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The NRL has announced they will crack down on lifting tackles, with players to be given a mandatory suspension for placing a fellow player in a dangerous position.
From now on, we can expect any defender involved in lifting a player above the horizontal in the tackle to spend some time on the sidelines. The NRL has given this directive to the Match Review Committee.
NRL Head of Football Todd Greenberg fronted the media for the announcement, which comes just under four weeks after Newcastle Knights forward Alex McKinnon was victim to a lifting tackle against Melbourne.
McKinnon suffered a serious neck injury, and there are fears the 22-year-old may never walk again.
Storm forward Jordan McLean copped a seven-week suspension for the tackle on McKinnon.
Greenberg said that unless the player pulled out of the tackle quickly, they should expect to be charged:
“If you lift a player and put him in a dangerous position you will be charged unless you pull out quickly and return the player to a safe position,” Mr Greenberg said.
“The only discretion the Match Review Committee will have is the grading of the charge.
“It is important to stress that the rules have not changed… rather the way in which they are to be applied has been re-emphasised with the Match Review Committee.”
Greenberg emphasised the code was unhappy with the action taken by the Review Committee in the first six rounds of the competition.
“We have been disappointed that some players have escaped charges for tackles we believe were dangerous,” Greenberg said.
“So we are lowering the threshold for a dangerous tackle charge – and it starts this weekend.”
Mr Greenberg said the decision followed a review of tackles so far this season.
He said that the review had found a significant decrease in three-man tackles – from 36 per cent to 30 per cent – since the new rules were introduced at the start of the season.
“We believe it is not the three-man tackle that is of concern but the dangerous lifting tackle where a player goes beyond the horizontal,” Mr Greenberg said.
“So that’s where the focus will be for the Match Review Committee.
“We’ve given the committee a clear definition of what we believe is dangerous and we want them to police it ruthlessly.”
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