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It’s been 10 days since Knight Alex McKinnon had his neck broken. For 10 days there has been not a peep out of John Grant, the ARLC chairman, nor Dave Smith, the CEO.
If ever rugby league needed some strong leadership, it’s right now.
League is a tough sport, none tougher. But lifting an attacking player’s legs is a no-no and must be banned forthwith.
That’s what happened to McKinnon, whose future is under a huge cloud after having his C4 and C5 vertebrae fractured.
Last night, Stormer Jordan McLean copped a seven-week suspension for the lift, but the agony he’s suffering now for what he contributed to will last a lifetime.
It defies description that the Bromwich brothers, Jesse and Kenny, have been completely exonerated from the dangerous tackle. Having said that, the main culprit was McLean, who today would be loving life in Melbourne and playing for the Storm had lifting been banned months, even years, ago.
Unfortunately for McLean he’s the bunny, and even more unfortunately, Alex McKinnon is the sufferer.
When will the rank and file stop calling this tragedy an accident? McLean deliberately lifted McKinnon’s legs, even though the Bromwich brothers had the Knight well and truly held.
There was no need for the McLean lift, except to inflict pain or dislodge possession. McKinnon was going nowhere.
Which brings me back to Grant and Smith. And if they have said something, I’ve missed it, and apologise without reservation. But I doubt it. Sometime in the last 10 days, lifting should have been banned forever.
Grant loves the limelight, which makes his deathly silence even harder to understand. Smith is a bit of a closet administrator, a back-room boy with all the bells and whistles. Seeing he knows so little about rugby league, that’s probably in his best interests.
But under the circumstances, both Grant and Smith should have made a move of substance.
They were quick with banning the shoulder charge, which in comparison to lifting is angelic. A third defender coming in late around the legs is now penalised – again nothing, compared to the lift.
I challenge any rugby league or sports lover to give me one sane reason, in fact any reason at all, why lifting should not be banned. The platform is yours.