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0 Rugby league legend Phil Gould has ripped into the NRL’s judiciary process, calling it “too harsh” after Valentine Holmes and Jack De Belin both lost their appeals and had an extra game added onto their suspensions.
In the Cowboys’ loss to the Titans, Holmes was sin binned for a high shot on Jayden Campbell and was initially offered a three-match suspension. He challenged the grading but lost and was upgraded to four games.
De Belin’s situation was similar, after he appealed his three-match ban before the judiciary subsequently gave him four games.
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As the Rugby League Players Association continues its dispute with the NRL over the CBA, Gould believes the judiciary process should be one of the major sticking points.
“This is what the RLPA should be campaigning about, not some of the other rubbish they go on with,” he said on Wide World of Sports’ Six Tackles with Gus podcast.
“I think our judiciary is far too harsh and players get suspended far too easily for far too long.
“Too many players are out of the game or being over fined for these offences, I think we’ve got way too pedantic with a lot of that but that’s just my view on it, others will have a different view.
“But that’s (Holmes’ tackle) not a four week suspension, that’s not a four week tackle in any way shape or form and I don’t care if it’s loading or previous what have you, I don’t care, it’s not a four week tackle.”
Gould’s criticism of the Holmes suspension almost mirrored his views on De Belin’s incident, which was picked up by the Bunker after a long delay in play.
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“I don’t see it as a hip drop anyway, that’s not what I’d class as a hip drop,” Gould said.
“Again, oversensitive, it builds on itself and then you end up with a player out of the game for a month, why does he need a month on the sidelines? I don’t get it. I really don’t get it.
“I don’t agree with it in any way shape or form, I think our judiciary is way too harsh, players get suspended way too early, I don’t like the carry over points, I don’t like the whole process. I really don’t, I don’t think it’s fair at all … if I’m the players association that’s what I’m going to task with the NRL.”
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