South Sydney skipper Sam Burgess has vented his frustration at the NRL match review committee (MRC) after being being rubbed out of his side’s qualifying final against the Sydney Roosters for a hair pull.
Burgess will be forced to watch the monster clash against the Rabbitohs’ bitter rivals from the SCG stands, after copping a one-week ban for contrary conduct for pulling the hair of Roosters winger Billy Smith last week when the two sides met.
While the English Test forward was determined to keep his head down and himself out of the limelight this week, he couldn’t hide his dissatisfaction and frustrations with the MRC.
“The decision has probably been made the next morning in front of a computer without a feel or anything for the game,” Burgess said at the NRL’s finals series launch on Monday in Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens.
“There’s no point in me making any more noise – I don’t want the headlines.
“I’m disappointed; everyone else is probably disappointed; I’m sure some people in the NRL are probably disappointed as well.”
Burgess’ place in the side is likely to be taken by one of his brothers, George (suspension) or Tom (knee), who are both tipped to return.
Burgess would have ordinarily been free to play, with a grade-one contrary conduct charge usually carrying a financial penalty.
But he was made to pay the price for his poor disciplinary history.
Under NRL rules, players cannot incur more than two financial penalties in a year, with a third offence automatically incurring points.
Burgess has been suspended for a total of 11 weeks during his NRL career and, earlier in the year, had narrowly escaped suspension for a careless high tackle on Matt Moylan after successfully having the charge downgraded.
But he bristled when questioned whether he needed to curb his aggression.
“No,” Burgess said.
“I’m disappointed so that’s how I feel.”
He added: “It is a fine line. The context of the game, it’s hard for me to comment. I don’t want to draw away from the game and what’s coming on Friday night. I don’t want it to be about me.”
However, NRL CEO Todd Greenberg defended Burgess’ suspension, saying there needed to be some additional punishment for repeat offenders.
“I don’t think anybody in the game would condone those sort of things happening on the field,” Greenberg said.
“Remembering if that happens on your first occasion, you don’t miss a game.
“But when you’ve had multiple issues like that to face, you’re going to spend time on the sidelines and I think most fans understand that.”