NRL coaches’ attitude to foul play must change
Columnist By Luke Doherty, 9 Apr 2012 Luke Doherty is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Ben Te'o, NRL, Rugby League, Tony Williams
Adam Blair in action during the NRL Round 6, Wests Tigers v Brisbane Broncos match at Allianz Stadium, Sydney, Friday, April 6, 2012. (AAP Image/Action Photographics, Robb Cox)
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A change in attitude on the training ground is needed to eradicate dangerous tackles in the NRL.
The sight of Wests Tigers prop Matt Groat lying unconscious on the Allianz Stadium turf was sickening to say the least.
The young forward had just been hit in the head by a Ben Te’o shoulder charge that would’ve stopped a charging rhino, let alone a human.
Broncos coach Anthony Griffin predictably defended Te’o, who had been placed on report, saying that all of a sudden shoulder charges are illegal.
No, they’re not, but launching that shoulder into the head of an opponent so hard he is knocked out is against the rules.
Groat didn’t trip and fall to the ground. He was belted so hard the lights went out.
Coaches need to start taking more responsibility for the actions of their players.
Te’o had a choice. Tackle normally or lead with the shoulder.
He chose the latter and, with all of the variables that go along with the decision, should now pay the price.
The reaction of coaches to big incidents this season has been nothing short of irresponsible.
Take Manly coach Geoff Toovey as another example.
Toovey tried to tell the league-loving world that he didn’t see any reason to suspend second rower Tony Williams.
Williams had just treated Cronulla hooker Isaac De Gois like a rag doll, launching into a WWE body slam that would make Hulk Hogan wince and in the process showed little regard for where the head and neck of his opponent would land.
Many seasoned rugby league commentators called it the worst tackle they’d seen in some time, yet Toovey saw no problem with it.
If coaches see no problem with these incidents that clearly warrant suspension then players won’t change their techniques to avoid doing them again.
Education should start on the training ground. Coaches look foolish when they try to tell the world the sky is purple when it’s clearly blue.
Toovey’s defence of his player was nothing short of ridiculous and Griffin’s response was close to being in the same category.
It’s fine if Te’o wanted to inspire his team with a big hit, but next time it needs to be within the rules of the game.
You can follow Luke Doherty on Twitter @Luke_Doherty and on Sky News Australia.
- Explore:
- Ben Te'o, NRL, Rugby League, Tony Williams
April 9th 2012 @ 11:35am
Roarsome said | April 9th 2012 @ 11:35am | Report comment
Players don’t aim low for 2 reasons. Firstly, a shot at the ball might dislodge the ball or partly dislodge it so the second tackler can finish the job. Secondly, players quite often fend with forearms which is never penalized so they choose to aim above the centre of gravity and knock the opponent down. The NRL has released a statement saying they’re happy with the shoulder charge.
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April 9th 2012 @ 1:27pm
PK said | April 9th 2012 @ 1:27pm | Report comment
Let’s do as the Union boys do
If you tackle without your arms it’s a penalty or 5 minutes in the bin
Any head injury is potentially dangerous wether that’s now or in 5 yrs time after the player has retired
It’s dangerous and the only intention is to hurt the opposition
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April 9th 2012 @ 2:13pm
Tigranes said | April 9th 2012 @ 2:13pm | Report comment
I cant imagine the NRL ever bringing in a rule like rugby about shoulder charges purely because its from rugby union…I think the Broncos coach even mentioned it saying, maybe its its a good idea but its the same as rugby union and Im not sure if we want rules like rugby union.
Personally the NRL has an obligation to look out for its players. In the US they are studying the impacts of hits on players heads in NFL and NHL and there are some scary results…there was the ex-player who shot himself in the chest and left a note saying for his family to donate his brain to the NFL brain bank. There are some serious impacts involved and they may not be immediately apparent or for years to come.
And several posters have said already that NRL referees are too scared to sin bin or red card players…again I suspect the NRL doesnt want to be seen to be like rugby union again.
