NRL Coach Says 'We Don’t Want To Become Like The English Premier League' Amid Growing Cases Of 'Diving'

The NRL's recent clampdown on high and dangerous tackles has sparked an entirely new debate altogether.

With referees and officials penalising players for reckless shots by way of instant sin-binnings, the issue of 'diving' or 'simulation' appears to have crept back into the game.

There were a couple of incidents over the weekend where match officials were only made aware of high or late shots because the player who got hit remained on the ground for an extended period of time.

Or in some cases, they even grabbed their faces to gesture that they'd been caught high.

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Now Gold Coast Titans head coach Justin Holbrook has warned that the NRL should avoid becoming "like the English Premier League" - a competition that used to have a bad reputation for diving and has only recently started punishing its players for it.

"I understand what we're trying to do with the game, I think we're all in agreeance with that, we don't want to see contact to the head," Holbrook said.

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"If you feel like you've [been struck on the head] and you get up and play on, but then someone else doesn't, it's a whole tit-for-tat thing. Hopefully that doesn't last too long, we want to get [diving] out as well.

"We don't want to become like the English Premier League. They stamped it out and it was great.

"Had a lot of it in England actually when I first went, a lot of players staying down. The referees boss got all the coaches, we had a big meeting, and said 'do we want our game to be played like this?' and everyone said no.

"They said from now on unless it's a sin-bin offence we're not overruling if (the referees) don't see it live.

"It was terrific, it just cleaned the game up and we got on with it.

"Hopefully that will happen in the next week or so. We're all in agreeance if we can get the dangerous ones out of the way then that's better for us."

Canterbury Bulldogs star Dylan Napa was one of the many players to fall victim to the strict crackdown over the weekend.

Napa was left absolutely fuming after Titans forward Jarrod Wallace clutched his face during contact between the two players - a move that ultimately saw the Doggies big man sent to the bin.

Yes, Napa's arm may have brushed Wallace's face, but the Titans forward made sure that the referees were aware of the incident by holding his face and staying on the turf.

This angered Napa, who leant over and shouted at Wallace while he was on the ground.

"He had a bit to say, wanting him to get to his feet. I guess 'play it like a man' might've been paraphrasing Dylan Napa," Fox League's Warren Smith said in the commentary box.

"He's giving an absolute gobful to Jarrod Wallace.

"There wasn't much force in the contact but it was high, but I guess [referee] Matt Cecchin is right on board with what we've seen."

Speaking after the game Bulldogs head coach Trent Barrett described Wallace's actions as "milking penalties".

"You don't want to see people milking penalties or whatever, but it's a competitive sport and it's going to happen, and it probably happened a few times," Barrett said.

"If they stay down and it gets reviewed and if there's any sort of contact... it's a lottery."

Topics: nrl news, Premier League, Rugby League, nrl, Penalty, Australia

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry