Cam Smith cops NRL ban for 'wishbone' tackle

I don’t think so mate...I guess we’ll see. The Smith incident was pretty ugly and he went on with it...plus the injury. You just don’t see many of those.

Really Greg you've never thought this may happen? I'd love to live as unburdened by simple logic as yourself

That's what happens when you let coaches dictate the direction of the rules as the NRL did in the past.

Greg, are you seriously this naive?

I'm very confident rewarding the one on one is the way to go. A good one on one gives the defender a fair opportunity to get to his feet and mark up. Akin to a dominant tackle. How about the 3rd, 4th in are ruled out of play for the next play? That would definitely make players think twice about deliberately gang tackling to slow the play. Pocket ref could call them out of play. It will reduce the head injuries and almost eliminate the gang tackle/ wrestle techniques being coached IMO. Off loads would be an encouraged skill along with backing up and ball movement. Big guys like Fafita would love it and players that take a player down quickly around the legs would benefit. A good low tackle would replace the wrestle.

Has the referee's boss announced who will be coming into grade this week to replace Smith?

This highlights an issue for me - rewarding the one on one tackle around the legs. At present, such a tackle is useless as the ballplayer leaps to his feet, usually plays the ball without a marker present. Huge advantage. This encourages, or demands that gang tackling and wrestling occurs to slow the play the ball. A one on one leg tackle should be rewarded with either a 5-second hold or the ballplayer forced to wait until a marker is in place. I am certain this will lessen the occurrence of the Smith/Proctor incident.

That's my issue, Baz ! Consistency ! How are referees going to possibly adjudicate on what is a dangerous lift of the leg ? I can see this as just another outlet for the penalty "milkers". There will outrage every Monday morning about who should have been penalised and cited, and who should not have been !

Correct. If Proctor gets up and plays the ball nobody would have even bothered. Once he got injured though he was always going to be charged. As you said this tackle happens every game of the week.

Agreed it's a common occurence and I think maybe, just maybe, the NRL is growing a backbone when it comes to Cameron Smith. But I think the NRL might be starting to crack down on a dangerous and all too common tactic. If Cameron Smith can be pinged for it, then I could be too.

Pleading guilty is admitting guilt. Smith had two days to think about his decision and review the footage, if he didn't do anything wrong he would have fought the change like many other players do.

"Many people plead guilty for things they haven’t done". Now I've heard it all.

Albo - I agree that Smith didn’t mean it and that the tackle went wrong for him. But the same thing can be said of most high tackles and lifting tackles. They happen plenty of times a game. The player didn’t mean it. The tackle went wrong. Ok, understood. Suspension. That’s all that’s happened to Smith. As it should. It won’t stop players lifting the leg but when it goes wrong they have to carry the can. I think Smith had an opportunity to pull out of the tackle but he went on with it and made it worse. Consistency is always the elephant in the room.

Agree Albo. When I heard he got charged, I thought I better re-watch this because i must have missed how that was different from every tackle Kenny Edwards has ever made, or the tackles I saw by Tapine and Fafita on Sunday afternoon. It isn't different so by Sunday afternoon the League had already shown it is inconsistent in this space. This is patently absurd.

Punch in the nuts, no suspension. A tackle that is done multiple times a game, everygame, by multiple players, 2 weeks....

They suspended Smith because Proctor got hurt. What Smith did is the same as many are doing in every game every week. The officials are happy to penalise incorrect play the balls or players not releasing but then watch prowlers attack the legs of player being held by 2 others. Penalise them immediately IMO. The Cowboys complained about Scott being attacked around the legs (Prior). The fact is after being held the legs were being targeted. On occasions his leg was picked up and pulled with questionable intent but it was laughed off? I would only allow the 3rd man to tackle around the waist and at no time in a lifting fashion. It needs to be stamped out.

Tick rugby anyone ?

Just like the courts, many people plead guilty for things they haven't done to minimise the impacts and in the states where plea bargaining is the norm its like a good old bartering system. Never mind justice look at the money.

Turns out Proctor might only miss one week, at most two.

So Greg, you are saying that everyone who takes the early plea is guilty.