Wigan Warriors boss Adrian Lam hits out at Super League game stoppages

[josie andrews]

Adrian Lam admits has questioned the number of stoppages in Super League games for apparent injuries.

Wigan's 16-12 win against Huddersfield was frequently halted by the referee while Giants players received treatment.

It is an issue which has frustrated Lam all season, and he believes some teams may be taking advantage of referees' keenness to call 'time off'.

Lam said: "I'm nervous as a coach where the game is going in this area.

I understand we want to protect our players and we're all for that - we're all for head injury assessments, looking after head knocks and any facial injuries.

"But I felt during the whole year, not only at the weekend, some teams are taking advantage of that.

"The games seem to be stopping a heck of a lot for players laying down for whatever injury.

"Its not necessarily a head injury, and I'm not saying the players are doing it intentionally, but we seem to be stopping the game a lot for niggly injuries.

“ At a time when we're trying to speed the game up with the 'six-again' rule, we're slowing it down with the stoppages."

Some fans speculated whether Huddersfield players were faking injuries to eat up the clock on Sunday.

Asked whether he felt that, Lam replied: "I don't want to comment on that, but I'm frustrated the game gets stopped when someone rolls an ankle.

"It's only supposed to be for a head injury unless it's a serious injury like a break.

"I feel the game is stopped a heck of a lot for all sorts of minor issues when the game should be kept playing."

One flashpoint of Sunday's game was in the 10th minute when Josh Jones went down injured - and his former Salford team-mate, Jackson Hastings, grabbed his collar to lift him.

The incident saw Hastings get a one-match ban and a subsequent appeal failed, ruling the Australian out of Friday's rematch with the Giants.

"For us to lose Jackson at this time is tough to swallow," said coach Lam.

"I still don't think it was fair, I've got to be careful what I say here, but I understand the charge and we acknowledge that but we felt it was not at the level it was - we felt it should have been a caution, not a Grade A. And not only for us, for everyone playing rugby league."

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... es-3307297

[Jonathon Kerr (JK)]

If a head injury is deemed sufficient for the ref to stop the game, then can it not be enforced to have the player leave the field and undergo the concussion assessment? This would potentially stop those faking a head knock.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DaveO]

If a head injury is deemed sufficient for the ref to stop the game, then can it not be enforced to have the player leave the field and undergo the concussion assessment? This would potentially stop those faking a head knock.

I suppose the counter argument to that would be if that happened coaches would demand their players play on with a head injury so they didn't leave the field.

No reason why such a rule couldn't be brought in for other injuries but with the spotlight on head injuries at the moment I can't see it being accepted for head injuries.

[Mike]

What about an independent doctor judges whether a HIA is necessary. Leaving it up to the clubs give all sorts of room for manipulation. I guess we couldn't afford that though.

[the pieman]

What about an independent doctor judges whether a HIA is necessary. Leaving it up to the clubs give all sorts of room for manipulation. I guess we couldn't afford that though.

there should be a doctor at every game, as the game cannot be played without one

my GP provides this as a service. He was attached to a club at one point(he still may be but i try not to visit him that regularly ) , but i know he attends several games as a doctor and not for the club he used to be attached to, so in reality is a neutral, other than he is paid for the by home club

with all the physios, waterboys etc in attendance in backplay all the time anyway, surely the clubs can agree that the doctor present is neutral and as you suggest conducts the HIA as that

[Great grandad Harry ball]

The number of stoppages last Sunday was farcical - and 95% were the visiting side. The game finished at 5.07 (3 o'clock kickoff) - well gone are the days of a 4.30 finish with the fog coming down on the Duggy.

[pedro]

If a head injury is deemed sufficient for the ref to stop the game, then can it not be enforced to have the player leave the field and undergo the concussion assessment? This would potentially stop those faking a head knock.

I suppose the counter argument to that would be if that happened coaches would demand their players play on with a head injury so they didn't leave the field.

No reason why such a rule couldn't be brought in for other injuries but with the spotlight on head injuries at the moment I can't see it being accepted for head injuries.

upto the doctor not the coach

[pedro]

The number of stoppages last Sunday was farcical - and 95% were the visiting side. The game finished at 5.07 (3 o'clock kickoff) - well gone are the days of a 4.30 finish with the fog coming down on the Duggy.

Jukesyas said on the other site than Hudds didnt go down once when they were losing in the second half, only when they were winning, says it all really

[fozzieskem]

The number of stoppages last Sunday was farcical - and 95% were the visiting side. The game finished at 5.07 (3 o'clock kickoff) - well gone are the days of a 4.30 finish with the fog coming down on the Duggy.

Jukesyas said on the other site than Hudds didnt go down once when they were losing in the second half, only when they were winning, says it all really

I couldn’t understand that either when they went 12-0 up they just stopped playing and started the dying fly act,very odd to be doing it midway through the first half

[Ipinwigan]

The game is being ruined by all the stoppages, genuine or not.
Teams are exploiting the current situation and forcing the Ref to stop the game, to slow it down when the other team is getting on top.
The prime culprits for this are Warrington, Chris Hill must have had more head knocks than a boxer, convenient head assessments to give him a rest and not count as a substitution.
The game has gone way too far on the health and safety side, too many stoppages and penalties for the smallest incident, with stupid bans for players to follow.
If we keep going down this line, the game is going to become unwatchable, something must be done to stop the rot.