Hooper One Week Ban

[RedruthRFC]

The real question is how did Sanchez escape punishment for what was really two professional fouls. He got an open had slap on the back of his head and frankly deserved a lot worse.

A very good question for the citing officer.

Did what? break free of being pulled back without the ball in a try scoring situation by smaking the cheating moron off you with an open hand? Well, in the NRL the bloke holding you back would have got the ban. Not to open up a can of worms..

In WR parlance, "Striking another Player with a hand, arm or fist", the minimum ban is 2 weeks. I don't see why making a comparison to another sport would open a can of worms.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Slap him in jail.

 

[RoosTah]

A very good question for the citing officer.



In WR parlance, "Striking another Player with a hand, arm or fist", the minimum ban is 2 weeks. I don't see why making a comparison to another sport would open a can of worms.

As previously noted by others Rugby's judicial system is an inconsistent and lacking utterly in uniformity and balance.

Striking another player with the hand arm or fist carries a two week ban in theory, but every single week about 5 players on both sides will strike the arm of an opposition player who is hanging onto them in a ruck without any punishment. So I don't really see how this is any big deal given the offending player was committing a professional foul to earn his light slap.

I think more than anything, the Sanchez case should create a case for match bans for players caught blatently diving. The man cops a light slap in the back and rolls over grabbing his face. That really ought to earn him a few weeks - it's a poor look for the sport.

 

[goodNumber10]

Slap him in jail.

Always took you as an arse man...

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

If it was to break free / draw attention to Sanchez hoding him back then why not strike at his arm, @sanzar? Then I'd be all on board. This looked like he was hitting out in frustration (which I can understand, mind you) and rather reckless retaliation rather than anything deliberate/calculated. You have to draw the line somewhere otherwise it'd all descend into chaos if players were allowed to slap/punch others 'who deserved it'. I mean otherwise Dean Greyling would be fully justified in having a go at McCaw like he did (am I glad his Bok carreer was over after it!).

 

[RoosTah]

If it was to break free / draw attention to Sanchez hoding him back then why not strike at his arm, @sanzar? Then I'd be all on board. This looked like he was hitting out in frustration (which I can understand, mind you) and rather reckless retaliation rather than anything deliberate/calculated.

He was running full pelt to support a team mate in a try scoring situation and was having his arm dangerously pulled back by an opposition player - kinda hard to just target the one arm. He probably wasn't thinking through it in a calm and considered manner - was probably more just trying to swat away the cheating a--hole who had grabbed hold of his arm in any way possible.

Again, I've seen FAR worse get ignored on a rugby field and to be honest I don't think that Hooper deserved any ban at all given the circumstances. It wasn't a fight starter, it wasn't unprovoked, it wasn't a punch and it wasn't done for any other purpose than to break free of a professional foul.

Again, Sanchez should have earned himself two yellows there: holding back AND diving. Should cop more time on the sidelines than Hooper if the game had any sense.

 

[ZeroTwo]

He was running full pelt to support a team mate in a try scoring situation and was having his arm dangerously pulled back by an opposition player - kinda hard to just target the one arm. He probably wasn't thinking through it in a calm and considered manner - was probably more just trying to swat away the cheating a--hole who had grabbed hold of his arm in any way possible.

Again, I've seen FAR worse get ignored on a rugby field and to be honest I don't think that Hooper deserved any ban at all given the circumstances. It wasn't a fight starter, it wasn't unprovoked, it wasn't a punch and it wasn't done for any other purpose than to break free of a professional foul.

Again, Sanchez should have earned himself two yellows there: holding back AND diving. Should cop more time on the sidelines than Hooper if the game had any sense.

Saying a strike to the head/shoulders area is fine but pulling on someones arm is dangerous....

Holding back isn't a yellow. I'd say penalty there. However I wouldn't cite it, and I would cite a possible punch to the face. As to the dive, rugby clearly hasn't made its mind up what the appropriate response is so will let it go begging at the moment. Should have been looked at in my mind.

 

[Peat]

Ban's right. Regardless of circumstances, don't deliberately strike people around the neck/head area.

That he's been allowed to sit it out for Manly is farcical and a fine example of why World Rugby needs to step in and take control of the citing system at a high level.

Aaaand... tbh, I'd have liked to see Sanchez cop a ban as well actually. Simulation should be a red card offence. I know its not been considered as such so far, but it's got to start somewhere. But rugby's always been pretty clear that retaliation buys you zero sympathy, so that's got sfa to do with Hooper's ban.

 

[RoosTah]

Saying a strike to the head/shoulders area is fine but pulling on someones arm is dangerous....

Holding back isn't a yellow. I'd say penalty there. However I wouldn't cite it, and I would cite a possible punch to the face. .

Pulling the arm back carries the risk of dislocation at that speed - more dangerous than a slap on the back for mine.

Also, holding back isn't normally a yellow, but it is in a try scoring situation - which it was. Indeed, whilst it turned out Dennis didn't need Hooper, had they have been a little closer and Dennis was stopped, you'd have had a strong case for a penalty try. That's a yellow every day of the week.

 

[ZeroTwo]

Pulling the arm back carries the risk of dislocation at that speed - more dangerous than a slap on the back for mine.

Also, holding back isn't normally a yellow, but it is in a try scoring situation - which it was. Indeed, whilst it turned out Dennis didn't need Hooper, had they have been a little closer and Dennis was stopped, you'd have had a strong case for a penalty try. That's a yellow every day of the week.

