The veteran commentator is calling on the NRL to crack down on the farcical scenes.
Around the NRL globe, Parramatta skipper Clint Gutherson has already received criticism for his dramatic collapse against the Wests Tigers. And now, seasoned pundit Andrew Voss has urged referees to take tough measures against an unsightly practice that has seen players dive or pretend to be injured in an attempt to trick referees and win a penalty.
In the ‘Spoon Bowl’ on Friday night, when his team thrashed the Wests Tigers 60–26, Gutherson committed one of the most ridiculous blunders of the season. Following the match, interim Eels coach Trent Barrett disclosed that his captain was playing with three fractured ribs from three weeks prior, in addition to a torn quad. However, Gutherson’s surprising act of play-acting has put him in the crosshairs of furious league fans, overshadowing his daring and toughness.
With thirty minutes remaining, Parramatta led 26–10, and Gutherson spotted an opportunity to try to milk an obstruction penalty for his team when the Tigers had an attacking set close to the Eels’ tryline. The Eels captain was observed sprinting purposefully at a stalled Tigers opponent before enveloping him in his arms and collapsing to the ground.
Clint Gutherson called out over flop against Wests Tigers
Referee Peter Gough was the first person Gutherson came to when he thought there should have been a penalty, but the whistleblower saw through the Parramatta No. 1’s tactics and refused to fall for it. Because of how clearly he should have been punished for tackling the Tigers player without the ball, Gutherson might have faced consequences for his actions. The incident was mostly overlooked at the time and wasn’t mentioned in the broadcast, but many supporters criticised the seasoned number one on social media for his’shameless’ attempt to get a penalty.
Additionally, experienced league announcer Voss has piled on the criticism of Gutherson by arguing that the unpleasant occurrence should have resulted in charges and a two-game suspension. Voss stated that he didn’t believe many supporters would object to the NRL punishing players who intentionally try to fool officials into calling penalties.
A similar action would be taken in football, where players who dive or play-act may receive retrospective sanctions or receive yellow cards, even if the infraction was not detected at the time. With players regularly lying down in tackles to try and milk penalties or initiating contact in defence in the hopes of swaying obstruction calls, many league supporters believe the NRL is already starting to resemble football.
NRL fans want crackdown on players trying to milk penalties
Additionally, league fans, many of whom believe that the rise in play-acting is harming the game, overwhelmingly supported Voss’s call for Gutherson to be suspended following the incident against the Tigers. Supporters concurred that players are worryingly frequently abusing penalties, and there has been discussion over appropriate consequences—which can range from sin bins to fines and, in certain cases, suspensions.
One fan responded to Voss’s query with, “Totally agree, taking a dive, lying down to get an undeserved penalty is ruining the game.” Another said: “It’s becoming a blite (sic) on the game and needs to be stamped out now.” A third said, “Diving ought to be eliminated from the sport in some way. This kind of diving and the way players lay down injured to get a penalty are frightening aspects of the game that are now being drilled into players’ actions.”
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