Kruise Leeming column: 'Refs have players' best interests at heart', plus reflections on Salford win and injury latest

I haven’t had a close look at the statistics, but it seems to me it has crept up across the board this season.

I have always backed the referees and the RFL in terms of what they are doing to try and make our game safer.

I think they are under immense stress to do that and whether they have got it right or wrong this year, I am not sure.

They’ll obviously do a review at the end of the season and have a look to see where they can improve and what they’ve got right, but I honestly believe they have got our best interests at heart and they are trying to protect us as players.

There’s a lot of concern around the game about the effect concussions can have on players both during their career and in later life.

There have been some long-lasting injuries to certain players because of head knocks and I think the powers that be are trying to reduce that and look after us.

As a player, I can’t really raise an issue with that.

I can’t comment on how the match review panel and the disciplinary system work.

I’ve not had to go before a tribunal so I don’t know what they look at or how they do it, but I am sure they are trying to do their best for the game.

It is on us as players to make sure we get our house in order.

They aren’t penalising stuff that hasn’t been a penalty in the past; it’s not like they have brought in a new rule that says you’re not allowed to hit around the head.

You’ve never been able to do that, it’s just the repercussions are a bit harsher now.

I can understand why it causes so much controversy, because there’s a lot of good players missing matches through long suspensions.

Some teams are having to manage without their x-factor players and that’s not good for the fans either, because they want to see the best players on the pitch.

That’s why you buy a season ticket or support a team, to see the best players in action.

But they aren’t making rules up and if we weren’t doing anything wrong, we wouldn’t be getting banned.

Having three more players suspended for Friday’s game at Hull KR isn’t ideal, but it just adds to the challenge and I am sure we will cope.

The way our coach Rohan Smith is starting to build the team, we are all used to playing within a system, everyone knows that system and from the academy up to the first team we are all on the same page.

That means players can just slot in as moving parts and do their job really well.

We’ve seen that in my position with Jarrod O’Connor.

While I’m out injured he has slotted into what is a smoothly running system at the minute and he’s doing a brilliant job.

That is what we want to create. Obviously your best players are your best players and you want them on the pitch as much as possible, but we are trying to make the transition as seamless as possible when others have to step in.

That’s what happens in the best teams, they can make changes without it affecting the way they perform.

Last week’s win over Salford was a big one because it got us into the top-six for the first time this year, but the job is not done.

It’s incredibly close right from fifth place down to ninth and there’s still a lot of work ahead of us to make sure we qualify for the play-offs.

It is going to make brilliant viewing for the fans, because you don’t want to top-six to be running away from the rest.

As a club, we are still climbing the mountain and trying to get better week by week, but it is nice to give the fans a little bit of payback for sticking with us through the tough times earlier this season.

They’ve got some things to cheer about at the minute and that’s what we wanted to do.

We haven’t always got it right this year, but it hurts us when we lose and we really want to win because we know how much it means to the people who follow us week in and week out.

I’m still progressing with my foot injury. I feel good, I’ve stayed fit and worked really hard over the last few weeks.

Hopefully I can get back running soon, once the physios have given me the green light and my goal is to be back playing before the end of the year, if I can get back in the squad!