It seems as though every year we worry that the Grand Final will be either decided or heavily influenced by officials.
After from a phantom "six-again" call though, we've been lucky that nothing really comes to mind.
Nathan Cleary's 20 minutes of pure brilliance won the 2023 Grand Final, Penrith ran riot in 2022, an intercept cost Souths the 2021 Grand Final and Melbourne's early dash saw them home in 2020.
So you can be forgiven for rolling your eyes at suggestions that officials would have a huge say on this year's decider.
Except this year it feels different. Very different in fact.
"Why?" I hear from the comments.
One simple, ridiculously black and white interpretation of a rule that should have a fair amount of common sense attached it, yet doesn't.
The high tackle rule.
More-so the policing of the high tackle rule when it comes to players being collected whilst slipping.
Over the past month or so we have seen a rise in high tackle penalties, despite contact being made around or below waist height.
Textbook tackles that are ruled as infringements purely based on bad luck as a result of an attacking player slipping over.
For the record I don't blame the referees, as such.
They're being instructed to ignore common sense and penalise any contact above the shoulders.
Let me be very clear here in stating that I am a fan of any measure that lessens the likelihood of a player being hurt via illegal play.
I don't want to argue though that a player slipping into an opponents hand and copping a love tap on the chin hardly equates to illegal play.
Sometimes injuries, or concussions happen. Accidents happen. This is not ballet.
This was written prior to Round 27, but the previous weekend we saw a host of ridiculous penalties due purely to the fact a player slipped prior to contact.
Kayal Iro was hilariously penalised for Dallin Watene-Zelezniak falling into his bicep.
Contact was undoubtedly high, but if DWZ hadn't lost his balance, it's a tackle around the ribs.
Iro's being penalised saw a sin bin for repeated offences that completely changed the game.
In no world should that be a penalty just because DWZ slipped.
Common sense would say as much but this group of officials are either coached against applying or flat chat don't have to to apply.
Even more outrageous was Reuben Cotter being penalised for making high contact, at ankle height.
Tepai Moeroa was literally below knee height when collected. Cotter, who was bracing himself, has his head turned away to avoid a head clash.
Just slow that down and sound it out.
Cotter was penalised for a "high shot" despite the contact being below knee height. Totally accidental too. Unavoidable in fact.
We've seen penalties given for players slipping into defenders knees. Like a defender is supposed to bend time, slow it down and Matrix out of the way.
It is absolutely laughable!
Players have been penalised for holding their ground and having attackers fall into their chest.
Players are literally being penalised for standing there and being tall.
Embarrassing!
It is no coincidence that even contact equating to a fly landing on someone's cheek was ruled a penalty and put on report this past weekend.
The officials copped a very public dressing down for missing a textbook sin bin when Stephen Crichton's shoulder connected with the jaw of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
The shot in question ended RTS's season, while the Dogs were incorrectly allowed to continue with a full compliment of players.
As is usual with the NRL there was a reactionary overcorrection.
... Thanks Liam Kennedy!
We are now at a point where there is a penalty every time a player slips over prior to contact.
I don't want to be that guy, but you're telling me that you wouldn't put it past players, with a minute to go in a tied Grand Final, to "slip" at the line, be collected softy but high and bank a penalty shot at goal?
I know for a fact that players would risk their careers to win a Grand Final.
You're telling me they wouldn't cop a wet lettuce leaf across the cheek to lift the premiership trophy?
That is a very, very real reality!
I guarantee you we'll see at least two this weekend. They'll be penalised and put on report and nothing will ever be heard of them again.
Cotter and Iro have been suspended for a total of zero weeks following their two "brutal head highs".
Yet referees seem convinced that they have to penalise every single high contact regardless or farcical circumstance.
Every single tackle this weekend could result in a penalty. It depends purely on whether or not a player slips over.
Read that again.
Every single tackle! Even a textbook, front on, soft as silk, run of the mill tackle could result in a penalty if the defender is malicious enough to have an attacking player slightly slip over prior to contact.
I hold very real fears that the Grand Final may be won on a player losing their footing, or literally super man diving into a fist.
That is the ridiculous level we are at right now.
