insecurity into the minds of the players.

When our best players have won their way into the hearts and minds of the fans and then are sidelined when in best form, the fans feel cheated and start to tune out. Particularly when the players are excitement machines like Warner and Hussey. You would think that the ACB would owe Huss some gratitude for the player he has been for Australia. After all he is still one of the best players in the world in any form of the game.

Do the cricketing public have to watch second stringers (No matter how well they went) until 2015 or do we wait until we start losing games after selectors have destroyed player confidence and team moral. Perhaps we should rotate the selectors.
 
The fans hate it, the players hate it, the sponsors hate it and therefore Channel 9 and their affiliates hate it.

Why can't we simply replace players as they are injured, showing prolonged poor form or they are retiring, like any other sensible national team?

Is there any truth to the rumour that the Australian Cricket Selectors are the same guys that select the NSW State of Origin side?

Keep the core team together you drongos, just ask players from our great teams of the past and the fans that followed them.

See Brett Lee's comments.

Joey Johns .. New Rugby League Immortal.

Was Joey a biased choice?

Is it just me or does anyone else see an overwhelming number of NSW ex players and supporters on the judging panel for Rugby League's Immortals? And there is a few that hardly or never played the game.

I'm not saying that Joey doesn't deserve to be an immortal because he certainly does, but let's at least wait until his footy boots have had time to air. The decision last night smacks of a desperate need to give NSW fans something to grasp onto after this years loss to Queensland for the seventh year in a row.

I think choosing Mal Meninga was a no-brainer at this time. His record in representative areas of the game easily eclipse Johns' records, and his club records at least rival those of the great half back. Then take into account his record as Queensland Coach and it is easily seen that he has definitely contributed more to our great game on and off the field than Joey, and will definitively enhance the ranks of the immortals when they finally induct him.

If any one should be there, Mal Meninga is a rugby league immortal of great stature on all levels. Can anyone enlighten me as to why Andrew John's preceded Mal Meninga into the Immortal ranks? I would be very interested to here a valid reason. Please comment as I am perplexed.

It's a pity that politics should afflict this greatest of all rugby league honours.         

Incompetent Referees Decide NRL Finals

Gallant Cowboys Robbed Of Prelim Finals Shot. 

What a joke the wonderful game of Rugby League has become in Australia. I don't know whether it is because some officials are on the take, if they are too stupid to see what is in front of them, if their bias toward NSW based teams is clouding their judgement or if our current rules of the game are just to complex for them to grasp.

All of the above possibilities crossed my mind as I watched with anger and alarm as the six game officials (Two video reffs, two linesman and two field reffs) conspired in their incompetence to deny The Cowboys a fair shot at the finals.
It started in the first few minutes of the game when a Manly player duped a gullible Shane Hayne into believing a cowboys player was in the tackle too long. The Manly player had purposely entangled his legs around the marker to milk the penalty. It worked, and as a result of the march down field, Manly scored their first try. I thought then "This guy will favour Manly all night." It is the way it turned out.

Then Clark and Simpkins up in the box, with input from Hayne with his "I think there was momentum" comment into his mic, got it totally wrong in awarding Jorge Taufua a try for placing the ball short of the line and then creating a double movement to place the ball over the line.There was no momentum and any person with half an ounce of knowledge about the game could not give the try. Even the normally NSW biased Channel Nine commentators agreed it should not have been a try.

And then the howler of all howlers. After viewing the replay from all angles, all of which showed clearly that Kiren Foran hit the ball forward from Johnathan Thurston's hands, these bumbling idiots managed to award a try to Michael Oldfield from a clear knock on. Not only I, but everyone else who saw the game, were totally dumb founded.
It went on all night with players allow to continue to play on after clearly knocking on or at least grounding the ball in the in goal. The mistake's are too numerous to mention.
There was one small incident that Manly supporters will say favoured The Cowboys and that is when Ashley Graham knocked the ball from Taufua's hands as he tried to play the ball. However this happens many times in a game and the rule of thumb has always been "Poor Ball Security". Another contentious rule that should be fixed. It's easy, enforce the rules consistently.
As I always say, "If you are going to winge, then provide a solution." Here are mine.
If it is difficult to attract talented people (Ex Players preferably) to the refereeing ranks, pay more money, then fine them severely when they get it wrong. Money always talks.
I hear people like Gus Gould wanting to get rid of technology for decision making. I say embrace it and perfect it to help with all decisions. If 6 reffs can't get it right, take it out of their hands.
  

