Roar Pro
Joined March 2009
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What Mitchell Pearce did on Australia Day was not the first time he has fuelled himself up with alcohol and publicly tarnished his image.…
The late signing of prolific try-scorer Michael Jennings has sealed a very productive recruitment drive for the Parramatta Eels in the lead-up to the…
If the Fairfax Media rumours are true and the Sydney Roosters are looking to move on Michael Jennings to free up room under the…
The Sea Eagles are revered - even by their enemies - for their ability to build a consistently successful club culture. They have proven…
Despite playing in two grand finals in their 20-year history, the New Zealand Warriors are the epitome of underachievement to most NRL fans. A…
In what was a very low standard match between the Tigers and Manly the other night, one shining light was the performance of former…
The fundamental criticism people directed at Bill Harrigan in his time as referees boss was that he looked at things through a black and…
Does anybody know where I can buy a tackling bag with Tom Waterhouse's face etched into the front? My girlfriend thinks I need to…
A few months before the start of the 2013 NRL season, I was working on a highlights compilation that I had hoped would become…
The moment Bryan Norrie's pinky finger came into contact with Martin Taupau's left nipple during Cooper Cronk's try for Melbourne on Thursday night, a…
Although I thought that State of Origin this year would be a fizzer, I'm happy to say that this premonition was obliterated. I loved…
St George Illawarra Dragons - Bennett’s men have been the yardstick for two seasons now and they have certainly shown that calm consistency will take…
In an era where we see so many rugby league players looking like they have freshly swallowed a pregnant, lactating water buffalo, I find…
From the beginning of the season, South Sydney have been hailed as the surprise-packet to take it all the way in 2010. Under the…
[caption id="attachment_16795" width="300" caption="Roosters captain Braith Anasta during NRL Round 3, (AAP Image/Action Photographics, Renee McKay)"][/caption] Is it just me or can anybody else…
[caption id="attachment_29283" width="300" caption="Jarryd Hayne palms Tony Williams during the NRL Rugby League, Round 2 Parramatta Eels v Manly Sea Eagles match at Parramatta…
Rugby League is indeed a funny game. At the beginning of the year, Darren Lockyer was considered over the hill, Craig Bellamy was a…
Here are my top five rugby league performers for the season. FIVE Coming in at number 5 is the plucky Roosters back-line utility, Sam…
Allow me to dispel a myth for you right from the top, there is no such thing as being too small for Origin! A…
Hallelujah! The selectors have finally picked a NSW Origin team on form and not incumbency. Watching the NSW coaching staff scratch their heads, wondering…
I guess the question is, what is the higher priority, consistency or entertainment? At the end of the day, rugby league is a product. People get out to the games and watch it on TV because it is a fun and exciting game to watch, not because they are looking for 80 minutes of accurate interpretation. The football market in Australia is a very crowded space, and the NRL must know that there are now three other codes competing more vigorously than ever for its slice of the pie. The desires of the fans should always be treated with the upmost respect because they are the games’ customers. I can tell you that many fans I have spoken to about this have the universal opinion that the game is not as much fun to watch anymore. These rule interpretations are impinging on creativity and restricting off the ball activity. I’m being serious when I say this, we are going down the pathway of having no such thing as a second man play, even Craig Bellamy alluded to this prospect in a press conference this year. Give the fans what they want first, then listen to the coaches second. If anybody is not convinced, track down a copy of a game in the late 90’s, not too long ago the game was free flowing, players were more likely to throw the ball around and attack. Yes the players were not as big, and the speed was not quite as fast, but bugger it, it was bloody fun to watch. I miss it. Surely consistency is achievable for video referees with this rule without being so black and white. How difficult is it for a ref to determine, yes that player had no chance of making the tackle? Obstructions should be obvious or let the play go. The onus should be to prove there IS an obstruction, not that there ISN’T one. It’s already a matter of course for on-fiield refs to ‘check’ for a ‘possible’ obstruction. C’mon refs, there are four of you out there, you guys should know if you saw something, don’t just send every creative try upstairs to cover your backsides.
NRL obstruction rule must stay as it is
That could be one avenue Rabbitz, but generally I’m an advocate of prevention over cure. If the rule has more flexibility built into it, then I don’t think defenders will try to milk these kinds of penalties in the first place.
NRL referee interpretations breeding penalty pullers
Couldn’t agree with you more B.A, Brett Stewart has looked like he in slow motion this year, I don’t know what the story is but he is definitely no there mentally at the moment (that 30 metre pass to his own goal post illustrates what I am saying). I have seen better standard games played in retirement villages, those grannies know how to control the ball!
