Isn’t it refreshing to hear coaches and players speaking their mind?
For too long the NRL has been plagued by boring clichés, politically correct statements and carefully constructed spin during times of crisis.
You can imagine the excitement among journalists and commentators when Wayne Bennett and Ivan Cleary touched gloves and went at it in a war-of-words leading up to Saturday Night’s qualifying final between Penrith and South Sydney in Townsville.
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Grab the popcorn and enjoy.
The Penrith coach kicked things off by accusing the South Sydney Rabbitohs of deliberately targeting Nathan Cleary and urged the NRL match officials to come down hard on anyone who hits the halfback late or high.
Bennett wasn’t going to sit back and allow the allegation to pass and the 71-year-old bristled back at Ivan in a rant that would have made any barrister proud.
The Rabbitohs coach pointed to illegal block plays and suggested the Panthers practiced it at training to protect their number seven.
Surprise surprise, Bennett had the last laugh in Townsville.
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The Bunnies are now one-win away from the biggest game of the season whereas the Panthers have to beat Parramatta to keep their 2021 campaign alive.
You’d think Ivan Cleary would think twice before engaging in a war-of-words with the Supercoach, but he doubled down after the game. The verbal slanging match continued when the Panthers coach suggested Bennett had manipulated the match officials and called for the NRL to fine those who attempted to publicly influence referees before matches. The veteran mentor rubbished the claim, pointing to Ivan’s history with the referees and the fact he started the public debate.
“I wasn’t going to sit back and not stand up for my players. He was the one that has come out mouthing off. So just get that in its right perspective” Bennett said. “If he’s critical, he’s critical of himself.”
If they were a couple of kids, you’d send them to their rooms, but to watch two grown men trade barbs over a game of football is priceless.
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Coaches attempting to manipulate referees is something that’s been happening for decades.
Bob Fulton became a genius at it and Warren Ryan wasn’t afraid to highlight areas of the game which needed attention from the match officials. It’s also become a regular part of the narrative in the lead up to State of Origin. How many times have you read a story suggesting the NSW or Queensland coach wants a meeting with the NRL referees boss?
Why has it all of a sudden become such an issue?
I was surprised to read some comments from NRL boss Andrew Abdo in The Sydney Morning Herald yesterday in which the CEO urged the game as a whole to shift the focus away from match officials. Asked whether there was too much emphasis on officials, Mr Abdo said “I agree. I think we’ve got to be better than that. Sport is played by humans, and humans make mistakes. Sometimes it goes for you and sometimes it goes against you.”
I know referees are an easy target, but shouting things like “get ’em onside” and “they’ve been doing it all day ref” have been a part of the game forever.
I’m sick to death of people trying to dilute rugby league when we should be encouraging the coaches, players and match officials to speak their minds.
Obviously there’s a line there to determine what’s offensive and what’s defamatory, so as long as you steer clear of attacking someone’s character, where’s the problem?
The conflict, controversy and criticism are what people love about professional sport. It gives us something to talk about at work and within our group of mates; could you imagine the alternative?
The NRL shouldn’t be fining coaches and players for speaking their mind, the league should be encouraging it. We want more of it. Who’s with me?
Let me know what you think by emailing the Wide World of Sports Radio show by clicking on this link: https://form.jotform.co/70601482897867
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