Cronulla captain and RLPA board member Wade Graham has urged an off-season review of the NRL’s fine system as teammate Dale Finucane says monetary punishments are not deterring repeat offenders.
Finucane’s former Storm teammate Nelson Asofa-Solomona has been in the spotlight after being served his fifth charge of 2022 – a grade one dangerous contact for elbowing Roosters teen star Joseph Suaalii in the head last Friday.
Asofa-Solomona was issued a $3000 fine with an early guilty plea, taking his tally to $11,800 in fines without missing a game through suspension.
Fellow firebrand Jared Waerea-Hargreaves also copped a $3000 punishment in the same match as his fourth charge this season, again without any suspension being meted out.
Under the NRL’s previous judiciary system, players faced bans rather than fines after their third offence, with an RLPA survey of club delegates last year finding 84 per cent of those surveyed unsupportive of the fine system for grade one charges.
NRL head of football Graham Annesley confirmed on Monday that the match review committee (MRC) can “say ‘you need a stronger personal deterrent’” to repeat offenders and bump a grade-one charge up to grade-two to ensure poor behaviour is curbed.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona puts a hit on Roosters winger Joseph Suaalii.Credit:NRL Photos
But Finucane sees the current system failing in that regard.
“I don’t think the fines are a deterrent,” he told the Herald. “People don’t want to miss games, no one wants to be fined either, but I’d say the game matters more.
“You don’t want to see guys sitting out big games but there also has to be that duty of care. You can’t be going in with high tackles and some of the other things we’re seeing. I don’t think the system we have is the most effective in deterring those avoidable things.”
The RLPA has long voiced its opposition to the fine system, in particular the punishment of grade one shoulder charges and crusher tackles with fines, which was introduced hours before season 2022 kicked off.
Graham was part of the RLPA delegation that met with Annesley last off-season and said an overhaul of the fines system should be on the summer agenda again.
“Definitely, it’s got to be looked at for sure,” Graham said. “And to be fair, I think we do that every year, you’ve got to look at opportunities to improve the game and get better.
“It’s a tough physical game and the still shots and short clips [of foul play], they don’t look great. But I think what everyone wants to see is consistency.
“You’d hate to see the match review committee come out and ping somebody for something similar now, it’s got to be consistent and that’s all players and fans want.”
The NRL is able to direct the MRC to “re-set the bar” on certain offences, as was the case with last year’s crackdown on contact with the head.
Annesley said that has not been considered regarding foul play or repeat offenders this season.
“Players have to know they’re not being given licence,” he said. “If they breach the rules, they face the penalty.
“If any player is going to push the boundaries of what’s acceptable, they have to face the consequences of that.”
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