should we take a leaf out of NHL and anyone starting a fight get taken to one side and allowed to get on with it one on one for a minute

ps i was being a little bit sarcastic

Ratings would soar!

when a scrap starts up I'm usually the sad boring old saying we are playing the wrong game. Much rather the aggression was shown in the game legally than spill over into fisty cuffs. It's often started to put a team off their game when they're beating you. There have been some gooduns over the years but generally I think it's the wrong way to do it.

The Boogie man

But surely it should be up to those who play the game... and 99% of them love it (biff AND shoulder charge) and accept the risk.

Depends what risk the governing body deem acceptable and, to a lesser extent, what image they're trying to portray. I think there's enough risk in the game without allowing bare-knuckle fighting.

Fighting should never be a red card offence unless it gets really out of hand. The Jewitt Vs Walker and Tickle Vs Hauraki bouts didn't deserve red cards, just some forwards letting off some steam.

Sin bin to cool off should be adequate. No need for red cards at Hull the other night - bizarrely two others did get yellow. If anything really naughty happens then the judiciary in the week can act further.

I don't think anyone's advocating fighting to go unpunished but the sin-bin is perfect for this kind of offence. A sending off with the standard match ban is far too harsh in the scheme of things.

I dread to think how many players will be left on the field on the Hull derby or if this red-card frenzy goes global and in the Origin. I remember last year's SOO, an outrage broke out after the ref decided to sin-bin both players in a minor scrap, it was unheard of

The refs are getting over enthusiastic about carding players.
Two weeks ago Robert Hicks binned Sam Tomkins for dissent after his decision on a 20 restart v goal line drop out. Replays showed Hicks made the wrong decision. Tomkins shouldn't have verbally had a go but Hicks made five wrong decisions over catching the ball whilst the foot is our of play during the game. He was applying last year's rules. Don't know anything about Hock's red card for swearing but Hicks was the ref. I'd bet on the Hicks getting the decision wrong and Hock having a go.

Common sense needs to come in. Its a tough contact sport, at times it will cross the line. A yellow card should be enough. It allowts the coach to have a calming word ti calm things down and for the players to calm down. If it is that bad then thr disciplanary panel can be more severe punishment if needed.

Imo if biffs are sending off offences then head high tackles should be as well.

Hicks sent him to the bin after the touch judge ran on. That was the only time the touch judge interjected himself in the whole game, missing knock ons and forwards from both teams. So Hicks didn't even hear him swear the first time. The red came after Hock reacted badly to that.

Obviously angry at Hock for getting sent off like that but I've never seen a player sent off for swearing before. I know Jimmy Lowes was sin binned plenty of times because he couldn't keep his mouth shut but never red.