John Steffensen's Rant.

John Steffensen or Anthony Mundine? .. I can't tell the difference.

Report - News.com.au

He we go again, it's all about colour with these blokes. When they just don't quite cut it and miss out on the team, it's all about race. .. "They didn't pick me because of the colour of my skin."
Steffensen's rant on channel nine this morning sounded just like Mundine's when he failed to make the Australian rugby league side. "It would be a different story if I was white."
Please.. you just weren't good enough guys. Both great athletes and near the top in your fields, but there is someone just that little bit better. Live with it.
Cathy Freeman, Johnathan Thurston, Sam Thaiday, Gordon Tallis, Mal Meninga, just to name a few in the same arenas, didn't seem to have a race problem when representing their country.
I think you'll find guys, that if there are any underlying reasons, other than your ability, for your failure to reach certain heights (which I'm sure there is not), it may have something to do with the giant chips on your shoulders and your mouthy attitudes. There's and old saying .. "You'll catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar"

The afore mentioned superstars are universally loved by their fellow Australians, where as you guys seem to have a slight popularity problem. As an avid sports fan and a past competitor, I can guarantee you it has nothing to do with colour.

In the case of Steffensen, who keeps quoting rules and assuring us that he is a stickler for them. The rules allow Australia to have one spot in the individual 400 metres. I would imagine that this is to allow us to enter someone at our discretion if we believe that it is worth while, either with a chance of reaching the finals or with a view to experience for someone who has the potential to become an Olympic champion.
Now that would not be John Steffensen, he has had his day in the sun. But it is Steve Solomon.

There are those, such as former Olympian David Culbert, who believes that Solomon could become the best 400m runner in the world and at lease be a factor this year in London.

29 year old Steffensen has struggled with an injury hampered Olympic preparation this year where as Solomon ran a personal best time in Barcelona yesterday .22 of a second off an Olympic A standard time. 

With this in mind, Athletics Australia would have been fools to take Steffensen just to make up the numbers and prove they are not rasicist. Young Solomon deserves the chance and Steffensens support.   

Who's Running The NRL?

Freddy Fittler Gets On The Red Phone To Gallop!

Well we have a brand new Commission to run the NRL now but nothing seems to have changed. NSW and the NSW oriented Channel Nine commentary team are still in charge. 

NSW loses the first State of Origin match and Freddy is straight on the phone to Gallop, with a couple of disgruntled refs in tow to demand the head refs sacking.... (Is that you with your hand up the back of Freddy's shirt Gus?).

Bill Harrigan best ref.

Bill Harrigan was arguably the best ref the game has seen with daylight second. He made the blokes running around today in the NRL look like rank amateurs, even though there are almost twice as many of them officiating at each match.

I hear that their main gripes are that he didn't watch the refs officiate at the recent Australia V New Zealand test or at the City V Country Match. Most decisions on their performance would be made after studying the tapes anyway wouldn't they? I think the whinge is more likely to be "Why didn't I get a gig at the first state of origin?"

Paul Kent from the Telegraph, in his biased article on the 31st May (Not a renowned Referee), suggests that Russell Smith or Tony Archer might replace him. Pleaseee! lets run through their litany of mistakes over the years, both on the field and in the box.

And enough of this nonsense about "great refs don't always make great coaches". How about "your only as good as the cattle you've got".

We all know that at the heart of the matter is the Inglis try decision. Please, lets be honest, Farah deliberately kicked at the ball and in your wildest imagination you cannot say the Inglis played at it when it hit his forearm. So it was a try. And as I mentioned in a previous article, examine Uate's first try and you can find a knock on by him if you look hard enough.

I guess the only way to please the NSW sooks would be to put Gus and Freddy in the third refs box next game. Or perhaps they could let the broadcast go to the third ref like the old days. That way he could hear all of the biased commentary. 

