I don’t condone violence and I have the same reaction as most people when I see a ‘deliberate cheap shot’ during a game.
And I agree, it should be dealt with accordingly.
But with the latest flare up, involving the Sia Soliola head high tackle, my biggest concern is there will be another knee-jerk reaction to clean up the game even more.
Surely our game has been butchered enough.
Let’s not change the game too much more and leave it as a skeleton of what it used to be.
Luckily these incidents are not a regular occurrence .
But the game being what it is, I’m afraid to say they will continue to happen.
To try to clean the game up too much, so it becomes squeaky, will help to destroy what the game of rugby league is all about.
A tough, sometimes brutal, gladiatorial, body-contact sport.
That’s what it was born and bred to be.
I know the cry is to clean up the game because it will detract parents from encouraging their kids to play the game, and I get it.
When I was a kid and I saw my first game of rugby league I was hooked.
The point I want to make is that even though the parents might want or not want their kids to play ,the kids will decide to do it anyway.
If they really like the game and want to play it, they will.
If they don’t like the game but play it they will get found out and then give it up anyway.
So why should the rules be changed for the ones who don’t want to play?
The game has evolved from it’s humble beginning to the heights it is today. It is what it is.
What is it that attracts people to rugby league?
It’s the going into battle with your mates.
What makes State Of Origin such a great spectacle, watched by millions of people, here and overseas?
I feel part of the reason could be because it resembles the closest version of how rugby league used to be played before all the new clean up rules were introduced.
Thank god the refs are a bit more lenient and still play by some of the ‘old rules’, or turn a blind eye to certain things.
But as hard, tough and as brutal as it can get sometimes I have never heard of one State Of Origin player say he did not want to be there in that arena.
In fact most players would do anything to play a State Of Origin.
Why?.
It’s the going into battle with your mates, being prepared to shed blood and do whatever it takes to achieve victory for you, your mates, your fans and supporters.
It’s been going on since the days of the gladiators.
And you know what, deep down, we love it!
The big brutal collisions, the’ flare-ups’ and the sight of blood.
What really annoys me is when people start saying the game needs to be cleaned up more. As I said before, deep down they love the ‘raw’ version of the game.
The ‘old’ version.
Let’s not change it too much more or it will end up looking like touch football.
I still can’t see why we don’t allow a good ‘clean’ shoulder charge.
What about the old one on one up and under ‘copy book’ tackle, which the crowd used to love and applaud.
What damage did the old flare-ups do?
A few punches thrown,hardly any connecting, and a lot of pushing and shoving and huffing and puffing.
And how many ‘flare-ups’ are there in a game anyway?
It’s usually a way of relieving tension then getting on with game.
And as I keep saying we love it. It keeps the game pumping and alive.
A spontaneous ‘flare up’ has been and will always be part of the game.
And I’m not saying ‘bring back the biff’.
What I am trying to say is let’s not sanitise our game too much more.
Let’s watch and enjoy the game for what it is an what is was meant to be, a body contact sport.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Grtiffith had a few too. Fifita played there, Geoff Foster was another Griffith lad as was Simon Bonetti
Duncan Smith
Guest
Tell me who didn't love the Battle of Brookvale? It was awesome. The only pity is that the fight got broken up!
Don Aprile
Guest
Harry, I agree with you there is no place for illegal violence in rugby league.And if you read my opening statements......' I don't condone violence, and I have the same reaction as most people when I see a 'deliberate cheap shot' .And I agree it should be dealt with accordingly.' Then if you read one of my closing statements it reads...'And I'm not saying' bring back the biff. But you must admit rugby league has come a fair way in trying to clean the game up.And as I have stated previously their are certain parts of our game that are near impossible to clean up.Because it is a' body contact' and a' high collision' sport You' WILL NEVER STOP' the "Flare ups" in some games.....It is a" spontaneous" explosion of emotions. A relief valve for the tensions and frustrations that builds up before and during a game.If you have never experienced it you won't know what I'm talking about' As for the 'cheap shots' they will occur because it's in the make up of some players and they can't control themselves, they just have a brain explosion'. I repeat,Harry I don't condone illegal violence ! It's the nature of the beast and the 'baggage 'that comes with it. So the point I'm trying to make is ,if you keep trying to sanitize the game and get rid of all the baggage you will eventually change the whole 'character' of the game. It's a fine line. So Harry we will just go on, agreeing to disagree.
