Brookes cited for pushing the ref

Just been reading that Brookes has been cited for pushing the ref during the game against the Tigers. I haven't seen the replay, but from what i remember the ref was in the way and Brookes gave him a little push.

Brookes is to appear at an RFU Disciplinary Hearing charged with acts contrary to good sportsmanship contrary to law 10.4(m).

The charge, brought by Citing Commissioner Shaun Gallagher, is for physical abuse of a match official for recklessly pushing or otherwise making contact with referee Greg Garner in the Aviva Premiership match against Leicester Tigers at Kingston Park on Sunday, March 2

Does anyone remember it or have the clip?

The ref was standing out to the side of the ruck, Slater made a break round the side of the ruck and as the ref and Brookes both stepped towards the play the ref was in the way. Brookes dumped him on his ar$e with a big shove. Brookes wasn't paying attention, if he had then he'd have asked the ref to move and been able to attempt the tackle.

I did wonder at the time of something would come of it. It's a bit of nothing but at the same time you can't push over a referee.

I think something similar happened in one of the games I saw at the weekend.

Was it Scarlets v Munster??? Not at all sure about which game it was.

The ref did not fall over but he did get in the way.

It's a set tactic by teams to run at the gap that the referee is standing in order to create that uncertainty in the defensive line as to whether the ref will move out of the way or else the tackle is initiated on/over the gainline and the team in possession has made ground.

In reality a referee wouldn't have to stand in the defensive line if the referee's assistants on the sidelines properly enforced the offside line from their far better vantage point.

Mafi tackles the ref

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KepYSs-T8Y

I don't think anything came of it at the time.

that is hysterical. ref didnt seem overly bothered.

whats the ruling when someone with the ball accidentally runs into the ref? is it scrum down with put-in to the team that had the ball?

thinking about it logically, it should be put-in to the opposition, in order to discourage teams from deliberately running at the ref knowing they might make a line break, might get a scrum (which if i were massively dominant in the scrum i would target)

Well he's got a six week ban, really need to try and find the video.

Haven't seen the incident, if he deserves it then he's a silly chap, was possibly on the verge of England squad for NZ given the tighthead problems

Its an utterly ridiculous ban.

maverickmak wrote:Its an utterly ridiculous ban.

the only reason i can think of ban is if they deemed it was too far away from the ruck, but from memory it wasn't.

http://www.premiershiprugby.tv/FullMatchReplays
41:21 on replay clock.Just before Goneva's 1st try

Looking at that replay 6 weeks seems a bit harsh but it was a full on shove - looked a bit like he tried to shove the ref into the ball carrier

6 weeks is harsh. A week ban as a slap on the wrist and general warning to the AP was what I expected. 6 weeks is a good chunk of the remaining season.

Absolutely disgraceful decision by the RFU!!!!!

I would definately appeal.

So will the Tigers player who was throwing punches for fun going to get a ban aswell??!!!

This just further highlights the total shambles that is the RFU disciplinary process. I completely agree with Sam's statement, he should receive a token ban but 6 weeks is farcical. I am presuming this starts immediately, so given the LV cup and the European weekends this will mean in effect a 3 game ban; but as those games are Glaws (A), Wuss (H) and Irish (A) you'd expect the Falcons management had highlighted these as all winnable matches and his loss will be huge.

http://www.rugbydump.com/2014/02/3613/midweek-madness-schalk-brits-runs-into-brick-wall-wayne-barnes

If Brookes gets a ban then surely Wayne Barnes should have got a ban for this shocking piece of play?   

Which player was that GF? I can only remember the handbags over the line during the game and there were no punches thrown there.

Ok your right it was only handbags...im just fuming at this decision...just rediculous

Just for a bit of context, Brookes incident is below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZXrcEwKm1E

And below is a recent incident in an amateur game in which the player got a 3 year ban from the RFU (he pled not guilty, had a bit of previous and the ref broke his leg)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpNjgL4_JvU#t=3m33s

6 weeks is probably about right in my view and on a par with what Mujati got in one of the previous clips in the video above. It's obviously extremely frustrating when the ref accidentally runs a blocking line, but this is a blind side shove rather than a collision.

