Latest news with #GrahamAnnesley
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
League great slams NRL as Benji Marshall spray lands Tigers coach in hot water
League great Greg Alexander has leapt to the defence of Benji Marshall after the Wests Tigers coach's criticism of officials looks set to land him in hot water with the NRL. Marshall blew up over two controversial calls against Jarome Luai during Sunday's loss to Penrith, with the penalty for a late tackle on Panthers kicker Blaize Talagi particularly baffling. Luai was also pinged for an escort penalty during the second half of the 18-14 defeat that Marshall thought the officials also got wrong. But the NRL's head of football Graham Annesley insisted on Tuesday that both incidents were reviewed and the right calls were made. 'It's clear from the vision that Jarome Luai props on his left foot and turns his back to initiate contact with Liam Martin,' Annesley said about the escort penalty. 'Regarding the contact on kicker Blaize Talagi, the rules are very clear, and have been reinforced with clubs on multiple occasions over recent seasons. "Players have a duty of care to avoid dangerous contact with kickers who are in the process of kicking and in a vulnerable position. This is a player safety policy which has been in place for a number of years.' But a frustrated Alexander wasn't having a bar of that explanation and echoed the fan backlash by insisting that Luai made the tackle on Talagi as he was kicking the footy. Luai's shot was not late, high or dangerous and the former premiership winner lamented the fact that current rules tend to penalise defenders for what has long been celebrated as exemplary kick pressure. "The tackle wasn't late, it wasn't high. He was within his rights to make that tackle," Alexander said about the penalty against Luai. "Please tell me that we haven't ruled that out of the game. "Do we just allow a kicker to take all the time in the world to kick the ball? As long as he hasn't made contact with the legs of the kicker - which he didn't - then I think it's gotta be alright. Veteran NRL commentator Andrew Voss agreed it did not warrant a penalty. "If he was passing the ball, then there's no dramas," he added. With the scores locked at 10-10 at the time, the decision proved costly as Nathan Cleary's ensuing penalty goal put the defending premiers up by two, before Thomas Jenkins completed his hat-trick late on to help get Penrith home. Marshall was clearly infuriated in his post-match press conference and suggested the officials decided the outcome, in comments that look to have landed him in hot water. 'The game is so hard and demanding. And I actually feel sorry for our players because they didn't actually get to decide tonight," the Wests Tigers coach said. RELATED: 'Cringey' Galvin promo infuriates fans as Raiders hero cops huge snub Slater under fire for Ezra Mam move as QLD axe skipper DCE 'It was a wrong call. I agree with protecting the kickers, but he didn't take his legs out. They didn't put him in a dangerous position. It was simultaneous when he kicked it and he made contact there. Like, that's not a penalty. "And I thought it actually cost us because we're in a cycle there where they got field position, kicked the goal, got the ball back, went down, got a penalty and then scored, so anyway, I've had my rant.' And it could prove costly for Marshall and the Tigers, with CODE Sports reporting that the NRL is reviewing the comments to determine whether any form of sanction will be handed down. That's two horrible calls by officials this week when it's come to putting pressure on the kicker. You want Luai to do that every 5th tackle play if he could #NRLTigersPanthers — Jay Keegan (@JayMK1994) June 8, 2025 Free 2 points there because of a perfect tackle by luai, game is so far gone. #NRLTigersPanthers — Tiger96🐅 (@tiger959505) June 8, 2025 Jarome Luai has done absolutely nothing wrong then 🤦♂️ #nrltigerspanthers — Alex Sutton (@TosBetting) June 8, 2025 This game is unwatchable. Nothing wrong with that tackle from Luai.#NRLTigersPanthers — Rewster (@Rewster7) June 8, 2025
Daily Telegraph
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
NRL 2025: Graham Annesley says high contact crackdown will continue
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News. The NRL's head of football has warned players and fans that officials won't back down from the league's strict head high contact policy during Magic Round. But Graham Annesley did concede the bunker should only be getting involved for more serious incidents after outrage over several incidents during last round. High contact has been debated everywhere you look over the past few days after 18 players were sent to the sin bin in round eight, with some players fined or suspended, while others weren't even charged. Most fans can live with penalties or players being put on report after the fact for high contact, but there's been a growing frustration around the bunker getting involved a set later to stop play and ask the referee to sin bin a player for contact that didn't seem overly forceful. 