HarryT
Guest
The NRL is light years ahead of the union boys in developing junior talent. My observation is that they see the tough junior leagues as a blooding ground for future stars. The certainly don't get involved in trying to change the unsavoury aspects of junior footy UNLESS there is some press coverage of some bonkus act. Unlike you, I think that the game is entertaining and plenty tough enough without the biff. The added bonus of cleaning up the top grades is that the rubbish that goes on in the junior leagues will be eradicated as well which in turn will stop the exodus of young players who want to play the game but who refuse to put up with illegal violence.
DMac
Guest
Where there is a will, there is a way. I used to forge my parents signature on the permission slips to play school footy as they were dead set against contact sport. Night games I would just say I was going to my mates place to study/play. I would sneak down at midnight to wash my gear and hang it up in the closet to dry.
Don Aprile
Guest
So Harry,what are you saying rugby league should be copying rugby union? I don't see rugby union breaking too many records when it comes to growing the game.Did'nt they just drop a team recently? Maybe they "weeded out " too many players.
Agent11
Guest
cheap shots, shirt grabbing and all the other rubbish that happens off the ball in AFL is definitely more on the rough side than tough. To be honest I've always found it peculiar. It just looks nasty on the TV with no purpose.
HarryT
Guest
There were many factors involved, but it boiled down to a lack of effective management from the controlling body. In fairness, most of the people who were running the junior league were just club die-hards who made an extra $50 helping out on a Sunday. In the taking off the jumper example, the players just didn't bother to turn up to the judiciary and the team played on the next season as if nothing happened.
HarryT
Guest
The kids I coached were tough. Many played rugby union with their schools at a very high level. The difference between the two codes was that the 'dirty' players were weeded out of union whereas in league they thrived. But as I said, the league boys were just mimicking their tough heroes and also the violence so often highlighted by TV like the advertisements for SOO. I have a video of our team copping eight nasty head high tackles in the firs 15 minutes of the game and of the ref giving eight very stern warnings. With the ninth head high, as the FAO for the team, I treated the player and then informed the ref that his 'stern' warnings weren't proving very effective and that my players deserved more protection. Well, I was sent from the ground for abusing the ref. This particular team won most of their games because, understandably, oppositions were too scared to run hard at them.
HarryT
Guest
South Sydney.
The Fatman
Guest
Rugby league is dead; unless they can clean it up and stop the head high tackles. Mums will not let their kids play the game in 20 years time.
bear54
Sorry boys but this is all about money. The NRL must ensure a safe workplace for the players because if they permit violence of any kind they'll be taken to court and will lose huge. The Garry Jack V Ian Roberts case was just the beginning and when all those lawyers (who ironically sponsor a couple of clubs) saddle up next time they'll go after the deepest pockets, the NRL Punch ups are now part of history.
Steve Wilson
Guest
Don't agree with this at all. Because with junior rules the way they are, you do not need to be fitter or faster, especially if you play in the forwards. Unlimited interchange, half back or first receiver not allowed to run, must pass, not allowed to kick on early tackles etc... the list goes on. The game is geared towards the bigger kid, i see junior games every week and the amount of massive, actually overweight kids that get trotted out to barge over when attacking the other teams line, and then once they score they are brought straight off because they cant move up and back in a defensive line because they are either just unfit or obese, its laughable. I ask when does the smaller kid get his chance to atatck these kids with the ball and have a smart enough half back, to expose the bigger kids weaknesses from and early age?
jeff dustby
Guest
rubbish
jeff dustby
Guest
the st george area is demographic change
Bugo
Guest
I agree. A list of points may get the message across but doesn't make for a pleasurable read.
Oingo Boingo
Guest
I'd be pretty confident the majority are from a particular demographic.
Interesting
Guest
Harry T... It is disturbing that a team of adolescents are taking off their jerseys to start an all in brawl so that they don't get identified and suspended. That is an incredible situation of poor management by all adults involved in that competition. I have never seen that happen in an NRL game... is it rugby leagues fault this has happened?
Oingo Boingo
Guest
What area are you based in Harry ?
Oingo Boingo
Guest
I'm going back to Wagga for a wedding in September, I'll be interested to run it by people there , and see if there is a similar scenario. Quite sad if that's the case , Wagga and the surrounding Riverina have produced some great RL players and families , including a couple you'd be very familiar with in the Hughes and Mortimers .