Master Your Skills: Billy Slater’s Unfiltered Advice to Players Amidst Controversy Affecting the Game

NRL legend Billy Slater has expressed concerns that the league is becoming “overly technical”, highlighting player mistakes following controversy surrounding the disruptor rule from the weekend’s matches.

The rule sparked significant discussion after two incidents; most notably, Brendan Piakura’s try was disallowed for the Broncos due to Gehamat Shibasaki’s involvement in a kick contest.

On this occasion, Tom Chester failed to secure a kick, prompting Slater to urge him to “improve your catching skills”.

The second incident involved Robert Toia, who also had a try disallowed.

Both coaches, Michael Maguire and Trent Robinson, expressed their frustration after the match, while NRL head of football Graham Annesley conceded to The Sydney Morning Herald that the wrong call was made in Toia’s case.

Annesley further clarified that there is no blanket prohibition on one-handed contests, addressing the confusion resulting from an edict issued by the NRL during the pre-season.

“Genuinely contesting is interpreted as arriving at the ball simultaneously with the defender, using both arms to either catch or bat the ball back,” was the guidance provided by the NRL to clubs.

Slater noted that from the moment this guidance was issued, a “flow-on effect” was inevitable.

“I genuinely believe we’ve become too technical for our own good, and it’s harming the game at the moment,” he remarked during Nine’s The Billy Slater podcast.

“I sympathise with the referees and match officials as it’s not their fault; they are merely attempting to enforce the rules they’ve been given.”

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“In any contest, you can assess whether a player’s intention is to compete or to disrupt. I believe that’s the key issue at hand.

“I’m not a fan of the term disruptor; obstructing someone is akin to a defensive line… we need to apply some common sense here.”

Slater further suggested that referees should have the “authority” to make decisions based on their perception of the contest’s competitiveness.

The Queensland Maroons coach underscored that referees must be confident in their decisions, noting that the plethora of penalties is indicative of excessive policing.

“The game has become too pedantic; if we continue down that path, we will find an infringement in every scenario,” he warned.

The former star fullback elaborated that players can occasionally misjudge their jumps, referencing Toia’s situation.

“Robert Toia was reaching for the ball but miscalculated his jump; it shouldn’t be deemed a penalty,” he explained.

“As for the mistakes, like Tom Chester’s dropped ball (in the Piakura incident), the focus should be on improving your catching. It’s surprising that we’re penalising errors during these matches.”