A Different Type of Valentine's Card

There wasn't a shortage of talking points arising from the opening round of Super League. Arguably the biggest was the three red cards brandished in Round 1. No Valentine's cards here!

It Didn't Used To Be This Way...

This is a departure from past convention in the sport. A red card used to be very rare in our sport. In the NRL, the oft-rolled out line is that you have to shoot someone before you were dismissed.

At least in the northern hemisphere, something has changed. Forceful and direct contact to the head now appears to be a red card. We've seen a lot of refereeing clampdown over the years. Is this another one?

I'm not so sure. This may be a permanent shift. We saw a move towards more severe punishments for high tackles towards the end of last season. Both Sione Mata'utai and James Donaldson were sin binned in the play off semi final between St Helens and Leeds, where the attacker almost fell into contact.

Once, this would never have been thought of as a yellow card. Now it is. We don't know whether this is another short lived clampdown or not. If it isn't, players will need to change their game. If they don't, players like James Bentley will be spending a lot of time off the field. Their stock will fall.

You often here of players 'playing the game on the edge'. In 2022, such tactics bring with it high risk and little reward.

Why The Change?

We are far more aware of the impact of concussion on our players than we once were. The effects can be long term and life changing. Take Stevie Ward, the recently retired former Leeds captain whose life has been turned upside down due to head injuries.

The RFL are being sued for negligrnce by a group of former players due to allegedly breaching their duty of care (i.e. not protecting players from head injuries). Whether this litigation succeeds or not, it potentially poses a huge financial risk to the sport.

When a player is sent off, you often here the phrase "the game's gone". A red card doesn't end the sport, but if we don't have sufficient protections or mitigations for head injuries, we will suffer financially. The game may genuinely be gone.

A Ruined Game?

A common argument when a red card is shown is that the game is ruined as a spectacle. We examined this claim last year and the evidence doesn't support that.

From a neutral perspective, the Leeds v Warrington match was far from ruined by the red card. It was an engaging and thrilling spectacle for a national audience.

I wonder if our referees now realise that a red card rarely has an impact on the outcome of a game? If they do, then they may feel emboldened to make what is seen as a big decision.

Changes...

Regardless of what we think of this latest clampdown, if it is here to stay, players have two choices. Either change your technique or you and your team suffer.

The days of the 'enforcer' may be behind us. The sport is still physical. It is by its very nature. It always will be. But if your physicality crosses the line into foul play, then those 'enforcers' may become 'liabilities'.