Burgess ban was right move

George Burgess sits out. Photo / Getty Images

A lot of people have got all worked up about the suspension handed down to George Burgess for throwing a bottle at an opponent but I don't know what the fuss is about.

What would have happened if, for instance, Burgess had thrown the bottle at a referee? Cast your mind back earlier in the season to when some Bulldogs fans hurled bottles at a referee.

The supporters were quickly identified amid the outcry and banned for life.

Just because the bottle thrown by Burgess was empty and thrown at a fellow player doesn't mean a penalty should be lighter. Empty or full, he still threw it at someone. I don't know what Burgess' intent was, but he was clearly trying to make some point.

And just because his suspension applies to a semifinal, not a regular-season game, is also irrelevant. The crime should be judged the same regardless of when it happens. There shouldn't be one set of rules applied to playoffs matches and another for the regular season.

The Kiwis have lost numerous players for international matches for years from club games. It's irrelevant what games the suspensions apply to but, sadly, the judiciary are sometimes swayed by circumstances and emotion. We saw that with the nine-week ban handed down to Jordan McLean for his part in the unfortunate tackle on Alex McKinnon, which left him a quadriplegic. The tackle was no where near as bad as many we see, which receive much more lenient sanctions.

Unfortunately there are way too many inconsistent rulings from the judiciary.

I was pleased Burgess' appeal was dismissed and all those 'experts' and former players should get off their high horses.

Burgess' suspension is certainly another blow for the Rabbitohs, but even if he was playing I don't think he would have made enough of a difference against the Sharks today

Souths are by no means the team they were 12 months ago and it can't all be down to the absence of Sam Burgess, who switched to rugby union. They have had more distractions and been hit by injuries, including ones to influential players Greg Inglis and Adam Reynolds, but it's more than that. They don't have enough in their arsenal and I expect them to be beaten by the Sharks, who are my dark horses to take out the title.

I still think the Roosters are the team to beat this season, despite their loss to the Storm on Friday night.

Sometimes a defeat helps - they went into the Melbourne match on a 12-match winning run - although they would have loved to have had a week off from winning on Friday. Not many teams can win 15 on the trot and this defeat could act as a wake-up call. And halfback Mitchell Pearce will return next week.

I still think the Roosters will win the premiership, with the Broncos not far behind and the Storm proved on Friday they are still a big-game team.