lynx000
State of Origin Rep
Contributor
- Jul 28, 2008
- 6,545
- 8,742
Are they able to count the trial games in the suspension?On face value, the punishment seems lenient. Considering Pearce got 8 weeks for his drunken antics, I wouldn't have been surprised to see Haas cop a similar range and face at least six weeks on the sidelines. Now I think under Greenberg they actually expressed some regret over the Pearce suspension and expressed those when they were announcing their stand-down policies, so that may have saved the Broncos and Haas.
In the wider context when you compare it to a Brent Naden situation it seems stiff. Naden was handed a four-week suspension for ingesting cocaine and fined $5000 for breaching biosecurity protocols but was allowed to serve that suspension in December. If that had have been the first four weeks of the competition then there wouldn't be any issues.
It's a blow for the Broncos, but they could potentially turn it into a blessing. If there is one position they have some depth in, it's prop forward and it may give the likes of Lodge/Flegler/Carrigan/Pangai Jr/Bullemor etc. some extra motivation knowing they'll have more opportunities in the middle.