Andrew Johns escapes suspension!

[Spruce Goose]

This is the biggest load of bullshit! Did anyone see that tackle? His feet were off the bloody ground. He had to jump to connect with that dude's head!

Can't suspend rugby leagues fuckin glamour boy and take away his precious Dally M!
Load of shit!

 

[Spiff]

He was found guilty, but he got the charge downgraded. He should have gotten at least 10 weeks for what is one of the most sickening shots I've seen since Les Boyd's hey-day. I'm surprised Joel Clinton is even still standing, let alone playing football, after what happened to him at the hands of Australia's captain.

I'm still tipping the Dragons to win this weekend, even though Riddell is out injured.

 

[Spruce Goose]

Yeah it's bullshit. Johns got his penalty downgraded to 90 points. Only 10 points short of a suspension. That is a load of horse shit!

And it is only because he is Andrew Johns. Imagine if Jason Stevens did the same tackle. Do ya reckon he would be playing in the finals??

 

[Spiff]

Exactly. Johnsy got suspended last year for his blatant thuggery, but now that he's NSW and Australian captain he's untouchable. Don't get me started on the Australian captaincy though, that will really set me off

Of course, I probably wouldn't care about Johns getting off all that much if the Warriors weren't a chance of being minor premiers if the Knights lose this weekend. Still a mockery of the system, though!

 

[Tough As Steel]

It is star treatment, plain & simple. Just like Trent Barrett excaping any suspension a few weeks back for a head slam, that any other player not of his status in the game would have been suspended for.

When the league is supposed to be making a 'level playing field' via a hard salary cap, why not carry that philosophy across to the judiciary as well.

Almost as soon as i was just starting to really get back into league, the negatives seem to be piling up again and reminding me why i didnt watch it for a few years.

 

[KoichCPA]

I think they didn't suspend Trent Barret for head slamming cos they've obviously noticed that it doesn't stop him from doing it.

 

[Tough As Steel]

Thats not really the point though is it? They dont take that approach with other players, who dont play for NSW.

 

[spawn]

Oh please, you people need to snap out of it, he slapped the guys head! Big deal! He shouldnt have been charged at all from what I saw

(Even though it was on a Penrith player, but we could use some sense slapped into us!)

 

[Tough As Steel]

Well spawn, i didnt actually see the Andrew Johns incident. I am commenting on star treatment (which i am SURE he would receive), after Barrett escaped a deserved suspension a few weeks back.

 

[spawn]

Well, from what I saw, he never should have been cited! I did only see it once, but it wasnt even a tackle, he barely brushed him!

I think its stupid you are out of Dally M contention for being suspended, no matter who it is. They should get rid of that rule!

 

[Tough As Steel]

I think it would depend on the severity of the incident that caused a player to receive a suspension, and whether or not that player has a history of suspensions.

 

[spawn]

Well yeah, thats true, but even if you get one week for an accident, you are out of it, I think thats unfair myself!

 

[Spiff]

They've changed the Dally M rule - now you only lose 3 points for each week that you're suspended, which I think is fairer.

They showed the BLATANT HIGH SHOT numerous times on "NRL On Fox" last night. Pretty bad in my opinion.

Question - if it was, say, Shane Webcke (who, even though he's in the Broncos, is one of my favourite players) that was leading with the knees last year instead of Craig Smith, would he have been constantly suspended? Of course not, but because Smith a) has a poor judiciary record and b) is a Kiwi he was constantly being harrassed by the judiciary. Shame, Jim Hall, SHAME.

 

[spawn]

If you have a poor judiciary record, then they have every right to suspend you, and if you dont, then theres evidence right there that if you claim it was an accident, it was.

Andrew Johns has an extremely good record, so I dont see the big deal that he got off personally...

 

[Spiff]

I bet you defended the Knights back during the whole steroid thing with MacDougall as well, right Spawny? You make me sick - you should move to Drugcastle and support a team which is closer to your own personal ethos.

 

[Tough As Steel]

Im from Newcastle originally...its a fine place.

 

[Spiff]

And you moved when you realised what the local team was like, right? Right.

 

[spawn]

Go the Panthers!

 

[Tough As Steel]

Not quite. I moved away from Newcastle a few years before they even entered the competition.

Whats with all the rage against the Knights Spiff? They had a couple of roid-mucnhers on the team who got caught? It ain't like they'd be the only professional football team who has top grade players taking the juice. I dont think theres ever been much of it, but im sure the Knights arent the lone rangers here.

 

[Spiff]

Nothing against them really I'm just mucking around. I don't want them to win against the Dragons, that's all - that way the MIGHTY WARRIORS will be minor premiers if the Broncos lose and the Warriors beat the Tigers by a big scoreline

Well, I do have one thing against the Knights - I went to the grand final last year expecting a brilliant, tight, exciting game against the Eels... and didn't get one. Cost me a lot of money all up too, cos I had tickets with Ansett and didn't get my money back after they went belly-up, so I had to hire a car and drive down. DAMN KNIGHTS! Couldn't you have let the Eels have some say in the outcome of the game????