Here's the thing. If you keep changing the team (or "officials") every time you lose, you might keep on losing. You'd think the NSW boy's would have caught on to that by now.

Leave Hollywood alone, he'd be a tremendous loss to the game. I'm not sure that his persecutors would be.   

  

NSW SOUR GRAPES!!

How state bias affects the eye site... and the call of the game.

Because the television coverage of State Of Origin rugby league is dominated by NSW biased commentators, the major topic of conversation since the final siren has been the Greg Inglis try. The rules state that when Farah struck at the ball with his foot to dislodge it from Inglis' hands, Inglis did not play at it when it struck him on the forearm, it was a rebound.This created a whole new play and Inglis was able to place the ball for a legitimate try. So boys, the rules of the game, as they stand, state that it was clearly a try; so suck it up and get over it.

Now lets talk about the incident much earlier in the game that Gus (Gus Gould)and Rabbs (Ray Warren) and the rest of the NSW whiners don't want to mention, and skipped over without as much as a backwards glance on the night.

The incident to which I refer is when Akuila Uate clearly knocked the ball on into Darius Boyd then regathered to score his try. 

If you study the replay, he actually touches it twice. Once into Boyd's arms then again when he attempts to bat it toward his players. ... No Try ... So boys, the score is actually 18 - 6.

Now did I see it that way because I am looking at it through Queensland coloured eye site? .. Perhaps.

Anyway, look at the score board all of you NSW whiners.

See you in Sydney! .... Bring your hankies.  

NRL Still Run By NSW

NRL Judiciary ... Here we go again.

Well it must be said, one rule for New South Wales and another rule for Queensland.

How does Paul Gallen get off Scott free after kneeing a player in the head?
Regardless of the fact that no one was hurt, the intention was there. He lifted his knee into Dave Taylor's head, not just once I might add, with the express purpose of slowing down the play... It was not an accident!
When a player runs at a half back as he is kicking the ball and arrives a split second late and knocks him over, he is penalised and most of the time put on report. Because the action was not an accident.
If a player hangs out his arm as an attacking player steps inside him and hits him around the head, the contact, although careless, was still intentional and the offending player is penalised, put on report and usually suspended.
And when a player makes contact with another player's head with his knee, most of the time he is penalised and put on report and usually suspended for two to three weeks.
Unless of course you happen to be the NSW Captain.
Why don't we just have a rule that says. If you get a suspension leading up to representative games, your suspension commences when you return to club football.
This would probably help to stop the double standards.
Go The Maroons!!

NRL All Stars Match ... Racially divisive?

I'm not a fan of the NRL All Stars match up, a match I see as having racial undertones and driving another small wedge between races in this great country. Yes it will be a great spectacle, with 34 of the best in the game going at it, and yes the gate and the TV ratings will be real money spinners, but at what cost?

We all know how emotionally charged the "Tribal" clashes get during the normal NRL season when only clubs are involved. We see how team affiliations lead to heated rivalries during these clashes, wherever the games are viewed. (You know what I'm talking about you Bulldogs fans). To see a prime example of the enduring hatred generated by sporting rivalries, look no further than State Of Origin.
Now extend that to a National basis with White against Black and imagine the racial slurs and comments, not only at the ground, but right around the country in lounge rooms, pubs and clubs switched into this racial "war".
In this era of reconciliation and trying to close the divide between Indigenous Australians and those of  European extraction, do we need a major sporting event setting black against white? I think not.
People with an opposing view would say that it is great for young Aboriginal and Islander kids to aspire to their hero's status, but can't they do this by watching them during the normal season of club and rep games?
What is the purpose of this game? Other than that misguided point mentioned above, I can see no positives in this clash at all, except perhaps if you count the millions of dollars that the NRL will rake in from people going to the game or tuning in to watch their race smash the other.
Australian soccer had their race problems years ago and now continue to strive to keep racial affiliations out of their clubs.
If we are really trying to promote our Indigenous Australian's achievements and, at the same time draw the races closer together, wouldn't it be better if we had a match that would unite all Australians behind a single side and have the Indigenous All Stars play the Maori All Stars?
Although I love a great game of Rugby League, I won't be tuning in; my protest.