Bledisloe #1 - AUS v NZL, ANZ Stadium, Sydney, August 8th

[Quick Hands]

There's another option too for the conspiracy theorists. Maybe he went too lenient on Hooper so as to not appear to be partial in any way...

Or the more likely explanation, that the SANZAR judical process is a shambolic, inconsistent joke.

 

[Beer Baron]

I wonder if anything will be said by the IRB/Worldrugby about the acting by Sanchez. Ignoring the push/punch argument, he tried to milk the penalty. That kind of behaviour has ruined soccer IMO. Heaven forbid we start regularly seeing 6'8 120kg forwards with cauliflower ears rolling around the ground clutching their shins a la Peter Griffin. (should post the link for those who don't know). That needs to be stamped out straight away.

 

[Dave Beat]

.
We must be looking at different incidents.

Many rugby types scoff at AFL - where a push in the back is a free kick and that's it.

Complete joke that this matter was even looked at by the Citing Commissioner, let alone cited, let alone suspended.

As I said, interesting precedent.
Big push gets 1 week, can a lesser push now mean a yellow card, and one in between mean a red card.

 

[qwerty51]

What a big blow for Manly on the eve of the finals series, this has surely put their camp into disarray.

 

[Quick Hands]

I wonder if anything will be said by the IRB/Worldrugby about the acting by Sanchez. Ignoring the push/punch argument, he tried to milk the penalty. That kind of behaviour has ruined soccer IMO. Heaven forbid we start regularly seeing 6'8 120kg forwards with cauliflower ears rolling around the ground clutching their shins a la Peter Griffin. (should post the link for those who don't know). That needs to be stamped out straight away.

And I note, that despite what some say was a blow to the head with a clenched fist, causing Sanchez to fall to the ground and receive treatment - that he was not subject to the IRB/WR (World Rugby) concussion protocol. In fact he was able to play on.

How can this be? Could it be that he wasn't injured? And he received no blow the the head? And the fall to the ground was due to the laws of physics not a blow to the head at all?

 

[Scoey]

I'm really supirsed with some posts here saying it was nothing and that Sanchez played it up.

That was a fucking hard hit. I thought it deserved suspension, and I'm as one eyed as it gets.

But the fact he essentially gets off due to Manly, is a joke.

I was beginning to think that I was the only one. I'm pretty annoyed that he essentially got no suspension.

I absolutely abhor this sort of crap. I find it really disheartening too, to read the countless comments that try to compare what Sanchez did to what Hooper did or that straight out glorify what Hooper did. The only thing that needs be considered is that Hooper swung at Sanchez and struck him. That's it.

Punching/striking whatever you want to call it has absolutely zero place in our game with no exceptions.

 

[qwerty51]

Scoey you're missing it.

These people don't think Hooper punched him. You do. You're essentially talking about different instances.

 

[Scoey]

Scoey you're missing it.

These people don't think Hooper punched him. You do. You're essentially talking about different instances.

That's the problem. They have spent a week looking a grainy slow mo replays that incidentally don't show the moment of impact and with absolute certainty can say that it was a push to the back. In other words, they are seeing what they want to see.

On the footage that I've seen (and I've looked at plenty) all you can confidently say is that Sanchez was holding Hooper back and Hooper swung his arm at Sanchez's shoulder/head and connected.

 

[Bullrush]

Hooper took a swing at the guy pure and simple - he may have missed his head but he took a swing at him - closed hand or not.

Or do you guys think he was just trying to give him a gentle pat on the back as consolation for the try that was being scored?

"There, there Sanchez, there there. Maybe next year mate."

 

[qwerty51]

That's the problem. They have spent a week looking a grainy slow mo replays that incidentally don't show the moment of impact and with absolute certainty can say that it was a push to the back. In other words, they are seeing what they want to see.

And why doesn't that apply to a punch? Does that fact that Hooper's word and his record not count for anything?

 

[qwerty51]

Hooper took a swing at the guy pure and simple - he may have missed his head but he took a swing at him - closed hand or not

He pushed him hard in the back of the neck and Sanchez lost his balance and fell and then milked it. If you're happy to red card pushes and ban them you'll be seeing games of 10vs10 with the amount of pushes that happen

Should we mention the 6-7 closed fist obvious punches by Habana on Codie Taylor?