'From our perspective, there hasn't been a crackdown,' Annesley told NewsWire, reminding fans of four missed sin bins in round four that led to the NRL sending out a memo to clubs about high contact. 'About a month ago, there were a number of fairly obvious sin bins that didn't happen. We had to remind referees and clubs of what the expected standard was for tackles of that type under existing policy that's been in place for the past three years. 'There was no new policy, there was no new directive. It was just that there were a number of misses that should have been acted upon, and we didn't want it to be seen that it was the new standard. 'We've reviewed all of the high tackles from the weekend, and it's fair to say that most of them should have been sent to the sin bin, but maybe a couple shouldn't have been. Then there were a couple that maybe should have been that weren't. 'It was an unusual weekend with the high number of incidents that the match officials had to deal with, but I'm not walking away from the fact that we have to be better at getting the right outcome for these incidents when they take place.' Deine Mariner was one of the many players sent to the sin bin in round eight. Picture: NRL Images While most fans would agree that shoulder charges to the head deserve harsh penalties, it's equally hard to accept when a player is sent to the sin bin for minimal contact that happened two minutes earlier. Annesley explained that on-field officials may miss foul play and that there's always someone in the bunker going back to review potential high contact. 'We understand that it's frustrating for fans and players to see the game stopped for a prior incident, and then a player gets sent to the sin bin,' he said. 'These incidents where the bunker intervenes for something that happened a number of tackles previously, we understand that it's disruptive to the flow of the game and it's frustrating. We get that. 'But by the same token, we have to make sure that we are always protecting players wherever possible. 'When we go back to a previous play, we have to make sure that we're only doing it for the most serious of incidents. 'If there's no question that a player should not remain on the field after a tackle that's been missed by the match officials, then that player deserves to go to the sin bin. 'But if we get any marginal incidents where the player could be placed on report for the incident rather than stopping the game, then we need to be better at that.' Graham Annesley warned players to expect to be punished if they get their tackle technique wrong. Picture: NRL Imagery Annesley had a simple message to players that referees have nothing to rule on if they don't hit rivals in the head, with the NRL concerned about a sharp rise in foul play this year. 'We're the first to acknowledge that there have been some inconsistencies with how some of these matters have been dealt with,' he said. 'The large majority have been justifiable because we've actually seen a pretty significant increase in high tackles this year. 'We've seen a 90 per cent increase in the number of high tackles being reviewed by the match review committee, we've seen a 95 per cent increase in the number of charges for head high tackles and a 71 per cent increase for high tackles. 'It is a concern for us that we're seeing an increase in this type of tackle, and a disturbing number of shoulder to the head types of tackles which can be quite serious. 'We're not backing away from our existing and past policy of contact with the head and neck. 'However, we do need to ensure that we have all our match officials on the same page.' It's why the NRL won't be altering its stance for Magic Round, with fans worried that we could see a repeat of the mass sin bins and send offs from four years ago. 'Our position on contact with the head and neck hasn't changed. It hasn't changed this year, and it hasn't changed for the past three years.' Annesley warned. 'I don't know why, but we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of high tackles this year. 'We're not going to ease off on players going to the sin bin when they deserve to go to the sin bin because it's our responsibility to try to make sure that it's a deterrent for players to not make contact with the head and neck.' Originally published as 'We're not going to ease off': NRL accepts calls have been 'frustrating' for fans, but warns tough stance won't change for Magic Round
Herald Sun
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
NRL 2025: Graham Annesley says high contact crackdown will continue
