Hull KR coach launches 359-word attack on disciplinary process as key change demanded

Hull KR head coach Willie Peters has slammed the RFL disciplinary process, claiming ‘accidents’ on the field should not result in points put on a player’s record.

The RFL’s disciplinary process underwent a complete overhaul during the off-season, with a new points-based approach adopted. As a result, charges and points now accrue across the regular season, and when the threshold is met, a player is banned. At present, points sit on a player’s record for a full calendar year.

‘Some of these accidents are crazy that they’re getting points for’

Hull KR have seen the full brunt of this system this season too, with the likes of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves nearing a suspension,  and speaking ahead of his side’s clash with Hull FC, Peters took aim at the system as a whole, describing some of the charges against players as ‘crazy’.

“You accumulate those little points and at the back end of the year it’s going to hurt, and I think that’s where we’re at. You’re not going to get any arguments (with illegal acts), like with Rhyse Martin for example. I knew there would be points, and so there should be as Morgan Knowles didn’t come back and now he’s not playing, so stuff like that you won’t hear too much from me

“But there are these little points that accumulate, and then you then need to make decisions and think about whether you play someone or not. I’m sure other coaches are in similar situations.

“At the end of the year, do they look at it? Because the whole point of this points system was to make sure that we’ve got the best players playing and the product is at it’s best. If it’s broken down and players have done things illegally, I will not argue one bit, but if you break things down where some of the players are at, we’re going to see players possibly not play in the biggest games of the year because of these minor points that add up. Then, if you fight it, you get another five on top.

Peters added: “Some of these accidents are crazy that they’re getting points for. They’re absolutely crazy. Players cannot do anything about it, and they’re going to get points for it, and when that’s added up we’re going to possibly have the best players in the competition not playing at the back end of the year, and the whole purpose was so that we have them playing at the back end of the year.

“I’ll let people above me decide, but they need to look at how we can get points back or what players have done. Accidents happen in the game, and some of the points that these players have got are ridiculous; it’s absolutely crazy that they’ll accumulate points and hurt them. It’s something they need to look at at the end of the year.

“If there’s an illegal play, though, you won’t hear anything from me because we need that out of our game.”

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