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NRL coaches want review of dangerous tackle officiating
Jasper Bruce, AAP • April 27th, 2025 8:25 am
Manly coach Anthony Seibold feels the NRL should consider reviewing its crackdown on illegal shots | Photo: Mark Evans/AAP
Anthony Seibold feels the NRL should consider reviewing its crackdown on illegal shots as rival coach Ivan Cleary agrees referees have over-corrected in their officiating of the game.
A staggering eight players went on report during Manly's 26-10 defeat of Penrith on Saturday night, when 16 penalties were blown in total.
Penrith's Scott Sorensen and Manly prop Siua Taukeiaho became the 11th and 12th players sin-binned for illegal hits across the first six games of round eight.
But Sorensen's shoulder charge on Nathan Brown did not require the Manly forward to be sent for head injury assessment, while Taukeiaho's was only detected by the bunker after play had moved on.
The tough dismissals came after the NRL sent a memorandum to clubs in late March warning referees would have an eagle eye on illegal tackles from round five onwards.
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary said the Manly-Panthers clash was a "shambles" because of the stoppages | Photo: NRL
Panthers coach and former referees consultant Cleary said Saturday's game became a "shambles" with its regular stoppages, though admitted Penrith's ill-discipline had played a part.
"Some of the things that we can control, we actually helped that, which is not the way we want to play and it's not the way we want the game to look like," he said.
"But it's just how it is at the moment."
Wary of running afoul of the NRL's similarly strict stance on referee jabs, Cleary was diplomatic when asked whether the league's match officials had over-corrected since the memorandum was released.
"I think that's probably a fair comment," he said.
Since the NRL sent clubs its edict on high tackles, a total of 27 players have been sin-binned for illegal shots, but almost half of those have come this weekend.
On Saturday night, Manly coach Seibold pondered whether the NRL was still striking the right balance.
"I don't think it was just tonight, I've watched all the games over the weekend or most of them anyway," he said.
"I feel like it potentially just needs to be looked at because there's some tackles that look very similar and some are getting sin-binned, and some aren't getting sin-binned."
Gold Coast coach Des Hasler recently suggested reintroducing the two-referee model as a way to reach consistency in the officiating of the game.
Seibold was unsure of the best solution.
"It's a really tough job for the referees, I've got to say," he said.
"They're only trying to officiate to the directives they're given from above. It's really difficult for them but I think there does needs to be some sort of correction or looking at it. But I don't have the answer."
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