TONY Smith has called on rugby league’s chiefs to grab a growing issue by the balls after Tom Lineham was whacked with an eight-match ban for a ‘squirrel grip.’
The Warrington winger will miss the Challenge Cup final if they get there after being found guilty of the Grade F offence of ‘other contrary behaviour,’ – inappropriate contact with the genitals of Castleford’s Alex Foster in Thursday’s 12-10 win.
And Hull KR’s Jordan Abdull has been hit with a two-match suspension for a similar incident involving St Helens’ James Bentley on Friday.
Super League has been hit by a spate of the offence, with three such incidents in a month after the last top flight player to be banned for it was Kevin Larroyer in 2017, although Bradford’s George Flanagan received eight matches last year.
Now Rovers boss Smith, whose player successfully had his Grade D charge downgraded, wants Rugby Football League chiefs to start educating stars.
He also feels that without Tommy Makinson’s offence against Cas’ Liam Watts – which earned him a five-game ban – none of the others would have been highlighted.
Smith said: “Sometimes it warrants a tackle when somebody goes between their legs to try and make it. Sometimes it gets picked up, sometimes it doesn’t.
“But the whole thing’s changed because of what happened with Tommy.
“The league needs to put something out there to say, ‘Hey listen, if you go between somebody’s legs you run the risk of going to the disciplinary panel.’
“Put something out to prevent it, some education. That same tackle a month ago, he wouldn’t have been in the disciplinary. No way.
“It’s topical as we’ve seen a couple of incidents recently. It has changed the way we look at how people tackle and what they grab hold of.
“The tackle between the legs has gone on for years and it’s not for any unsavoury reasons and some accidents have happened in the past.
“People have tried to grab a pair of shorts, or the inner thigh to make a tackle. That’s what Jordan was doing.
“Sometimes that goes astray and an accident happens. If you watch Jordan, he reacts that way.
“He was like ‘I didn’t get the shorts. I may have got something else’ and he pulls his hand out straight away.”
St Helens’ Kevin Naiqama managed to overturn a two-match ban handed down for a high tackle on Hull KR’s Kane Linnett.
