Queensland legend Paul Vautin has slammed the high tackle ban that rubbed likely NSW debutant Victor Radley out of State of Origin, fearing what the NRL's crackdown may do to the showpiece series.
Roosters lock Radley failed to get a downgrade for a grade two careless high tackle on Broncos forward Tevita Pangai Jr, meaning that a four-game ban was handed down by the NRL judiciary last night; plus a one-match suspension for a hit on Albert Kelly during a general-play kick.
While Radley was furious, NSW coach Brad Fittler said that he and other players needed to heed the NRL's message.
"He hit him too high. You don't have to be Einstein to realise that everyone's just got to bring their tackling a little bit lower," Fittler told TODAY this morning.
"They've made a decision they're not going to change, so for the players who flirt on the edge, they just need to bring it down a little bit. I don't think they have to adjust too much, a few alterations to a few players' defensive techniques."
Fittler has endorsed the crackdown, which has widespread support across the game in principle; while also evoking serious concern about its implementation, amid a mass of sin-binnings and citings. The main gripe is that incidental high contact is being treated much like flagrant foul play.
Vautin, an ex-Maroons forward and coach, is worried about what the referees will do to the looming Origin series, rugby league's toughest contest. He said that five games, albeit due to loading from prior offences, was too harsh a ban for Radley.
"I think Victor's been hard done by. Five weeks for that ... hello, it's not right. It's just not right," Vautin said on TODAY.
"He shouldn't have gotten off but two weeks [may have been fairer]. I think they've changed the goalposts and they've done it mid-year.
"I hope it doesn't ruin the spectacle that's coming up of State of Origin. I'd hate to see an Origin game where you've got three or four players in the sin-bin, you've got 12 vs 11 or 11 vs 10 or whatever; who knows what could happen.
"Accidents are going to happen in rugby league. I know we've got to lower our sights but accidents to happen.
"In my career, I reckon I probably got hit [high] 20 times on purpose, maybe 30, and I reckon 150 accidental. And you know what you did? You dusted them off, you got hit in the jaw or the cheek or the ear, nothing in that, and you played on.
"At the moment, any of those accidental hits, they're getting suspended for. I think it's too much."
However, Fittler said that there were a raft of factors involved in Radley's hefty suspension and the bottom line was that he needed to clean-up his play.
"Part of it's the system - you look at loading and extras and all the sort of things that go with it," he said.
"And the fact is, he didn't plead guilty, he went in and fought the case [grading]. The five weeks is a result of a lot of things added on but at the end of the day, the referees are going to do what they're doing at the moment and if you don't abide by it, then you're going to put your team under pressure."
Radley was sin-binned over both incidents for which he was suspended as the Roosters lost to Brisbane. He will now miss at least the first two Origin games, yet he was defiant about changing his tackling technique in response to the NRL's crackdown.
"Just because they decide to change the rules midway through the season doesn't mean I have to change my tackling style," he said after his judiciary hearing.
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from WWOS https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/state-of-origin-nsw-blues-victor-radley-high-tackle-ban-slammed-paul-vautin-brad-fittler/dddf276b-c611-4610-bd5d-224d3d696fab
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