Thats fine.
Nothing wrong with having a rule for SOO and different rule for NRL rounds.

International rugby league is often played to rules that arent matching NRL.

Although i understand where Zef is coming from and the send off was absolutely the right call, i have to agree that a send off that early in a high profile game like that can turn fans away and hurt the game.

Given the nature of the rules these days, speed of the game, and ducking or slipping of the attacker not being grounds for an excuse, it seems logical that replacement player should be able to come on for the player sent off after some time penalty.

Obviously needs to more than 10mins. IMO 30mins might be a good punishment. It still gives the team with the player down, a chance to lit the damage (depending on when the offence occured).

Another possibility is that if the victim player returns to the field the man-down punishment becomes 20mins. But if he doesnt (like Walsh) then its 30.

The offending player should then face an automatic 4 week min suspension but subject to final charge.

I think that will still make it a deterrent to offend, give benefit to the victim team, yet still give the offending team a hope to contest the game

If the rules are made clear at the start of the season, that is it.

I don't think it was intentional in this case, or that teams would target the play maker.

Permanently off could still be reserved for incidents with no grey area.

Moving at speed and the attacker slipping are the minimum requirement for a grey area.

It is just a shame when a split second poor decision by a defender or a lack of technique ruins an entire game.

Sure, there was an intention to hit Walsh, but legally...

Most NRL players wouldn’t play for a coach who suggested illegally targeting an opposition player and word would get out. But I can believe a player with a grudge or a screw loose might decide to do it,  probably on the spur of the moment.

There are lots of bad injuries from head-clashes, friendly fire or unintentional hip drops. A guy getting wacked hard in the head these days is more .likely to be from a teammate.

When in doubt in a high speed one-on-one the defender should aim for the waist,  if the guy slips there is still some margin for error. Coaches stressing that will also help. 

Even with the relaxed rule no team wants to be a man short for 20 mins.

Any “loosening” of the send off rule could give rise to a situation in a big or must win game where a coach and/or player thinks it’s worth it to take an opposition play maker out early for the 20 min penalty or forced replacement or whatever.

Now…

I don’t believe there’s a player or coach that would do that, but the perception will always be there that they would and that they did if an opposition playmaker was taken out early.

what do you think the headlines would’ve been in QLD if Suali would’ve been able to be replaced after 20 mins the other night? Especially after the talk of targeting Walsh in the lead up.

The tame can’t afford the risk to it’s credibility, even if it’s only perceived.

Current NRL Dogs and the Panthers might be able to win with 12.

Those wins in the past were not for 70 mins against a good side with the current speed of the game. 

Under the 5 metre rule,  unlimited interchange or wrestle-mania it is possible.

QLD should have won by at least 50, especially with HO gasping for air playing an unfamiliar role in the middle. 

Sure this circumstance will not happen often, but most of the time it is game over, unless all NRL squads get to the fitness levels of the Dogs and Panthers.

What is the problem with the rule change?

Most of the time it will result in a 13 on 13 contest for 60 mins or 3/4 of the game.  Most teams concede at least 1 try with a guy in the bin for 10 mins.

If a player did the wrong thing that player deserves to be punished, not his team mates and the fans of the club.

In this case the guy is an inexperienced and fairly poor defender, no surprise that his technique faltered in the heat of the battle. Him starting at centre was a poor selection as was not having Burton on the bench. The NSW coach got what he deserved.

I think you’re applying the situation in a SOO to NRL and the rest of the game in general.

A player gets sent off early in a SOO you can pretty well put a line through the team because of the class of players on the field.

In NRL there’s been plenty of 12 man wins over the years and still will be.

The difference is players are moving faster, players can slip and it doesn't take much for good intentions to turn into a possible send off. 

With a player off for longer than 20 minutes against a good team in the modern game it is game over, even the fittest middle forwards are totally spent.

Fans turn up expecting to see a contest.  One mistake by one player shouldn't change that.

Watch a tape of a game from the 70s and 80s, footy was good in that era, but it is glacially slow compared to the modern game. As the game speeds up the rules need to adapt.

If QLD has a centre sent off in the start of the game, they at least had the right cover on the bench. But it is very hard to see why their middles wouldn’t also be cooked, meaning that they had no hope of winning. 

If everyone is happy for a single indicent to totally determine the result. Then maybe the teams should have shook hands after 7 minutes and walked off.

What if there’s a send off in the 61st minute?

There’s no need to change anything except tackling techniques. Suali’s wasn’t a great example but most shoulder/arms to the head are a result of the defender standing upright when tackling… to wrap the ball and all that sh.t of the 21st century.

Don’t change send offs just because that’s the way they choose to tackle. How about they change the way they choose to tackle because of send offs.

A good principle is- don't let the rules ruin the game as a contest. .

The send-off is from the era of the 5 metre rule and leather balls, the game was a lot slower, any action was likely to be deliberate and it was possible for teams to be competitive 1 man down.

Also in that era anyone who played reserve grade could be a first grade replacement,  an injury, HIA or send off for a winger or centre early in the game didn't end the game as a contest. 

QLD probably would have won an evenly contested game anyway, but we will never know.

A send-off shouldn't activate the 18th man, but the 18th man bib should be able to be passed to a player on the bench who has not played any minutes. Allowing the 18th man to come on as a replacement. 

18th man can be activated by an injury to a player in the first 10 mins, but that injured player can't play NRL for the next 3 weeks.

