Why am I surprised that JWH gets two weeks, and with an early plea just a week for the hit on Gifty. Now, let me say from the outset that in years gone by this would not have even been a penalty, nevertheless the rules are the rules these days. Now is it just "disillusioned me" again or does this smell of a rat...the rat being a "payoff" for the Penalty Count against his team and after poor little Trentie's ravings on Saturday and Sunday. Maria has problems, we all know that, he's been done so many times before I have lost count, and so he does another shouder change and gets what really amounts to a "tap on the wrist" as a result. I smell a rat!! And fair dinkum, I think this game is going from bad to worse.
When you look at what Kingy got a weeks rest for compared to what Maria did to get a week off......the NRL judiciary system is a complete and utter JOKE. With Maria's record of send off's and suspensions he should have gone for at least 4 weeks. To get only one week for that show's just how wrong the grading system is. Add to that the early guilty plea crap and it looks worse.
I don't think it was much more than a penalty, and yes in years gone by wouldn't even of been that. 1 week is about right given his record. I know if that was Stevie Matai we would cop the week and move on.
The NRL should let the public know the amount of time involved for knocking out each individual player illegally. For instance we now know taking Gifty out of the game is only worth a week. Taking out a Thurston or Smith may get you the season....coaches could factor this into their game plan and it would make things a lot clearer for the fans.
Maria gets a week. King gets a week. The three Melbourne blokes who did "that" tackle on McKinon got to play last week. Go figure.
