Does declining rate of NRL send-offs point to over-lenient refs?

When rugby league reunified under the NRL banner in 1998, 17 players were sent off during the season.

Working on that as a season average, more than 400 players should have been sent off in the 25 years since.

But only 88 players — or less than four a season — have been given their marching orders by whistle-blowers.

They’ve been sent off for a variety of offences ranging from high and careless tackles, to striking, contrary conduct, tripping, attempted kicking, abuse, dissent, kneeing, headbutting, fighting, dangerous throws, shoulder charges, and hip drops.

Last year was by far the worst in the last 24 years with 12 players from 10 clubs sent off as a result of a crackdown, especially on shoulder chargers and hip drop tackles.

It seems to have worked.

This year only one player – Newcastle Knights forward Jacob Saifiti – has been sent off, suspended for five weeks for a high tackle against the Wests Tigers.

Plenty, however, would argue a few more players should have been given their marching orders in 2023, including Parramatta forward Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Melbourne hooker Harry Grant and Brisbane prop Marty Taupau.

Even Campbell-Gillard agreed he was very lucky not to have been sent off for dropping his knees into Gold Coast hooker Chris Randall, who escaped any serious injury.

Grant also appeared fortunate not to be sent off after dropping his knees into Knight rival Phoenix Crossland.

But those two ordinary efforts were easily topped by the brain explosion of the 2023 season from Taupau.

The former Manly forward received a warning letter from the NRL last week advising him to change his dangerous running action.

He did, lifting his knee even higher than usual when running at South Sydney’s Campbell Graham.

How he wasn’t sent off is beyond belief.

“Marty, what are you doing?” screamed Fox commentator Andrew Voss, echoing the thoughts of those watching.

Most of the on-field atrocities of yesteryear are gone, with punches and contact with the head both outlawed.

Fortunately, the wild west days of off-the-ball, behind-the-play dog acts are a thing of the past with so much scrutiny now from many cameras on the game.

Who could forget the bum-poking exploits of notorious Manly winger John Hopoate, exiled for 12 weeks for his bizarre tactics in 2001 which made world headlines?

Not satisfied with his five minutes of fame, Hopoate took possession of the undisputed crown as the game’s number one bad boy when suspended for 17 weeks for a savage hit on Cronulla’s Keith Galloway in 2005.

All up Hopoate was suspended for a record total of 49 weeks during his career.

His 17-week stretch, however, is not the individual record – that title belongs to Melbourne Storm’s Danny Williams, who was tossed out of the game for 18 weeks after a vicious king-hit on Wests Tigers rival Mark O’Neill in 2004.

There have been many other cases of lengthy suspensions handed out in the past 25 years.

Englishman James Graham copped 12 weeks for doing a ‘Mike Tyson’ on Storm fullback Billy Slater’s ear in the 2012 grand final, and current Rugby League Players’ Association chief executive Clint Newton was banned for the same stretch for a stray elbow which broke Ashton Sims’ jaw in 2004.

So far this season the number of players sent off stands at just one.

It is interesting to examine the breakdown of send-offs over the last 25 years.

From 1988 through to 2010, 70 players were sent off.

From 2011 to 2022, that number dropped to 34, suggesting the changes and crackdown have had a significant impact.

It does beg the question: are the NRL’s concerted efforts to clean up the game and eradicate foul play working, or are referees just being too tolerant of over-aggressive play?

It will be very interesting to see if the whistle-blowers show the same leniency to a number of players who will no doubt sail even closer to the wind in the run to the finals and during next month’s finals.

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