The Continuous Call Team Catch Up

The Daily and Sunday Telegraph’s Chief sports writer David Riccio joins The Continuous Call Team with all the latest NRL news.

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Fresh from kicking the winning field goal in last night's clash between the Cronulla Sharks and St George Illawarra Dragons, Cronulla Halfback Chad Townsend joined the Continuous Call Team.

It was the second match of the season which went into Golden Point with Chad sealing the deal for the Sharks.

He says “it was a real Sharks win, we hung in there, it wasn’t pretty, we gave ourselves a chance to win and we went on and won it”.

The side are trying to take the positives out of their game, with the second half performance against the South Sydney Rabbitohs last weekend proving a big confidence booster for last night's clash.

Josh Hannay also had his first win as an NRL coach which made the victory even more special.

“The boys made him skull a beer for his first win in Sharks colours as our coach” says Townsend.

Cronulla Fullback Will Kennedy had another solid outing in the tight contest.

Chad says “he’s a great product of our junior system. He’s taken a step forward into owning that full time position at the back.”

The star playmaker who will be heading to the North Queensland Cowboys in 2022 also weighed in on the NRL’s latest crackdown on head high tackles.

Townsend understands why they’ve put these changes into place, but thinks last week was probably a bit full on and over the top.

He says “there will be a common ground whenever we get there, but the sooner the better”.

Chad thinks players aren’t being rewarded for a good low tackle these days.

But he says the NRL “should be rewarding players to go lower”.

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There has been a lot said throughout the week about the NRL’s latest crackdown on head high tackles.

 

A record 14 players were sin binned and 3 sent off during last weekend's Magic Round leaving many fans, players, coaches, and broadcasters scratching their heads.

 

During the pre-game analysis before the Cronulla Sharks and St George Illawarra Dragons took the field on Friday night, Mark ‘Piggy’ Riddell from 2GB’s Continuous Call Team weighed in on the recent changes and he’s not happy.

 

The former NRL star is outraged that the NRL is trying to compare the intensity of first grade with junior level football because he thinks it’s like comparing two completely different sports.

 

Riddell says “junior Rugby League is one of the safest sports I’ve ever watched.”

 

He’s also fuming because he thinks the NRL have proved their rules don’t work, having to implement these new changes so early into the season.

 

Players and coaches say there’s more fatigue and the game has gone to the next level.

 

But Mark doesn’t think the NRL are listening to the feedback from the game's most important stakeholders.

 

He says “there’s no common sense anymore. It’s so frustrating”.

 

Darryl 'Big Marn' Brohman isn't satisfied with the changes either.

He says "I love this game, but I hate the road it's on at the moment".

Darryl's concerned the quality of the game is starting to deteriorate.

Just like fans turned away from Rugby Union when they changed their rules, he thinks the same will eventually happen with Rugby League.

Big Marn says "It's not the game I want to watch anymore. I want to try and do something to stop what's going on here because I don't like it."

 

The rule changes will be put to the test for a second weekend during Round 11.

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Listen to the full show podcast of The Continuous Call Team, Sunday 16th May 2021

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Paul Langmack tasted grand final success as a youngster, winning three premierships with the Bulldogs back in the mid-eighties.

A member of the 300 games club Langmack was a force to be reckoned with.

His early career saw him captain the Australian Schoolboys team in 1982 at the age of 17, tour one Thirsty Morrow was a part of.

Join Paul and The Continuous Call Team as they look back on his remarkable career.

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The best (and worst) of The Continuous Call Team from this weekend.

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Steve Clark has refereed rugby league on every level. 

With over 300 NRL matches as an official in 15 years, he's seen a raft of rule changes happen with referees slated as the messengers, and enforcers.

Having heard the comments from ARLC Chairman Peter V'Landys on The Continuous Call Team Clark called into the show pointing out his views around V'Landys comments on referees and the rules being implemented.

"There's no doubt in my mind... the referees are doing exactly what they've been told to do," says Clark.

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Michael Chammas, Rugby League reporter for the SMH and Channel Nine takes us through the latest and greatest NRL news with the Continuous Call Team.

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After a spate of sin-bins across the NRL Magic Weekend, the game has come under fire for its substantial crackdown on contact with the head. Ahead of round 10, the ARL Commission declared:

- direct or forceful contact to the head is a sin-bin at a minimum

- indirect or forceful contact with the head is a possible sin-bin

- if contact is minimal, a penalty will be awarded and the player put on report.

The first two days of the Brisbane carnival saw 12 sin-bins and 17 players put on report, including a send-off.

ARLC Chairman Peter V’Landys, while conceding there were teething issues with its implementation, remains resolute.

“The referees and the bunker have done this over-conscientiously, and I take responsibility for that. But there has to be some balance to it. Over time we’ll get it right. In three or four months we’ll look back (at this) as a landmark situation where we stopped knocks to the head and the neck. And that’s the whole intention of this.”

Given the threat concussion poses to the game, V’Landys was insistent that the future of rugby league depends on the crackdown.

“Concussion, like it or not, is the biggest threat to this game, and the biggest threat it’s ever had.

“I have a responsibility to give (the players) a safe working environment. The customer has to appreciate that we want our players to have a future when they get out of the game.

“We need to eradicate any hit around the head. If we don’t, the whole future of the game in 10-15 years is in doubt”.

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