The NRL has told the bunker to only get involved for more serious offences from now on, but players have been warned that high contact will continue to be punished as fan frustration grows. Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News. The NRL's head of football has warned players and fans that officials won't back down from the league's strict head high contact policy during Magic Round. But Graham Annesley did concede the bunker should only be getting involved for more serious incidents after outrage over several incidents during last round. High contact has been debated everywhere you look over the past few days after 18 players were sent to the sin bin in round eight, with some players fined or suspended, while others weren't even charged. Most fans can live with penalties or players being put on report after the fact for high contact, but there's been a growing frustration around the bunker getting involved a set later to stop play and ask the referee to sin bin a player for contact that didn't seem overly forceful. — Fox League (@FOXNRL) April 27, 2025 'From our perspective, there hasn't been a crackdown,' Annesley told NewsWire, reminding fans of four missed sin bins in round four that led to the NRL sending out a memo to clubs about high contact. 'About a month ago, there were a number of fairly obvious sin bins that didn't happen. We had to remind referees and clubs of what the expected standard was for tackles of that type under existing policy that's been in place for the past three years. 'There was no new policy, there was no new directive. It was just that there were a number of misses that should have been acted upon, and we didn't want it to be seen that it was the new standard. 'We've reviewed all of the high tackles from the weekend, and it's fair to say that most of them should have been sent to the sin bin, but maybe a couple shouldn't have been. Then there were a couple that maybe should have been that weren't. 'It was an unusual weekend with the high number of incidents that the match officials had to deal with, but I'm not walking away from the fact that we have to be better at getting the right outcome for these incidents when they take place.' While most fans would agree that shoulder charges to the head deserve harsh penalties, it's equally hard to accept when a player is sent to the sin bin for minimal contact that happened two minutes earlier. Annesley explained that on-field officials may miss foul play and that there's always someone in the bunker going back to review potential high contact. 'We understand that it's frustrating for fans and players to see the game stopped for a prior incident, and then a player gets sent to the sin bin,' he said. 'These incidents where the bunker intervenes for something that happened a number of tackles previously, we understand that it's disruptive to the flow of the game and it's frustrating. We get that. 'But by the same token, we have to make sure that we are always protecting players wherever possible. 'When we go back to a previous play, we have to make sure that we're only doing it for the most serious of incidents. 'If there's no question that a player should not remain on the field after a tackle that's been missed by the match officials, then that player deserves to go to the sin bin. 'But if we get any marginal incidents where the player could be placed on report for the incident rather than stopping the game, then we need to be better at that.' Annesley had a simple message to players that referees have nothing to rule on if they don't hit rivals in the head, with the NRL concerned about a sharp rise in foul play this year. 'We're the first to acknowledge that there have been some inconsistencies with how some of these matters have been dealt with,' he said. 'The large majority have been justifiable because we've actually seen a pretty significant increase in high tackles this year. 'We've seen a 90 per cent increase in the number of high tackles being reviewed by the match review committee, we've seen a 95 per cent increase in the number of charges for head high tackles and a 71 per cent increase for high tackles. 'It is a concern for us that we're seeing an increase in this type of tackle, and a disturbing number of shoulder to the head types of tackles which can be quite serious. 'We're not backing away from our existing and past policy of contact with the head and neck. 'However, we do need to ensure that we have all our match officials on the same page.' It's why the NRL won't be altering its stance for Magic Round, with fans worried that we could see a repeat of the mass sin bins and send offs from four years ago. 'Our position on contact with the head and neck hasn't changed. It hasn't changed this year, and it hasn't changed for the past three years.' Annesley warned. 'I don't know why, but we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of high tackles this year. 'We're not going to ease off on players going to the sin bin when they deserve to go to the sin bin because it's our responsibility to try to make sure that it's a deterrent for players to not make contact with the head and neck.' Originally published as 'We're not going to ease off': NRL accepts calls have been 'frustrating' for fans, but warns tough stance won't change for Magic Round NRL It's been revealed Andrew Johns became so angry at the NRL's 'farcical' crackdown he staged a commentary boycott over the weekend. SuperCoach The St George Illawarra Dragons have confirmed the dropping of halfback Lachlan Ilias for Magic Round – and the race is on to replace him.