What did Hooper do that was different to what Jannie du Plessis did to Laurie Weeks? Answer me that because that was a hard push to the head but Laurie didn't theatrically fall down.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Some of the judgement. Full text here

The video supports Hooper's account of events that he was grabbed intentionally by Sanchez who maintained contact as he moved behind Hooper, causing him to become unbalanced, rotate around and effectively run backwards. This action was done to prevent Hooper from supporting a teammate who had the ball and was running towards the goal line. If Hooper was not held in this way, he could have supported his teammate in a number of ways so that his team could potentially score.


"Hooper tried to extricate himself from the hold when he wasn't released by Sanchez. The actions of Sanchez while deliberate, illegal and an act of considerable provocation, do not allow for retaliation in an illegal way including striking the opponent. Hooper's account and the video support the notion that he did not punch the opponent in the face. However, it matters not where a strike lands on an opponent if there was indeed a strike.


"It was found that Hooper, in circumstances of considerable frustration and in order to try and rid himself of his opponent, drew back his free right arm and, voluntarily using additional momentum over and above that given to him by the actions of his opponent, struck out at the opponent’s head and neck area with his open hand, making contact with the back of the opponent’s neck and head with considerable, and intentional, force.

 

[Scoey]

He pushed him hard in the back of the neck and Sanchez lost his balance and fell and then milked it. If you're happy to red card pushes and ban them you'll be seeing games of 10vs10 with the amount of pushes that happen

Should we mention the 6-7 closed fist obvious punches by Habana on Codie Taylor?

What did Hooper do that was different to what Jannie du Plessis did to Laurie Weeks? Answer me that because that was a hard push to the head but Laurie didn't theatrically fall down.

Like I said above, you can't confidently say that it was a push. You can't see the point of impact. That is your opinion, not fact.

But that's the other shit I get so sick of reading. But what about so and so that once did this thing to the other guy?!?! What about that??
By all means, have a whinge about inconsistencies in outcomes or non outcomes as the case may be of judicial hearings but that is an entirely seperate issue and doesn't make what Hooper did any more ok.

 

[qwerty51]

Like I said above, you can't confidently say that it was a push. You can't see the point of impact. That is your opinion, not fact.

So you're criticising people because they have a different opinion to an incident that you admit is murky. The whole point I made is that these people didn't see it as a punch and therefore not condoning a punch..

 

[Scoey]

So you're criticising people because they have a different opinion to an incident that you admit is murky. The whole point I made is that these people didn't see it as a punch and therefore not condoning a punch..

No. I hold the view that Hooper lashed out with a swinging arm at Sanchez, who was holding him back, and he connected. That's striking.

But anyway. I'm done here. It's been done to death and I'm sick of reading about it. I really shouldn't have posted at all.

 

[Strewthcobber]

They went with the "it's the same as a fend" defence

It was submitted that this action was similar to a fend by a ball carrier attempting to stop himself from being tackled.

"The action can not be compared to a fend by a ball carrier. A fend is an accepted arm/hand movement made by a ball carrier on a would-be tackler. In this incident, the ball was not in play.

 

[qwerty51]

Yeah a fend is a push. It already called a push off by some. That's not a strike, what Habana did to Codie Taylor is a strike.

 

[Gnostic]

Fine. If Hoopers level of incident deserves a week.

I expect the Messam choke hold from earlier this year to be dealt with properly and him get 12 weeks. No he didn't get a week for attacking the head and choking out a player.

What about the J. Du Plesis hit to the back of the head on Weeks "with Du Plessis calling his shot 'a push',". http://www.rugbydump.com/2015/06/43...ned-for-multiple-punches-on-jannie-du-plessis .There is absolutely no doubt about that and no "grainy" footage excuse. No sanction for a bloke with a record for thuggish behaviour. Pre meditated and no mitigating factors.

As for the Argentines taking dives and feigning injuries, I honestly believe that they should be suspended as well, as the behaviour is unsportmans-like and is the precise reason many hold contempt for the game of soccer.

As in the real world the inconsistency of the system makes it an absolute joke, and leaves it open to allegations of bias and corruption. I don't make those allegations, and think those that do are a bit silly without any shred of proof. What I think is the system itself is flawed and arbitrary.

A defined system of penalties and gradings would be far better.

 

[Strewthcobber]

A defined system of penalties and gradings would be far better.

The Appendix in World Rugby regulation 17 has a pretty good starting point.

It's the "aren't I a good boy" mitigating factors and "we're doing something" deterrents that really make the penalties such a lottery.

 

[BDA]

Very happy to know Hooper will be playing next Saturday. Cant wait to see a bit of Pooper late in the game. Pocock to start, Hooper off the bench.