“Safety Net”: NRL Boss Andrew Abdo Alleviates Worries Regarding Enhanced ARLC Authority

The NRL’s chief executive, Andrew Abdo, has downplayed concerns regarding the newly granted powers of the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) to impose charges on players for incidents during matches.

Panthers coach Ivan Cleary, along with the Rugby League Players Association (RLPA), has expressed apprehensions about this development, with the players’ union stating they harbour “serious concerns” regarding the ARLC’s authority to step in and charge players.

Cleary has labelled the current lack of trust in the match review committee as “concerning”, arguing that instead of granting the ARLC additional powers, the league should be addressing the underlying issues.

However, Abdo has urged everyone involved in the sport not to panic regarding these changes.

“It’s not about intervention; this is a precautionary measure identified by the commission to ensure the guidelines set by the commission are followed,” he explained.

“Essentially, this means that the commission has the ability, in very rare circumstances, to appeal to the judiciary regarding a matter that may have been overlooked by the match review committee or perhaps not graded suitably.

“The grading could potentially be increased or decreased, but this would only occur in exceptional cases as a safeguard.

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“This isn’t something that we expect to be applied regularly, if at all; it’s merely an important safety net.

“The commission does not have the authority to make final rulings; that responsibility remains with the judiciary.”

Abdo also addressed Cleary’s remarks regarding the match review committee’s (MRC) handling of a case involving Scott Sorensen, who received a ban for a hip drop tackle that left Dallin Watene-Zelezniak injured.

Cleary maintains that Sorensen’s suspension was solely due to the incident resulting in an injury to the Warriors star.

“What I’ll say is that we’ve emphasised the need for players to exercise a duty of care and to avoid engaging in actions that pose significant danger,” Abdo stated.

“We’ll not shy away from our responsibility to protect players and will also hold defenders accountable to take all necessary precautions to mitigate the risk of hip-drop tackles.”