News.com.au
28-04-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘We're not going to ease off': NRL accepts calls have been 'frustrating' for fans, but warns tough stance won't change for Magic Round
The NRL's head of football has warned players and fans that officials won't back down from the league's strict head high contact policy during Magic Round. But Graham Annesley did concede the bunker should only be getting involved for more serious incidents after outrage over several incidents during last round. High contact has been debated everywhere you look over the past few days after 18 players were sent to the sin bin in round eight, with some players fined or suspended, while others weren't even charged. Most fans can live with penalties or players being put on report after the fact for high contact, but there's been a growing frustration around the bunker getting involved a set later to stop play and ask the referee to sin bin a player for contact that didn't seem overly forceful. Kodi Nikorima was sent to the sin bin for this high tackle. ðŸ'° Watch #NRLRaidersDolphins on ch.502 or stream on Kayo: âœ�ï¸� BLOG ðŸ'¢ MATCH CENTRE — Fox League (@FOXNRL) April 27, 2025 'From our perspective, there hasn't been a crackdown,' Annesley told NewsWire, reminding fans of four missed sin bins in round four that led to the NRL sending out a memo to clubs about high contact. 'About a month ago, there were a number of fairly obvious sin bins that didn't happen. We had to remind referees and clubs of what the expected standard was for tackles of that type under existing policy that's been in place for the past three years. 'There was no new policy, there was no new directive. It was just that there were a number of misses that should have been acted upon, and we didn't want it to be seen that it was the new standard. 'We've reviewed all of the high tackles from the weekend, and it's fair to say that most of them should have been sent to the sin bin, but maybe a couple shouldn't have been. Then there were a couple that maybe should have been that weren't. 'It was an unusual weekend with the high number of incidents that the match officials had to deal with, but I'm not walking away from the fact that we have to be better at getting the right outcome for these incidents when they take place.' While most fans would agree that shoulder charges to the head deserve harsh penalties, it's equally hard to accept when a player is sent to the sin bin for minimal contact that happened two minutes earlier. Annesley explained that on-field officials may miss foul play and that there's always someone in the bunker going back to review potential high contact. 'We understand that it's frustrating for fans and players to see the game stopped for a prior incident, and then a player gets sent to the sin bin,' he said. 'These incidents where the bunker intervenes for something that happened a number of tackles previously, we understand that it's disruptive to the flow of the game and it's frustrating. We get that. 'But by the same token, we have to make sure that we are always protecting players wherever possible. 'When we go back to a previous play, we have to make sure that we're only doing it for the most serious of incidents. 'If there's no question that a player should not remain on the field after a tackle that's been missed by the match officials, then that player deserves to go to the sin bin. 'But if we get any marginal incidents where the player could be placed on report for the incident rather than stopping the game, then we need to be better at that.' Annesley had a simple message to players that referees have nothing to rule on if they don't hit rivals in the head, with the NRL concerned about a sharp rise in foul play this year. 'We're the first to acknowledge that there have been some inconsistencies with how some of these matters have been dealt with,' he said. 'The large majority have been justifiable because we've actually seen a pretty significant increase in high tackles this year. 'We've seen a 90 per cent increase in the number of high tackles being reviewed by the match review committee, we've seen a 95 per cent increase in the number of charges for head high tackles and a 71 per cent increase for high tackles. 'It is a concern for us that we're seeing an increase in this type of tackle, and a disturbing number of shoulder to the head types of tackles which can be quite serious. 'We're not backing away from our existing and past policy of contact with the head and neck. 'However, we do need to ensure that we have all our match officials on the same page.' It's why the NRL won't be altering its stance for Magic Round, with fans worried that we could see a repeat of the mass sin bins and send offs from four years ago. 'Our position on contact with the head and neck hasn't changed. It hasn't changed this year, and it hasn't changed for the past three years.' Annesley warned. 'I don't know why, but we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of high tackles this year. 'We're not going to ease off on players going to the sin bin when they deserve to go to the sin bin because it's our responsibility to try to make sure that it's a deterrent for players to not make contact with the head and neck.'
