Haha, you couldn't have every game reffed the same way as SoO, as good as it was that one got a bit silly this morning with messing round at the PTB, laying on, high shots etc.

If automatic sendings off for fighting are going to become the norm (which they should if the RFL are to be consitent), then it is going to dilute the game IMO. Unless it's REALLY bad, which most aren't, then a yellow for the players involved should be sufficient.

The game was riddled with high tackles, grapple tackles, messing around on the floor and punches. It's simply unacceptable except when you have millions and millions of viewers in very proud states who would like nothing better than to knock each other out cold.

The refs knew the game was dirty, it'd be as boring as watching Widnes play if there wasn't any cheap nasty stuff going on.

All that said, it was a cracker.

I understand what you are saying and agree to certain extent but, if you have seen the local news lately some poor bloke was killed by one blow to the head from an idiot in the street, and though I’m with you that a punch up the bracket never really hurt anyone when it wasn’t meant to totally clean them out, still I wouldn’t like our game to ever be in the news for someone being up for killing someone during a game. It could happen, so it’s a fine balance on the punch-up question for me.





Rock 'n' Roll.

Well our game has been played since the late 1800s, and there have been literally thousands of fights over that time.

I have never heard of anyone being killed in all this time in a punch up.

Still 'it might take your eye out !'

Agree with earlier post, our game is becoming too sanitised, MM Saints game example. Origin had 2 refs but they just let the game flow, and it was a lot better spectacle for it.

We've all watched dull games where things are just plodding along and the crowd are numb. Then a fight kicks off. Crowd get on their feet and get noisy. Then forwards start putting big hits in for the next few minutes. Game on! Bring back the biff... just not cowardly shots from behind!

Tbh the thing that was unacceptable was the messing around on the floor. Pathetic facials were the norm rather than the exception..........

In terms of a standard brawl, I have always believe that the original offender should be punished and the retaliator should be let off. Completely.

The sin binning of "both" sides, that has become the norm within SL is, imo, entirely the wrong message to be sending out.

I've wondered for a couple of years why a thrown missed punch in SL often results in a sin binning, when a landed punch seemed to get away with a penalty. A little dust up is always a plus in the game I just ask for onsistency, if Micky Mac gets sent off for throwing a punch, then our game will be down to 10 a side at the end. SoO is special, big hard men v big hard men and mostly all aussies who need a head crack every so often to wake them up.

Totally disagree. Sin binning both sides is the correct call imo. You can't go around punching people and at the same time you shouldn't retaliate you should let the officials deal with it. That's what they're there for.

Fair enough. It's your opinion and I can't say it's wrong. For me though, it's the instigator who should receive the punishment.

I think he should get the stronger punishment yes. In the first Origin game for example, Jennings rightly went to the bin for running in (if you ref it to the laws) but the QLD prop (Hannant I think) should have gone as well for causing it all and NSW get the penalty.


I'm pretty sure though that retaliation used to always reverse the penalty??

Lovely turn of phrase !