Yet again the NRL's "Golden Boy Policy" reared its ugly head yesterday with Jarryd Hayne getting off his kneeing charge. I can't believe he can play in the GF after what he did. I believe it proably wasn't intentional but he was very careless, even reckless and clearly kneeded Bronson Goodwin (couldnt happen to a nicer bloke) in the head at speed. Hayne should be at least sitting out this week and possibly round 1 next year. I know it isnt as bad as leading with the feet but it can be just as dangerous, maybe even more so if you collect the player flush.
This is where my Golden Boy Theory comes in. Any time one of the Leagues "Golden Boys" get in trouble, the NRL finds a way to get them out of it. They also get preferential treatment and honours they don't deserve a lot of the time. Thurston should have gone for his kick on the Wolfman, GOT OFF. Thurston shouldn't have polled 2nd in the Dally M. Justin Hodges threatens to kill NSW players on live TV in front of kids, NO WARNING. Brett Stewart did get 6 weeks but even the NRL couldnt sweep that under the carpet. 6 weeks was probably too lenient considering he was the focus of a multi million dollar marketing campaign.
Any high profile poster boy will get treated better than your everyday pleb. I bet if Joel Reddy or Todd Lowrie landed them knees they would not be playing on Sunday.
I am not a Parra or Melbourne fan but want consistency. Cameron Smith was rubbed out last year because everyone wanted to see a Manly GF win rather than Melbourne. How must he feel right now?
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couldn't agree more.
ReplyDeletewhen i saw it live i thought 2 things-
a- he deserves 2 weeks for that
b- there is no chance whatsoever that he will actually get rubbed out of the gf.
melbourne should be extra dirty as they had smith rubbed out last year.
Even more mystifying is the downgraded charge they gave Hayne in that "he did not knee Goodwin in the head, he hit him with the side of his leg". This in turn led to the downgradement and no case to answer conclusion. Fucking ridiculous!!
ReplyDeleteThe Judiciary seriously need to be sacked. Their lack of consistency in anything this year is appalling, ie the ridiculous Chicken Wing performed on a Canberra player by Ennis earlier in the year, the beforemantioned kick on Wolfman, and now this after Grubs' Smith (for the chicken wing) and Slater was suspended I think early this year for his kneeing of Manly players scoring tries in the GF last year.
Too many grey areas
Firstly lets establish that regardless of your thoughts on whether he should have been suspended or not there was no intent for Hayne to hurt Goodwin.
ReplyDeleteMatt Elliot made a great point on the Sunday Roast that what Billy Slater has been doing leading with the legs to knock the ball out of players in possession who are going to score was the reason this rule was bought in. However the grubber put in which Hayne was contesting was an uncontested ball and was available to both players which gives Hayne the right to go as hard for the ball as he wishes.
Now I also thought along the same lines regarding what sort of penalty he deserved. Now I think Hayne should have been sin binned on the night. In the end the offence committed was against the Bulldogs not the Storm so the Dogs deserved to benefit from the ensuing penalty. I cant see how rubbing players out for something like that is going to help the game, all the uproar and media attention has only encouraged players to stay down if they are contacted dangerously. I am not saying Goodwin took a dive, however if he wasnt knocked out he could have easily played for a penalty.
I think the incident was a result of 2 players going for the ball in a contact sport. We are trying to make a game of inperfections perfect. However Hayne knocked Goodwin out unintentionally so I think a system should be bought in where sin bins take the place of the 1 or 2 week suspension bullshit which alot of the time favours the elite players in our game I totally agree.
Now this Golden Boy arguement also has some flaws even though on some levels I definately agree, however I found myself thinking. Cameron Smith a Dally M Medal Winner and the Storms best and most influential player in close games was rubbed out for something which in my opinion was a media driven crock of shit, he had a hand around Thiadays throat and pulled him back, the initial contact was around the kneck a grapple states that there must be a second movement to the kneck into the grappling position. Smith got 2 weeks!!!! I think if its apples for apples then Hayne gets suspended because Smith did also but 2 wrongs dont make a right. The decision is correct this year. Hayne and Smith didnt deserve to miss Grand Finals for the discretions they made.
ReplyDeleteMatt Keating however also gets off??? I have played alot of football and you grab whatever in order to make a tackle but Keating went past just grabbing an arm to pull Hannant down, he twisted pulled and arm barred his arm and ultimately took Hannant out of the game, there were second movements by Keating to sections of Hannants arm which indicated Keating was trying to do more damage than just tackle Hannant. If Smith got 2 weeks last season then Keating deserved 3, that was a dog act. Hannant now has a dislocated elbow and shoulder to show.
Great great post PAWD, Thurston should have been suspended in Origin. Hodges who cares he is a grub and the NRL has let his shit slide for years. Stewart if found guilty will get his punishment.
A system need to be bought in which is clear and does not allow for changes in gradings ect. Even if the judiciary moves to be independant of the NRL so they are not influenced. I also like the idea of allowing players to postpone suspensions which are 2 games or less in order to play in Origins, Test Matches and Finals games.
Agree with most of your points Box, however dont on Hayne going in full ball with Goodwin to prevent the try. I have no drama with him going in full ball, but just dont do it with your knees first! What's wrong with diving head and arms first and trying to dislodge the ball from the winger's grasp or beating him to the ball and knocking it dead over the touchline. It was a brain explosion for which he is very VERY lucky to get away with. This knees in first caper, whether to try and hold a player up or not, needs to be rubbed out of the game.
ReplyDeleteKeating's smirk on tv last night quoting Hayne sent him a text when he dodged a bullet getting off a suspension with a "Yeah Baby" gives me enough reason to support the Storm on Sunday.
Yeah I agree there was dangerous contact made and he could have avoided the contact with the head, but he only has a split second.
ReplyDeleteI also think there is a serious problem with how close the trainers, camera men, photographers ect are too close to the field and I think alot of players react to aviod them, thats not making an excuse for Hayne its just an observation.
I will be cheering Melbourne on. Fuck Parramatta even though I think what they have achieved is amazing. However the season is way too long. How does a team who wins 5 of their first 18 games make the semi finals?