Gould Calls on NRL for Clarity as Joey Slams ‘Embarrassing’ Crackdown

Phil Gould has called on the NRL to reassess its high contact crackdown ahead of Magic Round, following an outburst from league legend Andrew Johns who described a recent sin-bin incident as a “joke.” 

During round eight, an astounding total of 18 players found themselves in the sin bin, overshadowing the weekend’s on-field action. This prompted Johns, one of the game’s all-time greats, to voice his anger over the league’s handling of high contact issues.

The controversy peaked at Leichhardt Oval in the final clash of the round when Tigers forward Fonua Pole was sent to the bin for what appeared to be a minor incident with Cronulla’s Tom Hazleton. The timing was pivotal; the Tigers were leading 18-12 when the Sharks quickly capitalised on the player disadvantage, equalising the match to 18-18.

“Oh no… please tell me that’s not it,” Johns remarked during the commentary as he viewed the tackle that led to Pole’s dismissal. 

“No, no, no… I simply can’t. That’s ridiculous.”

Fortunately for both the Bunker and the referees, the Tigers snatched victory in extra time with a penalty goal.

This episode occurred only hours after Johns had aired his frustrations regarding the spate of sin bins on Nine’s The Sunday Footy Show.

“They want players to tackle low, but if (Penrith’s) Scott Sorensen goes low on (Manly’s) Nathan Brown, he could knock himself out cold,” Johns noted, referring to a similar sin-bin incident that occurred during a match won by the Sea Eagles.

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“If he wraps his arms, there’s a risk of dislocating his shoulder—he needs to brace himself to create space. I have no idea what the NRL expects from these tackles, and they really need to clarify the intended method for such situations.”

“To penalise that with two weeks is utterly absurd; the ongoing crackdown and sending players off for such incidents is ludicrous. It’s beyond ridiculous and frankly embarrassing, especially the overly meticulous scrutiny from the Bunker during play, which should only be reserved for reviewing try-scoring chances.”

“To go back eight plays where the referees, touch judges, and participants miss the incident and send someone off is completely ridiculous.”

“With Magic Round around the corner, we have a lot of working-class fans who save all year to experience it. If this controversy persists and taints our game, it will be downright disgraceful.”

“I’m incredibly frustrated by this, and I can only imagine the players are feeling the same.”

“The fans are the heart of the game. Without them tuning in on TV, there are no broadcast rights, and without them attending games, there’s no financial support.

“I can only suspect they are even more frustrated than I am.

“Accidents on the field can’t be completely prevented. I’m unsure how we got to this point or whose decision it is, but clarification is necessary.”

On Monday, Gould echoed the sentiment that the NRL must reassess its strategy before Magic Round kicks off this Friday.

“There were probably three times as many penalties, leading to a very stop-start atmosphere all weekend,” Gould remarked on Nine’s Today.

“I’m not clear on what they’re hoping to achieve or if they’ve been successful in their objectives.

“With Magic Round approaching, I sincerely hope they sort this out before we present the game to the world.”

“It’s truly frustrating.”

The NRL had previously attempted a similar crackdown on high contact a few seasons ago, but it was largely abandoned within weeks due to widespread discontent.