NRL legend Andrew Johns has questioned a key detail that has largely been overlooked in the Nathan Cleary suspension saga and wants the league to scale back its rules. Cleary was sin-binned for making contact with Hugo Savala’s kicking leg in the Panthers’ qualifying final win over the Roosters.
All the talk after the game was whether the Panthers star would be suspended or fined, and he ended up with a $1000 fine because it was only ruled a Grade 1 charge. But according to Johns it shouldn’t even have been a fine and Cleary didn’t even deserve a sin-bin.
Andrew Johns thinks Nathan Cleary shouldn’t even have been sin-binned. Image: Getty/Channel 9
Speaking on Channel program ‘100% Footy’, Johns called on the NRL to clarify the rules around contacting kickers’ legs after a number of inconsistencies in recent times. Many – including Johns – have pointed out that Raiders forward Zac Hosking wasn’t sin-binned for a similar incident with Reece Walsh in last year’s finals series.
“My take is it’s a penalty but it wasn’t a sin-bin at all,” Johns said. “We can’t take the contest out of the game and naturally with high pressure there’s going to be accidents happen. For me personally I think penalty but no fine, no sin-bin.
“Unfortunately it’s become so complicated with the terminology of different rules in the game. Things like high risk of injury, moderate force, excessive force, all this sort of stuff. They’re complicating everything with all this terminology. It’s a simple game.”
While Cleary escaped suspension, there’s still no guarantee he’ll play the preliminary final due to a foot injury. The Panthers revealed on Monday night that Cleary suffered a ‘stress-related bone issue’ and would be monitored for the next week.
Nathan Cleary suffered a foot injury in the Panthers’ win over the Roosters. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Speaking on Tuesday, coach Ivan Cleary said he’s confident Nathan will be right. “The injury is definitely the impact of overuse and all that kind of stuff,” Ivan said on SEN radio.
“He kicks a lot, does a lot, runs a lot, does the most metres every game of every player. It all adds up. At the end of the game (on Sunday) he was a bit uncomfortable. But it’s so good to have the week off and we’ll prepare for the prelim in a couple of weeks.”
Ivan said Nathan does so much mental rehearsal – especially with kicking – that he won’t need that many physical reps in order to play and can afford to rest up.
