The NRL has warned the coaches of the eight teams remaining in the premiership hunt that players could be sent to the sin bin if they use illegal blocking tactics to stop some of the best high-flying wingers in the game.
The coaches were also reminded players could be sanctioned for dissent, while a teammate would be ordered to play the ball if a player stayed down and feigned injury.
The Broncos had success blocking the path of Storm flyer Xavier Coates last weekend, and were happy to concede a penalty rather than a potential four points. Centre Kotoni Staggs did it early in the first half, then a second time, only for it to go unsanctioned because teammate Payne Haas was penalised for taking out Melbourne’s Cam Munster.
Broncos pair Josiah Karapani and Deine Mariner also attempted to run Melbourne’s Will Warbrick off the ball in the same half.
Coates pleaded with referees to stop it happening in the finals, telling News Corp papers at the start of the week: “It’d be nice if the refs helped out, but it’s also on myself.
“I need to get better with that, and if teams want to do that, I need to come up with a plan to counter those attacks that they’re doing.”
Kotoni Staggs blatantly interferes with Xavier Coates as he attempts to get to the ball last Thursday night in Brisbane.Credit: NRL
South Sydney attempted to disrupt Mark Nawaqanitawase and fellow towering Roosters winger Daniel Tupou last Friday night. Nawaqanitawase and Tupou finished the year with 42 tries between them, including their share of four-pointers from pinpoint high kicks.
Sources with knowledge of the situation not authorised to speak publicly confirmed the coaches were sent the pre-finals memo on Thursday by NRL clubs liaison officer David Fairleigh, who made it clear the referees would sin bin players who deliberately interfered with rivals contesting kicks.
