Hull KR head coach Willie Peters has called for changes to the Super League disciplinary process, labelling one element as ‘absolutely crazy’.
As we approach the business end of the season with the final rounds of Super League and then the play-offs, discipline matters more than ever with a ban at this stage of the year potentially season-ending.
Hull KR have got prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves back for Sunday’s Hull derby but they’ve just had second-rower Rhyse Martin banned for two games, whilst all of JWH, Jez Litten and Tyrone May remain just one charge away from another ban.
Willie Peters was asked about how he’ll manage Waerea-Hargreaves in the coming weeks given the fact the Kiwi enforcer is just one Grade A charge away from a two-match ban and whilst explaining that he’ll ask his players to be disciplined, Peters pointed out flaws in the system.
He explained: “I’m sure other coaches will be saying the same thing but some of the points that you get, you accumulate those little points and then at the back end of the year it’s going to hurt and that’s where I think we’re at with this system.”
Hull KR boss calls for Super League disciplinary review
A new disciplinary system was introduced at the start of the year with penalty points being handed out as opposed to immediate bans. Once players accumulate a certain number of points, they meet ban thresholds.
Most significant is that half of the points accumulated from charges of a Grade B status or higher remain on a player’s record for 12 months, meaning players can find themselves at risk of bans late in the season based on indiscretions from months ago.
That was something Peters argued against, stating: “At the end of the year, do they look at it? Because the whole purpose was to make sure we have the best players playing and if you break it down and players have done things illegally, I won’t argue one bit.
“But if you break things down and see where some players are at, we’re going to see players possibly not play in the biggest games because of these minor points that add up.”
Peters insisted he had no issues with major indiscretions, using the recent ban of Rhyse Martin as an example as he said: “I knew there was going to be points and so there should as Morgan Knowles didn’t come back and he’s not playing. When it comes to that sort of stuff, you won’t hear too much from me.”
However, his issue was with the minor penalty points that he claimed were handed out for ‘accidents’, something he labelled as “absolutely crazy”.
The Hull KR boss said: “For my players who have done things illegally, you won’t hear from me because there are rules in place but some of these accidents are crazy that they’re getting points for. Absolutely crazy.
“Players cannot do anything but they’re going to get points and that’s added up where we’re going to have possibly the best players in the competition not playing at the back end of the year, and the whole purpose was to have them playing in the back end of the year.
“Some of the points that players have got, not just at our club, they’re ridiculous, absolutely crazy to think they’re going to accumulate points and it can hurt them. It’s something they need to look at at the back end of the year.”
