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Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett doesn’t think Jack Hetherington should have been sin binned for a high shot in his side’s 28-16 loss to the Wests Tigers on Sunday, but concedes his aggressive front-rower needs to work on his tackle technique.
Hetherington finished the game in the bin for a high shot on Alex Twal that was also put on report, and it came after he conceded a penalty for throwing Luciano Leilua to the ground while his side was in possession.
Some of the game’s best judges are confident Hetherington has the talent to one day play State of Origin, but he won’t get the opportunity to stake his claim if he continues to earn the ire of the referees.
The firebrand has earned praise for standing up to other packs, but he’s also got a reputation as someone who takes his aggression too far.
He was sent off and slapped with a five-game ban earlier in the year for a spectacular high shot on Valentine Holmes, and has become all too familiar with the NRL judiciary over the years.
There were concerns he’d struggle under the game’s high tackle crackdown, but for the most part he’s been fairly clean since returning a few weeks ago.
Barrett believes Hetherington’s reputation may have led to his early dismissal on Sunday, but says the club will have to work on his technique to avoid more long-term suspensions.
“I didn’t think there was too much in that one,” he said.
“I think he’s been put on report about six times for no charges.
“It’s something we’ve got to address because we can’t tackle high. I didn’t think it deserved the 10 minutes.”
Conservative views
There’s a fine line between playing conservatively and being downright negative.
The Bulldogs had pulled within six points after Corey Waddell’s try late in the first half. They worked it beyond halfway from the next set, but instead of chancing their arm, Jake Averillo dribbled the ball into touch.
There were about 30 seconds to go at that stage, and it was highly unlikely that the Tigers would punish them if they got the ball back. Surely the better play would have been to send the ball sky high to see if they could get lucky.
It typified their safety-first approach which seemed odd against a team that is struggling for confidence.
When they did use the ball, Nick Meaney and Averillo combined for a lovely try through the middle. Unfortunately, it was a rare highlight.
The cattle won’t get better until next year, but the Bulldogs need to be a bit more adventurous in the final month of the season and they can start by picking and sticking in the spine.
“We had our chances to still win the game…but you can’t win football games making errors and having individuals making ill-disciplined decisions,” Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett said.
And while Trent Barrett is encouraged to name the same core four, he might need to look for a new prop after Jack Hetherington was put on report and sent to the sin bin for a high shot on Alex Twal.
Hetherington finished the game in the bin for a high shot on Alex Twal that was also put on report, and it came after he conceded a penalty for throwing Luciano Leilua to the ground while his side was in possession.
Some of the game’s best judges are confident Hetherington has the talent to one day play State of Origin, but he won’t get the opportunity to stake his claim if he continues to earn the ire of the referees.
The firebrand has earned praise for standing up to other packs, but he’s also got a reputation as someone who takes his aggression too far.
He was sent off and slapped with a five-game ban earlier in the year for a spectacular high shot on Valentine Holmes, and has become all too familiar with the NRL judiciary over the years.
There were concerns he’d struggle under the game’s high tackle crackdown, but for the most part he’s been fairly clean since returning a few weeks ago.
Barrett believes Hetherington’s reputation may have led to his early dismissal on Sunday, but says the club will have to work on his technique to avoid more long-term suspensions.
“I didn’t think there was too much in that one,” he said.
“I think he’s been put on report about six times for no charges.
“It’s something we’ve got to address because we can’t tackle high. I didn’t think it deserved the 10 minutes.”
Conservative views
There’s a fine line between playing conservatively and being downright negative.
The Bulldogs had pulled within six points after Corey Waddell’s try late in the first half. They worked it beyond halfway from the next set, but instead of chancing their arm, Jake Averillo dribbled the ball into touch.
There were about 30 seconds to go at that stage, and it was highly unlikely that the Tigers would punish them if they got the ball back. Surely the better play would have been to send the ball sky high to see if they could get lucky.
It typified their safety-first approach which seemed odd against a team that is struggling for confidence.
When they did use the ball, Nick Meaney and Averillo combined for a lovely try through the middle. Unfortunately, it was a rare highlight.
The cattle won’t get better until next year, but the Bulldogs need to be a bit more adventurous in the final month of the season and they can start by picking and sticking in the spine.
“We had our chances to still win the game…but you can’t win football games making errors and having individuals making ill-disciplined decisions,” Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett said.
And while Trent Barrett is encouraged to name the same core four, he might need to look for a new prop after Jack Hetherington was put on report and sent to the sin bin for a high shot on Alex Twal.