From my initial memory of the incident, I was rather horrified that Brookes was cited.

Re-watching it, looks like he was very late reacting to the run from Slater and was never going to reach him, giving the ref a massive push in the back for who knows what reason. So I can see why he pleaded guilty to the charge. 6 weeks seems harsh, very harsh.

Margin,

In that amateur game, which player got banned? The one who dived or the one who stayed on his feet?

MrsP wrote:Margin,

In that amateur game, which player got banned? The one who dived or the one who stayed on his feet?

The guy who shoved him and stayed on his feet, although the second player definitely contributed to the injury

margin walker that's for posting the incident. Seems very harsh on Brookes.

Weird incident, he seems to try and push the ref into the ball carrier billiard style. Pushing the referee potentially into the path of the ball carrier does mean there is a risk of injury which means it has to be taken seriously.

It seems like he realises the ref is running a blocking line and takes it upon himself to get him out of the way- didn't look accidental.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZXrcEwKm1E

Looks like he was out of position defensively. The ref shouldn't have been there, blocking a defender from a ball carrier. Neither should Brookes, from a defensive point of view - he should have been closer to the ruck. So he did something silly in the heat of the moment to try and rectify things.

I don't think this warrants 6 weeks.

But this is a much worse example of what I just said- don't think there was any ban.

https://youtu.be/kpNjgL4_JvU?t=1m30s

Refs are increasingly getting in the way (perhaps being increasingly caught out by the pace of the game and the speed particularly that many scrum halves want to distribute at).  And seriously, it has to stop.  They know where they should be to avoid killing well worked systems and moves.... Do Not be in the way of the game you are reffing!

It annoys the hell out of me when a pass designed to keep defences busy is blocked by a fumbling ref who seems surprised that he was in the way.  The Captains should walk up to him and say:
"If you don't mind, SIR!, we'll do our own tactics.  Please don't force us into your less adventurous ones by being where you shouldn't be! - Thankyou!!!!!  - and don't bloody book me now, I warning you!"

BTW...there is also the little dark arts of using a fumbling ref who is getting in the way to disguise smart offloads and such.  Some players and strategies actually head for the fumbling ref  So yet again, nothing is black and white in rugby.

Where is the ref supposed to stand? He's keeping out the way of the attacking team, he's got to remain close enough to the ruck to see what's going on but also ensure the defensive line isn't offside. Brookes' positioning is poor not the officials. Maybe the ref could have been slightly more forward but he has to stand somewhere and had Brookes being paying attention an "excuse me sir" could have been workable before the pass was made.

Still there's got to be an appeal against the 6 week ban.

Brooks has a case to answer for. He had time to push, not run into or trying to make a tackle. Garner wouldn't have known if it was a push or just been ran into. As for TMO depending at what feed he was looking at could have missed it & shortly afterwards was asked to look at the try so could have forgotten if he did notice. Doubt TMO gets the TV feed ,probably just camera feeds, so wouldn't have seen BT going on about it. With International & Europe weekends it works out as a 3 game ban. The refs need to be protected as what is to stop any player pushing the ref with the excuse that the ref was in the way?

formerly known as Sam wrote:Where is the ref supposed to stand? He's keeping out the way of the attacking team, he's got to remain close enough to the ruck to see what's going on but also ensure the defensive line isn't offside. Brookes' positioning is poor not the officials. Maybe the ref could have been slightly more forward but he has to stand somewhere and had Brookes being paying attention an "excuse me sir" could have been workable before the pass was made.

Still there's got to be an appeal against the 6 week ban.

You comtemplate the particular, I contemplate the habitual.  I'm not talking particularly about the Brooke incident (he was absolutely wrong to try to use the ref himself to stop an attack) but I repeat that refs do get themselves in the way, unecessarily- which can influence those little potential game-changing moments unecessarily.  If they feel they have to be right next to the ball at all times to make proper judgements then perhaps it's time for specsavers or retirement.

After seeing the replay i think he's certainly guilty, just don't think the it justifies 6 weeks. Perhaps 2 - 3 weeks.