NRL legend James Graham has a creative solution to the growing trend of players staying down to earn a penalty — “embarrass them into conforming”.
The trend was a topic of discussion on Triple M’s ‘Sunday Sin Bin’ in the wake of Canberra’s 20-14 win over Brisbane.
It comes after both Adam Reynolds and Elliott Whitehead stayed down at points during the game in the hope of gaining a penalty and competitive advantage.
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Reynolds himself told The Sydney Morning Herald back in 2021 that the “diving and milking” of penalties was the biggest blight in the game.
“The thing I’m most frustrated with is we’re encouraging players to lay down, and that’s not a good look for the game,” Reynolds told the Herald at the time.
“People are diving and milking it for what it is, and that’s more concerning than the accidents [to the head and neck].”
It has proven difficult to find a way to dissuade players from engaging in the controversial practice, although Graham had a left-field solution on Triple M.
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“They know they are going to gain a competitive advantage,” he said.
“We’re a product of our environment so players know the environment, they know how they can gain a competitive advantage. You take it away.
“I think now what we need to do if we want to solve this problem which is such an issue, take it away from players so matter what it’s at the referee’s discretion. If the referee calls a penalty it’s a penalty, if he or she doesn’t it doesn’t matter how long you stay down for or if it’s a sin bin it’s at the next stoppage.
“We’re going to miss instances of foul play.”
So, when a player does decide to stay down — irrespective of whether they are actually seriously injured or not, Graham called on the NRL to “embarrass them into conforming”.
“Bring on a stretcher and make them leave on a stretcher,” he said.
“Imagine that, Whitehead stays down and the referee blows time off and the medicab comes and they’re lying down and the neck brace comes on and erring on the side of caution, send them to hospital and they’ll stop.”
