Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has blown up at the NRL after Jordan Rapana was denied the same suspension loophole the league has now granted Brandon Smith and Reece Walsh.
Stuart had contacted the NRL integrity unit prior to the All Stars match and was told it could not be used to serve a ban for off-field matters.
It meant the club allowed Rapana to play for the Maori side where he then picked up a two-game suspension for a shoulder charge.
Instead, he could have been available for round one under the current rules if Canberra were given the exemption.
Rapana is able to serve the off-field ban and shoulder charge suspension concurrently, so will miss the opening two rounds for the Raiders.
But regardless, Stuart cannot understand why the rules have changed in the space of two weeks.
“It is the Canberra Raiders copping it up the arse again. That is a quote,” Stuart told the Daily Telegraph.
“I am in disbelief and disgusted that it always seems to happen to us.
“We keep on copping it and copping it and it gets to the stage where you are absolutely fed up with it.
“I mean, this has been going on for years, we just don’t get listened to. I feel sorry for Andrew [Abdo] who I have the utmost respect for.
“But he has to deal with the inadequacies of people making decisions that he has to clean up.
“Andrew has apologised and said, ‘I am sorry, I cannot change the decisions that have been made’.
“He understands the inconsistencies. It is very hard to work in a business with the inconsistencies that the NRL have.
“It is very, very frustrating.”
The comments will not draw any punishment from the NRL, but have shone a light upon inconsistencies.
Smith available for round one
Smith will be able to return for Melbourne in round one against the Tigers, despite being suspended for one-match at the end of last year after being captured on video with a white-powder substance.
Walsh, who accepted a two-game ban in the off-season for a drug possession charge, will be able to play in round two for the Warriors after also sitting out the All Stars clash.
The exemptions come after Latrell Mitchell was allowed to count the All Stars match as part of his six-game ban for his high hit on Joey Manu last year.
Mitchell’s exemption differed, however, in that it was counted after an application to the judiciary chairman from South Sydney, as part of a rule that has long surrounded representative matches in rugby league.
Smith and Walsh’s bans were related to off-field matters, with the duo suspended by their respective club and the integrity unit rather than the judiciary.
Smith’s offence — while in a hotel room with some fellow Melbourne players during last year’s finals — will now no have impact on-field repercussions as he will not miss any game time for the Storm.
“It was certainly very tough to miss out on playing with my Maori brothers and not getting the chance to enjoy the All Stars week,” Smith said in a statement.
“I continue to take the steps I need to put last year’s events behind me, to improve myself and I’m grateful to have the chance to be part of round one.”
There is some precedent in the most recent decision.
Jai Arrow was suspended for two games last year for a COVID-19 breach, with one of those matches able to be served in State of Origin.
In that instance, Arrow was in Queensland camp when he committed the offence.
With AAP
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