Legislating on subjective decisions is risky. The NRL changed one rule this year, allowing referees to penalise what the referee deems to be “milking a penalty”.

Loading

The Dragons were penalised in the Souths final on Saturday night for the dummy half allegedly passing the ball deliberately into the body of a Rabbitoh who had failed to clear the ruck. It was a rough and costly call.

The Sharks are also flouting the rules on markers. Rather than the two markers standing immediately and directly behind each other, they often position themselves side by side. It deters a running dummy half.

Deemed a grubby or spoiling team, Cronulla intimidate in tackles and on the ground. Yet their opponents on Friday night in Melbourne, have been dealing with a similar accusation since 2005.

Initially called “grapple tackles”, the “chicken wing”, “crusher tackle”, “cannonball”, even a curious “seat belt tackle”, have all been attributed as Storm inventions.

The Storm has a Groundhog Day response when this accusation annually arises: it must be semi-final time. They now move the ball wide, early in the tackle count. The quickest way for a game to descend into a contest between grappling forwards is to play it up the middle.

The NRL must also consider whether they swap referees from one side of the draw to the other, in the same way the preliminary final teams cross over. A loose rule applies – don’t give a team the same referee in successive games.

Ashley Klein refereed the last time the Storm played, against Souths. The NRL has conceded three major errors were made in that match and all resulted in Rabbitohs tries.

One touch judge incorrectly ruled that Storm centre Curtis Scott dragged an opponent over the sideline. The other touch judge signalled Klein that winger Josh Addo-Carr threw a forward pass to fullback Billy Slater. Both touch judges were dropped. The second referee ruled a knock-on against the Storm when it was Souths who erred.

Loading

Klein was also in charge of the Sharks versus Panthers match, meaning he would referee both Friday night opponents, the Storm and Sharks, in successive matches.

Gerard Sutton refereed the Souths versus Dragons match, with the Rabbitohs now meeting the Roosters next week. It would, therefore, be sensible to swap the referees over.

If the NRL has the finals opponents it wants, so have the politicians. Opposition leader Bill Shorten has been a Storm member for four years and Prime Minister Scott Morrison is a lifelong Sharks fan. Shorten is also a Collingwood supporter.

His two teams play in the same precinct on Friday night. Aware that there are more votes in AFL in Melbourne, he intends going to the MCG for the Collingwood match. But he dropped by AAMI Park yesterday morning during Storm training and had a chat with Billy Slater.

While ScoMo demonstrated his passion for Cronulla when he shouted “Go Sharks” after emerging from the Liberal Party room when he was chosen as Prime Minister, it is a test of loyalty for a politician to go to training on a Sunday morning, particularly with no TV cameras present.