Rugby League fans split on new disciplinary system but big ‘problem’ identified

The 2025 rugby league season saw a new disciplinary system introduced and as always with disciplinary, it has split opinions.

Fans await the Match Review Panel’s verdict on Mondays with bated breath as they wait to find out if their players have been banned, and thanks largely to the new system there have been far fewer bans in 2025.

That’s because the system now works on penalty points, rather than immediate punishment. Previously, every charge was graded and each grade carried a respective punishment with the Match Review Panel then dishing those out with some more severe based on a player’s previous record.

Now, each grade carries a certain amount of penalty points and those points accrue over the season and result in bans when certain thresholds are met.

As such, very few players have been banned so far through the first eight rounds of Super League which is a definite positive. Rugby League is at its best when the players are on the field and not sat in the stands.

We asked fans for their verdict on the system and whilst plenty like it, some don’t and some picked up on what they feel could be a real problem later down the line.

What rugby league fans said about the sport’s new disciplinary system

Posting on the Serious About Rugby League page, we asked: “Do you like the new disciplinary system?”, and here are some of the responses.

Dave Wilson: There’s less players missing games through bans, nobody has missed a game for anything trivial as of yet and even some bad stuff isn’t resulting in bans so I think it’s working well.

Shaun Michael: Concept sounds great but still open to subjective interpretation by inconsistency on the pitch and the MRP. Also they’ve not considered that come the business end of the season, valuable players will be missing for innocuous reasons.

David Stephen Lawrenson: No! Players build up points, then all get banned later in the season, and fans have to pay to watch half a team!

Mark Dobson: This points build up system is better IMO. If someone makes an error in contact, then the points mean that they can improve technique/learn a lesson etc, without suffering an instant ban. Only those with serious charges against them, or repeat offenders will be banned. That’s got to better than finding out on a Monday that half of your team have been banned, for incidents that nobody even noticed at the time.

Jonny Broad: Will be weird when loads are banned in September/October for minor 1 point offences. Missing big games for petulant decisions throughout the year.

Brian Thompson: Better than the old system I have to say…but not perfect.

Deborah Hastie: Less bans so yes but it’s hard to understand.

James Start: The problem we are going to have is at the end of the season, maybe the playoffs, most players (who have) accumulated penalty points are going to be missing for the most important part of the season. Clubs aren’t able to play their strongest teams.