Inflation set for 30-year high, could Waiwera make a comeback and polyamorous relationships under the microscope at Immigration NZ in the latest New Zealand Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald
OPINION:
Another weekend of Super Rugby, another mess of red cards. What to make of rugby's latest villain? On the face of it, the game is rightly attempting to limit player exposure to concussion-inducing head contact.
The use of the red card is at the forefront of administrators' anti-concussion offensive.Players are threatened by the tyranny of time out of the game during the fixture and a stint on the sideline for the weeks ahead.
Are these potential sanctions aiding World Rugby's quest to bring safety to the game? The tackles are still occurring, players are still getting sconed, the fans are irate and the officials are taking the brunt of their rage.
So what will it take for coaches and athletes to dramatically change techniques and apply those changes with every hit?
Tough love is a term that has fallen out of favour in recent times. The rigid and emotionless cloak that covers that concept is ill fitting in this era. No shouting, no aggression, nothing that could be seen as part of the old-school, hard-knocks class. This is understandable. But in the case of eradicating head contact, maybe a hard-as-nails, tough-as-boots method might pay dividends.
For a start, the current sanctions could be applied harder.
Four weeks for Scott Barrett should've been a whole lot longer. The entry point of six weeks is marginal, and then the oddities that are mitigating circumstances come into play.
Time off for remorse should be scrapped, because of course the player will be remorseful – they'd hardly come out and say that the whacked player had it coming.
Time off for an early guilty plea should be scrapped, because we saw you do it, you can't deny it. There should be no reduction to a ban for admitting the obvious.
Referee Brendon Pickerill shows Alex Hodgman a red card. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
No time off for acceptance of foul play because again, we all saw it, we know it was illegal, and so does the player concerned.
The judiciary providing all of these easy outs isn't reinforcing the underlying point here – the head should be untouchable.
Fining players could focus their attentions. Hit them in the pocket as hard as they hit their opponents. If time out of the game won't encourage a change of technique and behaviour, surely a raid on the wallet will.
Yes, I get that mistakes happen. Yes, I understand it's a high-velocity, high-impact game with the finest margins of error. I'm sure all players accept that. But if the fear of a long stint on the sideline and a lighter pay packet isn't greater than fear of long-term concussive damage, what real chance of meaningful change does the game have?
This of course is not a decision for NZ Rugby, and the push back from players would be immense. But if red cards continue to pepper the game, despite the gentle cajoling from above, few other options are available.
