The RFL is aware that rugby league has a problem with play-acting - but they don't want to do anything about it.
In March, Super League match official and the RFL's head of operations Robert Hicks addressed coaches in a virtual meeting where simulation was raised. Hicks' message to coaches was clear; sort it out yourselves so we don't have to.
Hicks told the coaches to educate their players, call them out and stamp it out. If they didn't, the RFL would step in.
Five months later and to the surprise of nobody, nothing has changed. Play-acting remains rife and players are still feigning injury in an attempt to win penalties and get opponents sanctioned.
And yet, with no resolution in sight, the RFL still don't want to deal with it. On the latest episode of the RFL's disciplinary show Sin Bin, Hicks' message remained the same.
"My advice to the players and coaches would be you need to call out the players in your own clubs and you need to stop doing that," he said. "Because actually you're not helping the look of the sport and it's about time the players if they're injured stay down and get the treatment they need and stop trying to mile extra penalties and extra sanctions against opposition players. It's not a good look for the sport and it needs to stop."
The RFL's stance is weak and deflects responsibility from themselves to do the job they're tasked with doing; govern. The coaches and players are employed to win matches. If that means resorting to dark arts to gain an advantage it would be foolish bordering on fantastical to think they'll stop doing it while the rule-makers are scared to take action.
Coaches and players are always looking for ways around rules. The governors are meant to enforce rules to counteract it. Currently, the RFL want those tasked with getting results to stop doing their job while doing that of the governing bodies at the same time.
The shirking of responsibility is somewhat bemusing given their willingness to dish out bans like they're going out of fashion while the severity of the suspensions is rising at the same speed as energy rates. The RFL insist the harsher penalties are to change player behaviour yet the ones who are deceiving the referees continue to go unpunished. Now is probably an apt time to remind the play-acting naysayers that Hicks, a leading match official and senior member of RFL staff, has gone on record to admit it is a problem and a bad image for the game.
Granted, identifying simulation is a minefield. How can a referee identify who is and who isn't injured? At a time when so much scrutiny is on player welfare, there are all sorts of repercussions.
A simple solution could be to follow the route of football. If a player requires medical attention, they must leave the field for a period after they have been checked over. The number of incidents would soon drop.
The RFL must take up their own responsibility and address the issue full on, as is their job as a governing body. It's progress to hear someone within the organisation publicly admit the issue is a bad look for the game.
But turning a blind eye and hoping it goes away is an example of rudderless leadership.
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