Some league fans are dinosaurs, craving the brutality of the good old days, while others opt for a cleaner, more professionally-run game. But there is one thing all fans have in common, they want consistency.
Fans see Sonny Bill Williams sit out three weeks for a tackle which was definitely high, however arguably unintentional. SBW was the second tackler involved, with Sam Moa making the initial contact, the subsequent body sandwich contributing to what seemed to be a shoulder charge from Sonny.
How could Sonny extend his arm? He physically could not.
Then there is the Andrew Fifita incident, where footage shows Fifita actually backing away towards his own goal-line when the ball-carrier runs into his shoulder. Note, again, there was another tackler involved (Fifita did not even remember the incident when informed about it). Still, Fifita cops a two-week ban.
While both these incidents warrant penalties, it seems bizarre they both received such lengthy bans. But I can handle these suspensions – they, together at least, seemed to be lines drawn in the sand.
That was until the Darcy Lussick suspension of four weeks. This was an incident that was intentionally high, made up of one tackler and without doubt a send-off offence.
Can you imagine the outcome if Jared Waerea-Hargreaves stayed down or was knocked out? Or if Waerea-Hargreaves was instead the tackler and Lussick the ball carrier? The Rooster would have been sent off in a heartbeat and given six or more weeks.
Perhaps Lussick’s four-week ban was warranted and put simply SBW’s and Fifita’s were a bit harsh, however most would concede, on comparison, something is amiss.
Leaving the incompetence of the referees not to march Lussick aside, let’s deal with the suspension of four weeks – just one more week than SBW and two more than Fifita. The message sent to players: if a ball carrier runs at you, don’t dare use your shoulder – hide it completely for fear of suspension. But should you decide to take someone’s head off with an old-fashioned iron bar, fear not, you will get roughly the same suspension.
‘Shoulder’ has unfortunately turned into a dirty word, attributed to thuggery or malice. Shoulder charges to the head should be penalised, but let’s not begin down the very slippery slope of penalising any contact of the shoulder with another player. Players could start to run around head-butting tackler’s shoulders to milk a penalty as a result of these two precedents.
The NRL is right to crackdown on concussion and shoulder charges to the head in the modern game, all the fans ask in return is consistency.
KB
Guest
Mike..(in the words of B Anasta)...."you're off ya head". It would appear that the NRL adjudicators have an agenda or two or three.. 1. To be the "Salvation Army"" toward Souths ie strategic penalties to get them uptown or out of trouble when needed (especially against the Chooks and Manly) 2. To give teams about to become extinct like Parra the legup they gave Souths for years eg the short Lussick suspension and the same leniency toward Sam Burgess for gross indescretions on the paddock. 3. To create much needed press for the NRL..seemingly with poor calls at the expense of the fans of genuine (non grubby) clubs like the Roosters who are not coached to take "dives" The NRL are sadly lacking in marketing expertise.
Mike from tari
Guest
You wouldn't have a game of Rugby League if the ball carrier could not run into the defence side on, when a player tackles the attacker and his head hits the hip are we supposed to ban him running with his hips!!!!!
Mike from tari
Guest
SBW has been shoulder charging for years,other defenders wrap their arm around the other defender but SBW puts his elbow against his ribs and leads into the face with his shoulder,should have got 6 weeks, now Lussick was aiming for Hargreaves chest when he decided he had to protect his fellow players head, adjusted his arm and hit Hargreaves chin, I have to commend Lussick for looking after his team mate, now I've decided to tell a fairy story just like yours.
JACK
Guest
I Agree with your view emphatically, no wonder the crowds are down the NRL have only got themselves to blame jack
Chui
Guest
Interesting that you equate a cleaner game with being more professionally run.
al
Guest
As long as the ball carrier is allowed to shoulder charge the tackler, the rule is a joke. Only a matter of time until players refine the art of doing exactly that. The Big Brute Hit Up. Unban the shoulder charge and punish contact with the head instantly. More sin bins and sendoffs, less suspensions.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Nice article...you had me bristling at the start with the dinosaur line... I think you've hit the nail on the head. I'm coming to terms with the shoulder charge being taken out of the game but as usual the NRL has completely gone over the top with the application and interpretation of the shoulder charge rule. Neither the SBW or Fifita tackles were shoulder charges. Charge being the operative word. Banning those two players did nothing to make the game safer or reduce the likelihood of concussion. It's astounding to compare their suspensions with Lussicks 4 weeks. Accidental contact with the head to swinging stiff arm designed to knock someones block off! Rugby league players tackle with their shoulders and run leading with their head, there will always be some occasional contact between the two. The only way to stop it is to stop playing the game altogether.