'RFL need to make decision': Hull KR boss Willie Peters tells governing body to get a grip on playacting

Peters became the latest coach to speak out on a growing issue in Super League after KR prop Jai Whitbread was sin-binned in controversial circumstances in last week's top-of-the-table clash at Wigan Warriors.

His tackle on Tyler Dupree was originally cleared by on-field referee Jack Smith, only for the Wigan front-rower to stay down in the knowledge that the incident would be reviewed by the video referee.

Whitbread was duly yellow-carded for a high tackle to continue a recent trend, with Warrington Wolves half-back Josh Drinkwater lambasted the following day for his role in the sin-binning of St Helens prop Matty Lees.

After former referee Richard Silverwood suggested that such incidents should be placed on report in an attempt to stop players from trying to gain an immediate advantage, Peters has joined the calls for the RFL to step in and issue a clear directive.

"You could slow-mo most tackles and a lot of them are going to be towards the head so if players stay down and you watch it in slow motion, more often than not it's going to be deemed a high tackle," he said.

"You tend to know the players that do consistently stay down and the ones that don't but it's above that. The RFL need to make a decision on the direction we need to go in and then the officials will ref the game off the back of that.

"My opinion on it is that referees have a good understanding of what an illegal tackle looks like and what it doesn't look like. A lot of the time they can make a decision live.

"If we're going to use a tool to go back and look at things, do you use it every tackle? Then you'd be finding penalties and reasons on most tackles. The answer is no.

"Naturally if it doesn't get seen, players are going to stay down. Is it 10 minutes in the bin? A lot of them aren't. Is it a penalty? Absolutely. Should it be put on report? Possibly look at it later on.

"With the time on the floor and the video ref having a look at the tackle, it takes away what the game is about which is a nice, fast game and physical as well.

"It's not the players' fault, it's not the referees' fault, it's just something we need to get right as a game."

To compound KR's frustration after losing a game they were in control of before Whitbread's yellow card, the forward received a one-match ban from the match review panel which rules him out of Friday's trip to Leigh Leopards.

Eight charges were issued following a review of the round 25 fixtures amid a recent spike in bans.

Peters felt Whitbread was the victim of a genuine accident after Dupree was propelled in his direction by the force of the original contact from Jesse Sue.

"We did go away from suspensions," said Peters.

"For a while there, they were just giving penalties and having a look at it later on; if you did get 10 minutes, that didn't always lead to a suspension. The last couple of weeks, it seems like we've gone back to that.

"It's something we need to look at over here as a game. Safety is always number one and we understand that as coaches and as a game, but there are accidents in rugby league and foul play. That's what we need to determine.

"The RFL are the ones that set the standard with that and the referees will go off the back of that, as will the players.

"It's an RFL decision that needs to be made but I think referees have got a pretty good understanding of the game. Over many, many years, even before the video referee was there, they'd look at a tackle and deem it as foul play or just an accident like a player slipping up or ricocheting off someone else, as in the incident with Jai.

"There are a number of those suspensions at the moment and I don't think it warranted a suspension."

Whitbread has been a virtual ever-present in his first season at Hull KR, with his early stints alongside Sue helping to set the tone for Peters' side.

Jack Brown is likely to take Whitbread's place at Leigh Sports Village, while George King is another option available to Peters.

"Jai has been playing extremely well and an important part of what we've been doing," said Peters, who confirmed that Sue is available this week amid fears over a wrist injury.

"But we always talk about being a squad and someone else will get their opportunity.

"Players haven't played before because of injury or suspension and players have come in and done the job. I expect the same this week."

The Robins will continue to assess Niall Evalds after the full-back was forced to sit out the Wigan game with a calf issue.

"We'll see how he trains and have a look later in the week," added Peters.

"He's doing some training and we'll have to work out towards the back end of the week if it's enough for him to play this week."