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NSW Origin star Angus Crichton has hit back suggestions his Roosters are “taking the p...” and deliberately conceding Six Again infringements, stressing coach Trent Robinson “roasts” any player who incurs such penalties.
The NRL’s controversial Six Again ruling is again under the spotlight, with several teams — including the Roosters — accused of either deliberately slowing down the ruck or standing offside as a spoiling tactic, knowing they will not concede a full penalty.
Over the weekend, Channel 9 commentators Brad Fittler and Peter Sterling both took aim at the growing trend, which the NSW coach described as ‘taking the p***’.
Given the issue was also a key talking point after the State of Origin decider, NRL Head of Football Graham Annesley has since gone public to state his officials have been told to use the sin bin if teams continue to blatantly abuse the rule.
However both Crichton and Roosters No.6 Drew Hutchison stressed on Monday that they are not being coached to deliberately give away Six Again penalties as a defensive tactic.
Both Fittler and Sterling pointed outed out how, against the Cowboys, Robinson’s side conceded three set restarts in as many plays late while defending their tryline and leading by six.
Referee Ashley Klein declined to halt play however, just as he didn’t use the sin bin for any of the three incidents which came within the space of about 60 seconds.
When quizzed on the tactic, Crichton said it was not something his side had deliberately set out to do during their win over the Cowboys.
“You never want to give away penalties or six again's,” he said. “Every single time I do reviews and I’ve given away a Six Again (infringement) I get roasted by the coach. So our coaches are definitely not trying to encourage us to give six again's away.”
Hutchison agreed, stressing the spoiling tactic was not something his side was using as a tactic.
“I don’t think it’s ever used tactically,” he said.
“Any time you give away six again, it’s really putting pressure on your own team.”
Instead, he said it was an individual decision “that some people make”.
“Sometimes it hurts your team, sometimes it slows the ruck down,” he said. “There’s no right way to use it.
“So I can’t say we use it as a tactic, no.”
Asked about the recent spate of Six Again penalties on The Sunday Footy Show, Fittler said: “We had the same in Origin — three on one tackle and we didn’t make five metres.
“Sides realise now, especially on early tackles, they’re giving up a tackle. We’ve got to have a look at that rule, I believe - especially with the 10 metres and switching that back to penalties. Teams are just taking the p***.”
Asked if he was happy with the rules the way they were, Crichton continued: “It doesn’t matter if I’m happy with it or not.
“I understand they (the NRL) are trying to make the game better to view.
“And I feel like as a player you have to get on with what they’ve given us, which is a Six Again rule change.
“All I can do is try my best to try and win football games and incorporate that into my game. And I think as a club we’ve trained about having faster game play, having more players to defend your line and defending more players in the games.
“That’s all you can really do.”
why is it us all of a sudden. One game where we give away a few six again on our line.
they are right about team giving away 6 again on he first tack when the opposition is trapped on their line but why pick on us.
The NRL’s controversial Six Again ruling is again under the spotlight, with several teams — including the Roosters — accused of either deliberately slowing down the ruck or standing offside as a spoiling tactic, knowing they will not concede a full penalty.
Over the weekend, Channel 9 commentators Brad Fittler and Peter Sterling both took aim at the growing trend, which the NSW coach described as ‘taking the p***’.
Given the issue was also a key talking point after the State of Origin decider, NRL Head of Football Graham Annesley has since gone public to state his officials have been told to use the sin bin if teams continue to blatantly abuse the rule.
However both Crichton and Roosters No.6 Drew Hutchison stressed on Monday that they are not being coached to deliberately give away Six Again penalties as a defensive tactic.
Both Fittler and Sterling pointed outed out how, against the Cowboys, Robinson’s side conceded three set restarts in as many plays late while defending their tryline and leading by six.
Referee Ashley Klein declined to halt play however, just as he didn’t use the sin bin for any of the three incidents which came within the space of about 60 seconds.
When quizzed on the tactic, Crichton said it was not something his side had deliberately set out to do during their win over the Cowboys.
“You never want to give away penalties or six again's,” he said. “Every single time I do reviews and I’ve given away a Six Again (infringement) I get roasted by the coach. So our coaches are definitely not trying to encourage us to give six again's away.”
Hutchison agreed, stressing the spoiling tactic was not something his side was using as a tactic.
“I don’t think it’s ever used tactically,” he said.
“Any time you give away six again, it’s really putting pressure on your own team.”
Instead, he said it was an individual decision “that some people make”.
“Sometimes it hurts your team, sometimes it slows the ruck down,” he said. “There’s no right way to use it.
“So I can’t say we use it as a tactic, no.”
Asked about the recent spate of Six Again penalties on The Sunday Footy Show, Fittler said: “We had the same in Origin — three on one tackle and we didn’t make five metres.
“Sides realise now, especially on early tackles, they’re giving up a tackle. We’ve got to have a look at that rule, I believe - especially with the 10 metres and switching that back to penalties. Teams are just taking the p***.”
Asked if he was happy with the rules the way they were, Crichton continued: “It doesn’t matter if I’m happy with it or not.
“I understand they (the NRL) are trying to make the game better to view.
“And I feel like as a player you have to get on with what they’ve given us, which is a Six Again rule change.
“All I can do is try my best to try and win football games and incorporate that into my game. And I think as a club we’ve trained about having faster game play, having more players to defend your line and defending more players in the games.
“That’s all you can really do.”
why is it us all of a sudden. One game where we give away a few six again on our line.
they are right about team giving away 6 again on he first tack when the opposition is trapped on their line but why pick on us.
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