Quote: Cruncher "Things never change in Rugby League.
If there's any way we can possibly find to ruin the viewing experience for the hard-pressed fans, we will go ahead and do it. Bear in mind, the matchday experience for the RFL, plumply overfed and slinging down gratis G&Ts in whichever boardroom they happen to be watching from at whatever ground, will never be affected by what's happening on the pitch.
But what's happening on the pitch is the only thing the rest of us have got. And now, I suspect, they've found a way to completely spoil it. So watch out for their response to the tide of criticism these next few weeks by being holier than thou and doubling down. They probably won't be happy until there are 80 odd players under suspension at any one time, while the fans keep forking out huge ticket fees to watch a bunch of kids filling the stars' shirts.
If this carries on, boys and girls, the game really is f####d.'"
The constant penalties/six agains etc will have the same effect as it did in the other code and make the game nothing but stop start and kill the entertainement - I thought that RL was sensible enough not to go down the same route but it looks ineviatable now. Add in bans and the ridiculous theatrics of some players (one cas player in particular more than once falling on the floor clutching his face looking for a penalty and when nothing was given was very quickly back up) and the game will become less about entertainment as time goes by.
Hopefully things will calm down after a few weeks as there is always a big push early rounds for refs to take control which gradually lessens as the weeks go by - we can hope anyway!