Nick Tedeschi looks at all the pertinent Rugby League matters in his weekly column.
A Spectacular Signing: Canterbury have pulled off an incredible coup in landing the prized signature of Andrew Fifita. The Bulldogs have invested significantly in the Sharks prop, spending nearly $850,000 a season. It is a signing that has been widely panned but it is one of the most brilliant signings in recent years. Fifita is a legitimate game-changer. He was ranked the top player in the game by this author last year in the MTN Annual Top 50 and he has more upside than any prop I can recall. Brad Walter wrote a great piece in the Sydney Morning Herald about how the new rules make the need for small, agile, fast props critical and Canterbury have just locked in one of the best to go with another in James Graham. It is a formula that will net Canterbury a title.
Goddamn Badger: The lack of bottle shown by referee Gavin Badger on Saturday night in failing to send Darcy Lussick off was appalling. His refusal to blow a penalty on the next tackle because his hand would have been forced to make the big call was embarrassing. In a day and age where we are supposedly protecting the head – even to the extent where we ban a legitimate and fair tackle like the shoulder charge because of the hysteria that has swept the game – it is ridiculous that a senior referee is scared to send a player off. Players should be dismissed all the time. If you want to protect the head, penalise high shots, not shoulder charges.
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