I get very bored of the "rugby is turning soft" brigade but if you were to penalise the holding back as dangerous play I think it's a little far. These guys are tanks and have the muscle to deal with a little tug on the arm.

I understand professional foul obstructing a try argument, however no referee in the world will give a try and yellow card a player on a could have. Especially as it didn't interrupt play or stop a try, it's a penalty so could have been brought back for it with no try.

 

[Peat]

Pulling the arm back carries the risk of dislocation at that speed - more dangerous than a slap on the back for mine.

Also, holding back isn't normally a yellow, but it is in a try scoring situation - which it was. Indeed, whilst it turned out Dennis didn't need Hooper, had they have been a little closer and Dennis was stopped, you'd have had a strong case for a penalty try. That's a yellow every day of the week.

I'm going to guess not too many other people agree with that.

 

[RedruthRFC]

As previously noted by others Rugby's judicial system is an inconsistent and lacking utterly in uniformity and balance.

Striking another player with the hand arm or fist carries a two week ban in theory, but every single week about 5 players on both sides will strike the arm of an opposition player who is hanging onto them in a ruck without any punishment. So I don't really see how this is any big deal given the offending player was committing a professional foul to earn his light slap.

I think more than anything, the Sanchez case should create a case for match bans for players caught blatently diving. The man cops a light slap in the back and rolls over grabbing his face. That really ought to earn him a few weeks - it's a poor look for the sport.

All very true, it's one of my favourite rants that the law makers are incapable of producing a set of laws that can be enforced in order to produce the game we want. However, that's not to say that Hooper can complain about his punishment (he's bang to rights), but that we can feel aggrieved that other incidents worthy of sanction escaped it. The lower end for jersey tugging is 2 weeks, the lower end for "other acts contrary to good sportsmanship" is 4 weeks, so there's a good case to say that Sanchez should be on the receiving end of a minimum of a 6 week ban.

 

[RoosTah]

I'm going to guess not too many other people agree with that.

Really? Holding a player back in support close to the line in a try scoring situation wouldn't be a penalty try? Not even if Dennis offloads as he's being stopped and Hooper can't reach the ball because Sanchez is pulling his arm back? I reckon that'd be a fair case for a penalty try... I did stipulate "if he was closer to the line" after all.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Should be easy enough to cite Sanchez for unsportsmanlike conduct. Don't think there's much will to do it though, otherwise Huget, Habana, and Sanchez would have been **** on from a great height.

 

[TobesHodges]

Don't really care, would rather play them at full strength at Sydney to see what we're made of.

Absolutely sir!

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

He was running full pelt to support a team mate in a try scoring situation and was having his arm dangerously pulled back by an opposition player - kinda hard to just target the one arm. He probably wasn't thinking through it in a calm and considered manner - was probably more just trying to swat away the cheating a--hole who had grabbed hold of his arm in any way possible.

Again, I've seen FAR worse get ignored on a rugby field and to be honest I don't think that Hooper deserved any ban at all given the circumstances. It wasn't a fight starter, it wasn't unprovoked, it wasn't a punch and it wasn't done for any other purpose than to break free of a professional foul.

Again, Sanchez should have earned himself two yellows there: holding back AND diving. Should cop more time on the sidelines than Hooper if the game had any sense.

That's my point though; that Hooper hit out at Sanchez and didn't try to get loose so to say. That's where it starts and stops. The rules are quite simple here and the 'ban' farcically lenient. At least in relation to other bans having been given recently.

Sanchez's escaping any form of penalty is a seperate matter even if the one directly led to the other. I am with you on the score of Sanchez needing to be cited for diving. Also, holding a player back is a clear penalty. Yes, if an act of foul play leads to a probable try not being scored then penalty try. Unless I have it horribly wrong. I suppose it then becomes a question of is it a probable try if you take out the offending player? I'd lean toward, yeah, probably even if I think efw referees would have it in them to award such a penalty try. I mean, if you can award a penalty try off of a deliberate slap down then surely you can do the same for holding back. We jsut don't see it all that often though. I remember SA fans being up in arms after, I can't remember which Aussie player and whether it was last year or the year before, slapped down the ball whereas it was a clear cut try if the ball hadn't been slapped.

Diving needs to go. But then it should count for everyone equal. Folau, Habana and SBW have all been guilty of a bit of play-acting over the last 2 years, 1 instance each. Not one of them penalised or even cited afterwards.

 

[RedruthRFC]

Should be easy enough to cite Sanchez for unsportsmanlike conduct. Don't think there's much will to do it though, otherwise Huget, Habana, and Sanchez would have been **** on from a great height.

Should *have* been. AFAIK, the ship has sailed once the citing officer submits his report and fails to pick it out. Surely this is better dealt with sooner rather than later before the problem gets any worst. I can understand the wish to brush it under the carpet and avoid bringing attention to the problem, but at some point they're going to have to bite the bullet, so why not do it now before the list of people who have already got away with it gets embarrassingly long?

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That's my point though; that Hooper hit out at Sanchez and didn't try to get loose so to say. That's where it starts and stops. The rules are quite simple here and the 'ban' farcically lenient. At least in relation to other bans having been given recently.

Really? Would you say that it should have been assessed as being middle range or higher? It looked pretty clearly low end to me. As above, the low end minimum sanction is 2 weeks, but there is plenty of precedent for contrition, provocation and previous record seeing this lowered.

 

[Tony Manx]

Slap him in jail.

Nah, birch him!!!!

 

[Feicarsinn]

Lynch the *******. Walk him through Brisbane naked and chant shame at him.

 

[Jaguares]

Good news for the Bledisloe