The Australian Rugby League Commission recently approved enhancements to the Judiciary and Match Review Committee and within that, the NRL released the 2022 NRL Judicial Code of Procedure, which seeks to make the processes simpler to understand and more consistent for participants.
Due to Queensland Rugby League statewide competitions operating in direct association with the NRL, all senior QRL statewide competitions will also be administered under this code from this season, via an amended NRL Judicial Code of Procedure – QRL Statewide Competitions edition.
The new code has already come into effect in the Hostplus Cup, BMD Premiership and the Hastings Deering Colts competitions which have all kicked off.
The QRL junior state competitions – including the Auswide Bank Mal Meninga, which is continuing for one more round before the finals – will not adopt the 2022 NRL Judicial Code of Procedure as these competitions had already started prior to the release of the new Code.
However, the new code will be adopted for these competitions from 2023.
NRL match review and judiciary changes
This season, the NRL has also made some changes to the gradings and subsequent charging of players.
However, some of these measures (for example, the imposing of fines) are impractical to apply in semi-professional competitions, and as such, the QRL adopted the NRL Judicial Code of Procedure – QRL Statewide Competitions edition, which will act as the grading chart for all senior QRL statewide competitions.
There are several relevant differences:
- The number of offences has been streamlined into eight (8) categories
- An early plea will allow a player to reduce their penalty by one week
- Offences are either similar or non-similar
- A player’s record will now re-set on a rolling 12-month period since their last offence
- Offences will be cumulative in all related competitions except NRL
- All players will commence this season with a clear record
- The points system and carry over points are no longer applicable
QRL competitions manager Dave Maiden said while it was important to keep the high-level Queensland competitions in line with the NRL rulings, there needed to be some changes made to ensure they took into account the specific needs of the competitions.
“Our competitions are aspirational and transitional competitions, and with the influx of players from the NRL, there is a need to keep rules similar where practical – this is for the benefit of not only the players but the match officials who operate across both levels," Maiden said.
"The new code is in fact very straightforward and still has the requirement of leaning more heavily on players who continue to be charged, but also rewards those that make an error in judgement and timing in what is a traditionally tough contact sport.
"The new code is only functional within our senior statewide competitions, but I can see the application of it throughout this season may make it attractive to Community Leagues across the state.
"We will work on ironing out any grey area over the next 12 months with a view to having the code adopted statewide."
Any current suspensions which were handed down before the start of the season will still need to be served.
Once current suspensions have been served, player records will re-set as above.
Round 2 Hastings Deering Colts, Round 3 of the BMD Premiership and Round 4 in the Hostplus Cup kick-off this weekend.
Match: WM Seagulls v Dolphins
Round 4 -
home Team
WM Seagulls
8th Position
away Team
Dolphins
12th Position
Venue: BMD Kougari Oval, Brisbane
NRL Penalties table with aligned Amalgamated Penalties
| Offence | Grade | First offence (early plea) |
Second offence (early plea) |
Third and subsequent offence (early plea in brackets) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High tackle - carless | 1* | 1 match (warning)* | 2 matches (1)* | 3 matches (2)* |
| - | 2 | 2 matches (1) | 3 matches (2) | 4 matches (3) |
| - | 3 | 3 matches (2) | 4 matches (3) | 5 matches (4) |
| High tackle reckless | 1 (4)# | 4 matches (3) | 5 matches (4) | 6 matches (5) |
| - | 2 (5) | 5 matches (4) | 6 matches (5) | 7 matches (6) |
| - | 3 (6) | 6 matches (5) | 7 matches (6) | 8 matches (7) |
| Dangerous contact | 1* | 1 match (warning)* | 2 matches (1)* | 3 matches (2)* |
| - | 2 | 2 matches (1) | 3 matches (2) | 4 matches (3) |
| - | 3 | 3 matches (2) | 4 matches (3) | 5 matches (4) |
| Dangerous throw | 1* | 1 match (warning)* | 2 matches (1)* | 3 matches (2) |
| - | 2 | 2 matches (1) | 3 matches (2) | 4 matches (3) |
| - | 3 | 3 matches (2) | 4 matches (3) | 5 matches (4) |
| Striking | 1* | 2 matches (1)* | 3 matches (2)* | 4 matches (3) |
| - | 2 | 3 matches (2) | 4 matches (3) | 5 matches (4) |
| - | 3 | 4 matches (3) | 5 matches (4) | 6 matches (5) |
| Crusher tackle | 1* | 2 matches (1)* | 3 matches (2)* | 4 matches (3) |
| - | 2 | 3 matches (2) | 4 matches (3) | 5 matches (4) |
| - | 3 | 4 matches (3) | 5 matches (4) | 6 matches (5) |
| Contrary conduct | 1* | 1 match (warning)* | 2 matches (1)* | 3 matches (2) |
| - | 2 | 2 matches (1) | 3 matches (2) | 4 matches (3) |
| - | 3 | 3 matches (2) | 4 matches (3) | 5 matches (4) |
| Shoulder charge | 1* | 2 matches (1)* | 3 matches (2)* | 4 matches (3) |
| - | 2 | 3 matches (2) | 4 matches (3) | 5 matches (4) |
| - | 3 | 4 matches (3) | 5 matches (4) | 6 matches (5) |
*Note: * highlights changes from NRL penalties.
# High Tackle Reckless is effectively treated as a grade up from High Tackle Careless.