April 9th 2012 @ 2:14pm
RAF said | April 9th 2012 @ 2:14pm | Report comment
I just think the shoulder charge is a lazy tackle, it’s much harder to use the arms so it’s lazy. Note it’s not called a shoulder tackle but a shoulder charge and I thought the aim of defence is to tackle. I’m not a huge league fan so I don’t care if they ban it or laud it but IMO it’s lazy
April 9th 2012 @ 2:21pm
mike from tari said | April 9th 2012 @ 2:21pm | Report comment
The only persons allowed to shoulder charge can only be 5ft 8″ tall & can only target players 6ft & above in this way a shoulder charge would not hit the head, notice it is always the bigger player tackling someone a bit shorter that causes the problem, maybe make it no one taller than Sandow can shoulder charge.
April 9th 2012 @ 3:01pm
bjt said | April 9th 2012 @ 3:01pm | Report comment
I think people are forgetting that rugby league is, and always has been a contact sport. In contact sports people are occasionally going to get knocked out. Foul play or not, I think we all have to accept the fact that it’s part of rugby league. Of course, when it’s the result of foul play, we have the systems (although far from adequate) in place to deal out punishment. However, to cry for change every time we see a man in no man’s land on the rugby league field is plain ridiculous and screams of a slow news day.
Rugby league is a simple game. All you have to do is place a ball in designated zone. To do that, you have to get though an opposition trying to stop you. By its very nature, there will always be risks associated to the players, who understand them all too well.
Regardless, if we remove all the possibility of someone getting knocked out in league, it simply won’t be league anymore.
April 9th 2012 @ 4:00pm
Yeah Sure said | April 9th 2012 @ 4:00pm | Report comment
Spot on.
People have been saying thoughout these replys that we should be like Union and get rid of shoulder charges, yet in their next sentance mention how the likes of Berrick Barns Elton Flattley constantly get knock out. It also like some of these people don’t realise Barns did play League and has recieved alot more concussions since moving to Union.
Also, I haven’t seen one shred of evidence to show that Union is safer or has less concusions then League because of banning shoulder charges. Like I said in a previous post, a knee jerk reaction from a few PC do gooders.
April 9th 2012 @ 3:26pm
Andy said | April 9th 2012 @ 3:26pm | Report comment
“Toovey’s defence of his player was nothing short of ridiculous”. I agree but as a coach you cannot really afford to get the team offside when you are losing matches. Because they may stop playing well for you and your career as coach will be a short one. The only way to eradicate dangerous tackles is to penalise it and send players off for it and suspend them for longer periods. I think any serious contact with the head area aimed at taking the player out of the game deserves time in the bin. But if an attacking player falls into a tackle and they get hit in the head area i do not think the defender should be binned.
April 9th 2012 @ 5:57pm
Gerry @ YourLawnAndGarden said | April 9th 2012 @ 5:57pm | Report comment
It’s NOT the NRL Coaches attitude that needs changing…just the rules!
April 9th 2012 @ 7:00pm
robdowney said | April 9th 2012 @ 7:00pm | Report comment
lot of the comments here supporting the tackle appear to caught up in some kind of male macho stuff and some misguided notion that head injuries arent too serious. there is some research coming out now about the negative short and long term effects of brain injury in rugby players and other contact sports such as NFL. Concussion is a brain injury.
i dont necessarily want shoulder charges banned but i dont think they are particularly skillful. usually its just some big lug running at someone and then bodies flying. if you perform a shoulder charge and it goes wrong and hits the head you should be held accountable.
id rather see a great ball and all tackle or a great tackle around the legs. i recall trevor gillmeister literally cutting someone’s legs out from them in a state of origin match. it was so effective the person had no chance of getting the ball away.
April 9th 2012 @ 8:06pm
Eamon said | April 9th 2012 @ 8:06pm | Report comment
Someone pointed out to me today that there is inconsistency when the Simon Dwyer big hit on Jared Waerea-Hargreaves last year is called a great shot ( and the Ben Teo shot is punished, fair point.
I think however that shoulder charges to the head or on the chest that ride up accidentally, (accidentally on purpose), should be rubbed out
Where is the skill in knocking someones head off ?
Its a dog shot.
Like people have been saying if you take the risk and get it wrong you get four weeks, that is the way it has to be.
The NRL has to protect the players, its not up to the coaches and the players it has to come from the top, player safety must be provided.
These huge athletic guys are tough, but not invincible, the game has enough contact without hitting the head.
Rugby League is a sport and the spirit of the game is that shots on the head should be punished.