NRL boss Andrew Abdo has defended the game amid accusations it is becoming too soft.
Abdo appeared on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show, where league legend Billy Slater raised concerns about a number of incidents in round, specifically where defenders have been penalised for contact on a kicker.
“The match officials are getting a little bit jumpy because of all this talk about player safety… but the fabric of the game is getting damaged,” Slater said.
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“You can hardly touch a kicker now when they kick the football.”
Abdo responded with a passionate defence of the officials and the league.
“I have a strong answer for that, and that is I don’t think the match officials are getting jumpy,” Abdo said.
“They are having to adjudicate in real time… in a game that is becoming faster and faster. That is why we have the Bunker official.
“You are never going to get it perfect, because there are humans involved in this.
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“In terms of the balance of getting player safety right, I don’t think the game is being jumpy, I think from time to time you’re going to make decisions that you might not get right.
“It’s about getting the balance right, it’s about execution, and it’s about consistency.
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“It is an entertaining contact sport, it will always be that, but the talk of us getting soft I think is ridiculous.
“If you watch a rugby league game live or on television, there is nothing soft about our game.”
League legend Andrew Johns then offered a left-field solution to help curb dangerous tackles in the game.
Johns wants to see wrestling coaches – which are employed by clubs to help get a defensive advantage – banned under the NRL’s football department salary cap rules.
“That’s an absolute possiblity for the Commission, and we absolutely will consider that,” Abdo said.
“That is an option for us.”
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