West Australian
28-04-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
‘We're not going to ease off': NRL accepts calls have been 'frustrating' for fans, but warns tough stance won't change for Magic Round
The NRL's head of football has warned players and fans that officials won't back down from the league's strict head high contact policy during Magic Round. But Graham Annesley did concede the bunker should only be getting involved for more serious incidents after outrage over several incidents during last round. High contact has been debated everywhere you look over the past few days after 18 players were sent to the sin bin in round eight, with some players fined or suspended, while others weren't even charged. Most fans can live with penalties or players being put on report after the fact for high contact, but there's been a growing frustration around the bunker getting involved a set later to stop play and ask the referee to sin bin a player for contact that didn't seem overly forceful. 'From our perspective, there hasn't been a crackdown,' Annesley told NewsWire, reminding fans of four missed sin bins in round four that led to the NRL sending out a memo to clubs about high contact. 'About a month ago, there were a number of fairly obvious sin bins that didn't happen. We had to remind referees and clubs of what the expected standard was for tackles of that type under existing policy that's been in place for the past three years. 'There was no new policy, there was no new directive. It was just that there were a number of misses that should have been acted upon, and we didn't want it to be seen that it was the new standard. 'We've reviewed all of the high tackles from the weekend, and it's fair to say that most of them should have been sent to the sin bin, but maybe a couple shouldn't have been. Then there were a couple that maybe should have been that weren't. 'It was an unusual weekend with the high number of incidents that the match officials had to deal with, but I'm not walking away from the fact that we have to be better at getting the right outcome for these incidents when they take place.' While most fans would agree that shoulder charges to the head deserve harsh penalties, it's equally hard to accept when a player is sent to the sin bin for minimal contact that happened two minutes earlier. Annesley explained that on-field officials may miss foul play and that there's always someone in the bunker going back to review potential high contact. 'We understand that it's frustrating for fans and players to see the game stopped for a prior incident, and then a player gets sent to the sin bin,' he said. 'These incidents where the bunker intervenes for something that happened a number of tackles previously, we understand that it's disruptive to the flow of the game and it's frustrating. We get that. 'But by the same token, we have to make sure that we are always protecting players wherever possible. 'When we go back to a previous play, we have to make sure that we're only doing it for the most serious of incidents. 'If there's no question that a player should not remain on the field after a tackle that's been missed by the match officials, then that player deserves to go to the sin bin. 'But if we get any marginal incidents where the player could be placed on report for the incident rather than stopping the game, then we need to be better at that.' Annesley had a simple message to players that referees have nothing to rule on if they don't hit rivals in the head, with the NRL concerned about a sharp rise in foul play this year. 'We're the first to acknowledge that there have been some inconsistencies with how some of these matters have been dealt with,' he said. 'The large majority have been justifiable because we've actually seen a pretty significant increase in high tackles this year. 'We've seen a 90 per cent increase in the number of high tackles being reviewed by the match review committee, we've seen a 95 per cent increase in the number of charges for head high tackles and a 71 per cent increase for high tackles. 'It is a concern for us that we're seeing an increase in this type of tackle, and a disturbing number of shoulder to the head types of tackles which can be quite serious. 'We're not backing away from our existing and past policy of contact with the head and neck. 'However, we do need to ensure that we have all our match officials on the same page.' It's why the NRL won't be altering its stance for Magic Round, with fans worried that we could see a repeat of the mass sin bins and send offs from four years ago. 'Our position on contact with the head and neck hasn't changed. It hasn't changed this year, and it hasn't changed for the past three years.' Annesley warned. 'I don't know why, but we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of high tackles this year. 'We're not going to ease off on players going to the sin bin when they deserve to go to the sin bin because it's our responsibility to try to make sure that it's a deterrent for players to not make contact with the head and neck.'
