KEY POINTS:
The high-tackling fiasco in England continues with the test match judiciary review committee, which is stacked two-one against New Zealand, effectively issuing a licence for players to target heads when it dismissed a charge against Lions prop Sam Burgess.
The New Zealand Rugby League was furious Burgess will
be allowed to play against the Kiwis at Hull on Sunday after his first-test shot on Fuifui Moimoi, who sat out training yesterday with back and jaw injuries, the latter keeping him off solid food.
It points to a fiery opening to Sunday's second test at Hull.
NZRL chairman Andrew Chalmers said the Burgess case was "carved up quicker than a pork roast at a hangi" and that the British "seem to be intent on treating us like a bunch of natives from the colonies".
What is highlighted is the need for a consistent approach ahead of next year's World Cup and for all future international competition. Consistency across competitions including the NRL and Super League would be good too - Burgess' hit would have earned him time off in the Sydney competition and probably in Super League but there is another level of aggression allowed in this series.
When Australia plays New Zealand, any referee citings are dealt with immediately after the game by a panel of the two team managers and a lawyer as an independent chairman. Hence Kiwis centre Steve Matai's case being decided late on Sunday night after the Wellington test.
The Rugby Football League procedure is for the citing to be considered by a video review panel the day following the game and for that panel to decide whether to refer the case on. Yesterday, the "middleman" won for Britain, dismissing the case against Burgess. Even Lions coach Great Britain Tony Smith is not happy with the process, though he defended his player.
Smith suggested more use of the sin-bin and agreed Burgess' hit was worthy of 10 minutes off but disagreed that it was an offence warranting suspension.
"We need to come up with a system and it's got to be different to the club system. To be suspended for a test match is a whole lot different to being suspended from one game of a 27-round competition," Smith said.
"We may need to be a bit more liberal maybe with the sin-bin and deal with things at the time if they're pretty clear cut. The incident such as Sam's, which was accidental rather than deliberate, may have warranted 10 minutes in the sin-bin and then it's done and dusted.
"For him to miss a game would have been unjust because it's a third of the whole series. That is like suspending someone from the normal competition for nine games."
Smith saw no reason the details could not be thrashed out during this series. "I don't think it would be difficult to do. It's a matter of sitting down and being reasonable. I think we could probably come to an agreement with the Kiwis and then we'd take it to the International Federation."
Chalmers backed change. "There is nothing equitable about the system the RFL have in place. They have two sets of rules, one to suit them and one for dealing with us."
Chalmers said Moimoi had been cited for raising his elbow when carrying the ball at Burgess later in last Sunday's game. The RFL's rules require a citing to be made by 10.30am the day after a game. When this was raised by the Kiwis, they were told the citing had been verbal.
Despite that too being dismissed by the video review panel of RFL refs' boss Stuart Cummins, the Lions team manager Abi Ekoku and NZRL board member Neville Kesha, Chalmers blew up at the process. "These people show a flagrant disregard for their own rules or they simply opt to use or disregard them when it suits them."
Both sides are expected to name 20-man squads today. The Kiwis await medical clearance for Moimoi though he is expected to play, while wing Tame Tupou (knee) and bench forward Epalahame Lauaki (calf) are making better progress than expected and may be included.
Centre Clinton Toopi has rejoined the squad and is sure to be involved.
