Before we look at discipline in sport, let's look at discipline in everyday life.
Has it improved over the last 25 years or is there less respect for teachers, the police or even the elderly today?
It appears to me that there has been a decline in the standards of discipline throughout society and that filters down to less discipline in sporting events.
Hock: facing a two year ban
The RFL have made an excellent effort with their respect campaign to try and maintain what everyone thinks are the right standards in which to play, compete and spectate. I have even noticed that football has a similar campaign centred around having respect for their opponents, officials and the opposition supporters.
Television has maybe created this lack of respect by highlighting mistakes made by referees and this is one of the reasons why more players and spectators question the ref's decision more than ever before.
It appears that society has moved to winning is first and everything, and after that means nothing. I understand that wining is important and a certain level of single mindedness is needed to be successful but we need to keep some perspective.
Phil Clarke
Quotes of the week
It appears that society believes winning is first and everything, and after that means nothing. I understand that winning is important and a certain level of single mindedness is needed to be successful but we need to keep some perspective.
It is an interesting age in which we live when we are now more than ever aware of the fallibility of the officials.
Sportsmanship
One of the greatest pieces of sportsmanship I saw this year was when Frank Lampard was mistakenly sent off for Chelsea FC against Liverpool at Anfield and he simply accepted the decision and walked towards the tunnel.
It was a great example of the discipline needed to be involved in top-level sport.
Player discipline comes in many different forms. Respect for the official is one but the dedication needed to be successful involves self sacrifice.
My personal opinion is that players should take responsibility for their own action and yet the discipline set by the coaching staff and management of the club is probably equally as important.
Most teams now have a code of conduct and provide the relevant education for off-field behaviour and I see no need for them to do much more.
Leadership
The Melbourne Storm, probably the most successful team in Australia over the last three years, have their own group of players called the leadership group. They decide a whole range of issues from social activities to internal discipline procedures. It is probably an idea that some teams over here should have a closer look at.
There is also a discipline for your team mates that coaches will often talk about. Is what you are doing helping us to be a better team? It's a question I know one coach repeatedly asks his teams. If the answer to that question is no then you should not be doing it.
Gareth Hock looks like he may receive a two-year ban because of cocaine and yet some players recently convicted of things like GBH get off relatively lightly.
The discipline of the RFL is often criticised for being too harsh or too lenient on players for high tackles but should the RFL need to act more when players commit more serious offenses that receive criminal convictions? You can miss eight weeks for a high tackle yet next to nothing for GBH.
Comments (8)
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Brendan Cummins says...
hi phil,just a short comment regarding the 5 clubs with new stadium plans.wouldnt it have been easier and cheaper to have demolished a section of their grounds and rebuild new sections whilst still remaining in the same venue,it can be done,other sports have done it.
Posted 21:07 4th August 2009
David Brook says...
Why are St Helens players and club treated so leniantly, Keiron Cunningham deliberately injures a player and gets off with a caution anybody else throughout the league gets a 4 match ban, Leon Pryce throws the ball down on purpose and you lads all say oh there was a Wakefield players hand in there ,Wrong, and finally St Helens are the only club who can keep breaking the salary cap and escape points deduction every time. lets have fairness in the league but include St Helens as well.
Posted 13:46 21st July 2009
Ric Pickles says...
I agree with Andy Loughlin the RFL should start punishing referees for poor performances. I believe that wakefield were the better team at the weekend and probably duid deserve a win but Leeds fought on against a great wakefield team and a very inept Mr Ganson. As a leeds fan Mr Ganson should be banned from ref-ing leeds matches as he clearly dislikes the club and consistently behaves apallingly whilst officiating these games. Although this weekends game was a fantastic battle let down by a poor ref Leeds should have improved their dicipline and not constantly chatted back to him even they were correct a large proportion of the time.
Posted 12:59 13th July 2009
Andrew Miggiano says...
Hi Phil, I was just wondering if you could mention the rugby league european federation cup that is on at the moment. the Cezchs defeated Germany and naw go on to play my lot Italy. The Italians are naw hoping to employ a development officer in the near future. We are the holders of this tournament having defeated the germans last year and I must say am very proud of this. Every bit of publicity we can get will help the rugby league development in my country, so pleassse mention it thanks. Meanwhile i am starting a club in southern italy in the summer as a lot of my friends are interested in the game so wish me luck. I send them cd discs of games i have recorded from sky and they love it much more than union and had not idea such a game existed.
Posted 10:21 8th July 2009
S Foxcroft says...
Was the bye law of "bringing the game into disrepute" not brought in for such offences as GBH and other acts such as coaches comments which lead to a negative view on the sport? As you say Phil, which is the worse of these two offences, a high tackle or a player who violently attacks someone on a night out and is criminally charged with GBH? The RFL should make a stand with these players as well as rightly punishing players who infinge on the laws of the game during a match. It does bring the game into disrepute as the actions of a few can lead to false impressions of many. The RFL should also act as when looking to attract big name sponsors for the game often it will be the opinions of those who only ready the news and such stories of violent attacks which may sway companies not to invest in rugby league.
Posted 14:07 2nd July 2009
Kate Lancaster says...
Thank you for saying what everyone else is thinking Phil. Can you not get a job at RFL HQ and sort this mess out?
Posted 11:15 2nd July 2009
Andy Loughlin says...
Phil, with the greatest respect is it not about time the RFL were more open with the fans about some of the inept performances of certain referees? As a Giants fan I will openly admit Castleford deserved their win, but had it not been for the honesty of two Cas players Mr Ganson would have got away with another mistake. To compound it, he did it more than once!
Posted 20:55 1st July 2009
Paul Thwaites says...
Professional sportspeople are in the public eye and therefore have an obligation to set a good example to the public. Footballers get paid extraordinarily high wages, rugby players significantly less, however it is still what you would consider a 'decent' salary for playing a sport for a living. This salary should be paid to reflect three things; 1: Their natural talent or ability. 2: Their hard work and committment. 3: The example they set to the public, be it the young and impresisonable or the more mature viewer. Harry Redknapp recently made an excellent comment on the radio about footballers increasingly getting into trouble. He stated that players earn lots of money, have a great job and have a fantastic lifestyle and will probably never need to work again after their short career is over, so why can't they count their blessings and just stay out of trouble?
Posted 17:27 1st July 2009
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