Leeds Rhinos Head Coach Rohan Smith spoke about the Match Review Panel after he lost two players to suspensions after the Rhinos’ defeat to Hull KR in Super League Round Two.
Smith raised questions about the use of fines as he praised Robert Hicks: “Robert Hicks leading it has been super transparent and open to the coach’s thoughts and observations. It’s very much that we are working together on this and the good of the game has to be the number priority.
“Players just want to play. They don’t want to miss games for any reason. But my understanding of the fining system was that it was a good way of reprimanding players where needed but without the need for them missing games.
“I’d rather pay a fine than miss a game but at times they’re getting a fine and a game. So, I’m not quite sure how that was all thought about.”
RFL respond to Leeds Rhinos boss comments
Speaking following the RFL meetings with the players and coaches, Hicks himself was asked about the comments from Leeds Rhinos boss Rohan Smith in relation to fines and placed the focus on the players and the all important RLPA:
“The reality of that is that the sanctioning framework was agreed on a review of all the sanctioning frameworks two years ago by the clubs, the RFL and the Players Association, the RLPA.
“So that hasn’t changed in this year coming in. What’s happened is more things are being caught higher up. And I think that was part of the conversation yesterday, James, and something that we are reflecting on over the coming weeks.
“Because the key part to this is our direction of travel is unchanged. We have to reduce down the amount of head contact, but we also have to remember that player behaviour change takes time, they’re buying in and we can’t lose that buy-in so that was a hot topic yesterday and one that we need to review over the coming days.”
The subject of players union is a subject that is widely debated started by Alex Walmsley and others picked up.
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