Hull KR coach suggests players staying down is ‘creeping’ into game after controversial Tyler Dupree incident

Willie Peters believes the act of players staying down to draw further punishment for high tackles is ‘creeping in a little bit too much’ after a controversial incident during Hull KR’s defeat to Wigan on Friday.

The Warriors won a thrilling contest 24-20 to move top of Super League at the expense of the Robins – but the game’s big talking point arguably centred around a tackle involving Wigan’s Tyler Dupree and Hull KR’s Jai Whitbread.

Whitbread caught Dupree in a hefty collision before the Wigan prop stayed down for well over a minute receiving medical attention. The incident was subsequently looked at by the video referee before Whitbread was sent to the sin-bin.

With the forward off the field, Wigan scored twice to take the lead and ultimately win the game – and Peters insisted that he is not a fan of players seemingly staying down after collisions.

He said: “What I don’t like is players staying down. If you’re injured, you’re injured – stay down and come off if you need to. I’ll never coach my players to stay down and a few coaches in the game have spoke about it.

“Do you want to start coaching your players (to stay down)? No, but it’s obviously working and players are getting ten minutes in the sin-bin. It’s one of those that we’ll keep chatting about with the coaches and the RFL. If he’s injured, he’s injured but it’s creeping in a little bit too much.”

The incident was discussed by the Sky Sports team post-match too, with Sam Tomkins admitting there is an issue with the rulings and the situation needs tightening up: though he did not single out Dupree for criticism given the growing trend that has been seen across the sport of late.

Tomkins said: “The problem is how it’s coming about. If a player feels contact in the head, you stay down. They’ve proved tonight, I don’t think Whitbread has done a terrible amount wrong. He’s caught him in the head, the decision is correct.

“But the fact Dupree can stay down for a minute, he gets ten minutes and Dupree stays on the field.. I’m not being critical of Dupree because that’s the rules.

“If you can play against 12 men you’ve got a massive chance. It’s a problem with the rule. I can’t say to Dupree ‘don’t stay down’, because it’s had a massive impact on Wigan going to lift the League Leader’s Shield in a few weeks.”

England captain Jodie Cunningham agreed, and suggested that the issue lies not with the tackle itself, but the fact the attacking player – in this case Dupree – does not go off for a HIA after being treated for so long.

She said: “For me nothing happens unless Tyler Dupree stays down, which he does. He then doesn’t go off the field. If he’s going to stay down and get the penalty he probably should go off for a HIA.”

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