Matt Newsum, BBC rugby league reporter
Decreasing head contacts in rugby league is a necessity for the governing physique as it’s paramount to making sure the sport can safe the insurance coverage wanted to maintain it going.
It’s a tough balancing act, retaining the physicality for which the sport is cherished, whereas defending participant welfare in a fast-paced, ferocious contact sport.
The brand new frameworks are clear on paper. Head contact, forceful or harmful with no mitigation, equals purple. Forceful or harmful however with mitigation – akin to participant lowered deal with top, for instance – equals sin-bin. Not forceful, then only a penalty – or generally no penalty.
Brown’s dismissal was right down to unclear steering as to the interpretation of the framework, and hopefully now referees will really feel empowered to make use of widespread sense in conditions like that.
There was frustration from followers, gamers and former gamers that the incident, which appeared unintentional, was penalised extra harshly than different incidents throughout the spherical of video games – akin to Leeds’ James Donaldson, who was solely sin-binned for a swinging arm excessive deal with on Hull KR’s Oliver Gildart.
Followers need consistency, gamers need a recreation the place they know the place they stand and everybody needs rugby league to be performed to its fullest.
The response to spherical one was a transparent discount within the variety of playing cards and bans issued, as gamers must tailor their recreation to the brand new laws.
Communication and dialogue will probably be crucial factor for the RFL now, guaranteeing all gamers and coaches on the skilled stage are throughout the decision-making and might provide their enter because the custodians of the game.