Otherwise 2 HIAs or injured by foul play.

The game is better this season because more games are a contest and often the winner is uncertain for at least the first 40 mins.

Not being able to replace the player who has been sent off for 20 mins is still a big penalty. But by shuffling the 18th man and burning through a few interchanges in the middle a team may be able to hang in to the contest and on rare occasions might even win after an early send off. 

The ref did make the right call with the send-off, but unfortunately that ruined the game as a contest.  Some of the crowd walked out at that point. Fans walking out early in games isn't what we want.

It is time to rethink the send off. That player should be out of the game, but IMO after 20 mins the team should be able to bring a replacement player on.

These days a team doesn't go out with a plan to take a star player out.

It looked worse because NSW reacted badly and leaked 2 soft trys before they sorted it out.. Mostly the existing send off rule isn't a problem, it is at the start of a game.

The danger is refs will not send guys who should be sent.

You can say Walsh was falling, and he was, and anything else you want, but I have never seen a harder direct impact to the head on a football field than the one he copped last night - and the subsequent hit of the head on the ground might be second hardest.

Closest I can remember was Dale Shearer getting his jaw smashed by some nobody with a cocked elbow one time and that time Wendell Sailor… quite accidentally… caved some Kiwi’s face in with his head in a Test match.

I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say it could’ve been fatal.

Had to be a send off just because.

Latrell on the bench if Burto starts 

NSW need some X-Factor players.

Bench would suit Latrell come on for the last 20 mins an wreak havoc. Can play anywhere in the backline including the halves or as an edge forward- for 20 mins.

I have calmed down and I am dialling back the team changes. 

NSW should have had Burto on the bench, if he was on the bench and came on straight after the send-off, NSW are at least playing with 2 guys who can play centre.

HO looked off the pace and not fit enough, swap him to 18th man for Burto.

And if Edwards is fit bring him back for Teddy. 

Nicho didn't look up to the task, but give him and the rest of the side another chance.

NSW is too quick to drop players after one bad game.

Teddy was poor last year and wasn't much better.

The intercept from Yeo was also predictable, good player but needs to throw that pass into the rubbish bin.

Hayward is light-years ahead of any other lock in the game passing the ball. That is one reason why our attack has improved and Sexton and Tracey playing straight is the other reason. 

Hayward moves at speed digs into the line and thows an accurate fast pass at the right time. While Yeo might think that he can pass, he is nowhere near as good as Hayward,  too slow, predictable and inaccurate.

Hutch and Mann also play too slow and too much across field.

Hard to say what Nicho was playing, because Teddy and Yeo kept getting in the way and slowing down the attack.

Neither SOO side displayed good structure and crisp passing,  QLD mostly won on NSW missed tackles and individual brilliance. All the more reason why NSW needed 2 centres on the field, hence Burto on the bench.

At least for the 2nd game NSW have some sort of gauge as to what is required to compete. The qweelanas have fuck all... they played 72 minutes against 12 men.

I reckon Nicho might not have been 100%. Many of his kicks were ordinary. Was also ordinary in defence.

Teddy got in the way and bungled  a few passes / tip ons. Tried hard,  probably too hard.

I would be making, 3 team changes, the defector,  Teddy and Nicho out. And don't pick the flat tracker.

Watch the defector only get a week after a send and be available to play us ..

We packed a centre all right .. it's like he wasn't even on the field for the whole game...

Critter was excellent...

The gross but was the commentators going to the flat track bully may be an option in the next game when Nicho was running his calf... QLD ain't offering no flat track...
Burto at 6 and give the keys to Romy if Nicho is out...

Valiant effort with 12...
Did Nicho go in not 100% fit with that calf???...  Never ran, and when he took a few steps they were all sideways..... 

Spencer looked great... Should've stayed on the field....

Still think the send off off over a slipping,/falling Walsh was over the top...  I heard he passed his HIA but was deemed Cat 1 on the field .. I can't say I've heard that before .  

Good effort from many of the NSW players. 

Still lacking another good centre and a bit of pace.

Critter one of the better NSW players. 

I wonder if Klein will get rewarded or get the arse for destroying game1.

If NSW does  manage a miracle win, it will be one of the best ever wins.

Until they put Critter over to the right it was ugly.

I always had my doubts about about Nicho,  the defector and Lomax in defence

Cleary is a much better kicker and defender. 

Re ugly... Yet...

The defector ruined the game,  but Teddy and Nicho are not up to this level.

Could've got ugly but didn't... Forwards have held their own... Give me Burto and Romy every day after that 40 mins from Nicho...

Was the defector wearing a bulldog jersey???...

They may have had an off night... But we did exactly what is required when teams have an off night... We didn't get dragged down to their level, and took advantage...

What the Parra game will show is if the Dragons and Knights were really that bad.

Both of them started the game well.

We didn't dominate either first half, but found a way to score points and limit the damage. 

Second half we got on top and the opposition never looked like scoring. 

Our kicking game against the Knights was the best effort all season a lot of that was Sexton, but Reed also chimed in.

Round 1 - we fumbled and bumbled at the start Parra got on top and we did well to be in the game with 10-15 mins to go.

Next step up for us is stop the opposition dominating in the first 20 mins. Then grind them out of the game with our kick / chase / linespeed.

Does that leg freshener come in a nasal spray yet or is it still rectal???...