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It is amazing how many people, when they see a shoulder charge go right, forget how many of them have gone sickeningly wrong.
The perfectly executed shoulder charge by Sydney Roosters forward Kane Evans on Canterbury rival Sam Kasiano was spectacular, but it is no reason to review the outlawing of that kind of tackle.
It was at least as much good luck as it was good skill that Evans made contact with Kasiano’s chest rather than his head.
Let him go out in his next game with the freedom to try it as often as he likes without fear of punishment as long he doesn’t knock someone’s block off and see how long it is before he does knock someone’s block off.
There is simply too little a margin for error with the shoulder charge and that will never change.
That is why the league outlawed the tackle in the first place – there is too big a risk of it going wrong and the tackled player being knocked out and/or suffering a facial fracture as a result of being smashed in the face by a tackler’s shoulder or head.
There has been speculation Evans, who was penalised and reported for the hit in Friday night’s game, could avoid being charged by the match review committee because he didn’t make contact with Kasiano’s head and the penalty to the Bulldogs could be deemed sufficient.
I can’t see that happening – and nor should it happen.
Evans should be charged. There should be a deterrent – even if it is a low-grade charge that wouldn’t result in a suspension on its own.
I don’t need bell-ringing shoulder charges to increase my viewing pleasure and in these days of much tighter concussion protocols it is hardly the sort of tackle that should be championed.
The Roosters-Bulldogs game was a sensational contest on its own. It was the closest game I’ve seen to a finals-quality match this season in terms of the speed and intensity of it.
That might seem strange if you look at the scoreboard and see there were 66 points scored in the 10-point win to the Roosters. If you didn’t watch the game you might ask: “Where was the defence?”
But there was great defence at times – just like there was great attack.
The defensive set in which the Bulldogs held out while the Roosters attacked their line midway through the second half was magnificent, because the Roosters weren’t making it easy – they were asking the most difficult of questions.
It looked like the Bulldogs were about to complete another stunning defensive rally a few minutes later until the Roosters went wide right in an attempt to find a way through. Blake Ferguson did brilliantly to fight his way across the line for a try.
The Roosters established a big lead, gave it up and fell behind and then came again to win. It was a tremendous contest.
North Queensland did it the other way around on Saturday night, falling well behind in the first place and roaring back to win. Like the Roosters, the Cowboys have huge assets in the key positions.
Most notably, of course, there is Johnathan Thurston at halfback, but fullback Lachlan Coote, five-eighth Michael Morgan and hooker Jake Granville complete an All-Star quartet. What a revelation Granville has been recently!
The live television coverage of the game on Fox Sports cut to the North Queensland dressing-room at halftime and showed Thurston in animated conversation with Cowboys coach Paul Green.
North Queensland trailed 18-4 at the time, but neither man’s body language suggested the slightest hint of distress. They were clearly plotting the way back into the game and the look on Thurston’s face made it clear he believed that way back genuinely existed.
Brisbane just failed to turn up against Manly on Saturday night.
Well done to the Sea Eagles for being right on their game, but the Broncos provided little opposition. It was a strangely insipid performance from them, but it is a long season and as well prepared and as professional as players are it is possible to come out one week and simply not produce.
They’re only human.
Judge the Broncos on what they do next weekend, now that they have had that sharp reminder that you can’t just waltz through a game in the NRL and expect to win.
The other top-four team, South Sydney, had to work hard to beat struggling Penrith on Sunday, but did show plenty of character in coming from 12-0 down.
The Rabbitohs don’t look to be quite as good as they were last season, but they are the premiers and should be in a position to strike if they can find that little bit extra come finals time.
I think the current top four will be the top four going into the finals and that the premiers will come from there. It is a really solid top four and should produce both grand finalists.
I don’t think any team – including Canterbury – will make the grand final from outside of the top four.
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