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Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson has joined calls for change in the NRL's judiciary system, wanting a shift in the way loading is applied to lengthen bans.
Trent Robinson has renewed calls for change in the NRL's judiciary process, claiming the loading system for prior offences is outdated as many more charges are being laid.
The Sydney Roosters lost lock Victor Radley for the rest of the regular season this week, banned for three games for dangerous contact while trying to charge down a field goal against Brisbane.
While questions had surrounded his ban given there was no malice, Roosters coach Robinson said he had no issue with the grade-two charge, admitting Radley's attempt "could have broken" kicker Albert Kelly's leg.
But he does have a problem with the lengthy ban it attracted.
Radley's four prior charges this year meant 110 per cent of loading was added, taking his ban from one game with an early guilty plea to three.
Robinson's chief concern is that the loading system - which bumps up demerit points by 20 per cent for each prior offence in the past two years and 50 per cent for similar incidents - comes from a time before the league's high-contact crackdown.
The list of players charged this year for offences has risen significantly, meaning more minor charges are resulting in bans once loading is added.
"The crackdowns have added charges. There's so many more charges than what there used to be," Robinson said.
"And the level of charges have gone up, we've even seen it on the kick pressures in the last few weeks, which is heading in the right direction.
"But therefore guys are missing games that they shouldn't.
"(Radley)'s was an innocent charge-down attempt that needed a better technique in the heat of the moment.
"They got the grading right on this. The way that Rads went in it could have broken his leg.
"And if he missed a week so be it. But to miss three, that says it should be looked at."
Robinson also questioned how a hip-drop tackle in round four could be considered a "similar offence", given its nature is very different despite attracting the same "dangerous contact" charge.
His comments came after South Sydney made a similar argument regarding loading following Latrell Mitchell's four-game ban in April.
It even prompted go-to judiciary lawyer Nick Ghabar to recommend a cap on loading at 25 per cent, among other arguments.
That was met with a statement from NRL CEO Andrew Abdo, who claimed the system was no different to courts of law handing out harsher penalties to repeat offenders.
Another solution could be for grade-one offences not to attract loading towards future charges, with a review of the judiciary process expected at the end of the year.
Robinson meanwhile said Radley had been hit hard by the ban, with the 23-year-old having played just 14 games this year through injury and suspension.
That hurt him after the weekend because he played such a big game for us," Robinson said.