Manly thrash the Tigers
In my opinion Ryan, I have Joey at the top of my lost easily to be completely honest. These kind of things obviously depend upon the type of criteria you measure these guys by, but for me the most important things are consistency, an all round game, skill and competitiveness. I’d probably rank Thurston the highest in the competitiveness column but in all of the other areas I would have to give it to Johns. This is a man who tackled better than most backrowers in his era, performed miracles for his club week in and week out, but most importantly for mine, was a wonderful innovator. Who could forget his deadly banana kicks (something we NEVER see anymore) that he could land on a five cent piece, precision long passing, kicking on the in step and out step and torpedo bombs that brought rain. I’m a sucker for players who are creative and try to break the mould and set trends – Joey was certainly that. Let’s not forget that he brought the Knights two premierships as well, Thurston will need to bring home some silverware for the Cowboys to make a challenge for that mantle. Great player though!
Thurston isn't better than Johns
Bazzio, surely you’re not suggesting that the ‘whiplash’ effect cannot be affected in conventional tackles as well? I’ve seen players go through the old whiplash many times already this year, and let me tell you, they were not the result shoulder charges. What we are talking about is the physics of a tough man’s game. You have one 100kg plus man running as fast as he can at another 100kg plus sized man, the physical result of that will inevitably be a jarring and jolting collision. I can guarantee if you went to a sport’s scientist and asked him if playing Rugby League will be good for your health, he will tell you categorically, no, no it isn’t. The human body is not designed to be running into other bodies at high speed. Boxing is another sanctioned sport in this country, let me spoil the suspense for you, this too is not great for your body. Your head is sustaining multiple collisions a match. I wonder what the uproar of banning punches to the head would be in boxing? Here is what my article’s intention was to communicate, it’s about understanding the fabric of the game. It was created on a foundation of tough working class guys playing as hard as they could, a truly physical game where skill, speed an agression can co-exist and are needed in equal supply to be successful. If I am to take onboard your suggestion that eliminating any collision which may cause a whiplash motion is a good thing, then i would have to penalise any tackle, shoulder charge or not, that caused the attacker to be stopped in his tracks. The game needs big hits, conventional or otherwise, and i’m sorry, but to play this game, the risk of injury will always be present. The game can take certain measures to protect the health and safety of players, and they have done this rationally and reasonable over the years. But this move has gone a step too far and has lamentably put the game on a slippery slope towards touch football. Players must accept a degree of risk when they play the sport, pure and simple, To finish, I would like to take umbrage to your suggestion that a shoulder charge’s success relies on being a cheap shot, Bazzio, most shoulder charges are not enacted this way – now who is being specious?
Common sense knocked out cold
Bazzio, you appear to be under the apprehension that I am advocating shoulder charges to the head. Clearly I stated in the article that this is something I think should be dealt with harshly. The point I am making is that the shoulder charge in the vast majority of cases, does not end with a head injury because no contact with the head is made. There is an artform to executing the shoulder charge, just as there is an artform to a convention tackle, some players have poor execution which is why they can at times end up hanging out an arm or bumping up off the ball and making contact with the head. It is a technique issue. I also take issue with your statement that it’s sole desire is to injure, couldn’t disagree with you more, at times with on the line defence for example, the only way a defender can conjure the requisite force to stop an attacker with momentum is to throw his shoulder into the body. This has happened a few times this year already, Nathan Merritt in the Sharks game comes to mind. His intent was not to injure, rather it was his only chance of actually stopping the try (which he did) alas now conceding a penalty. I completely agree with you that brain injury is a serious issue in the game, but I contend strongly that the shoulder charge is not the bogey man causing all of these. The REAL issue to address when it comes to head injuries, are rules set up to prohibit clubs from playing guys who are concussed the week before – this is where the real damage is done and is a clear case of putting the club before the safety of the player. Why don’t we examine that more stringently rather than blame the shoulder charge?
Common sense knocked out cold
I thought Craig Wing was a GREAT player in his prime, it was a shame the NRL lost him as early as they did (and the Blues) but I don’t blame the guy for chasing the $$$ in Japan.
Who's in the running for Craig Wing?
PS GREAT headline, don’t let anybody tell you otherwise Curtis – people should dam well show you some common Curtis – ey !
Tigers to find out just how Manly they are
The Tigers haven’t really beaten a side who has played well yet. This is Manly’s game for mine.
Tigers to find out just how Manly they are
B.A – I don’t think you can argue that the banning of the shoulder charge is resulting in fewer stoppages, that is drawing a VERY long bow. Either for it or against it, it was not an action slowing down the game. We see more penalties given for low grade conventional high tackles than anything else. If you haven’t noticed it missing from the game, take a closer look, there is definitely a shortage of shoulder charges.
Common sense knocked out cold
Can’t wait for that first hit up in Origin this year oikee, I do hope it’s a safety first grassing tackle…
Common sense knocked out cold
What does this day and age refer to? The nanny state we live in?
Common sense knocked out cold
Let us not forget Maroon that copy book tackles are now pretty much outlawed as well now. Either because they go 3 degrees beyond the horizontal in a good drive and lift or coaches not wanting players to tackle low because they don’t wrap up the ball and slow down the ruck. The shoulder charge is not the ONLY tackle under threat here.
Common sense knocked out cold
Love where you’re coming from SuperEel and couldn’t agree with you more. We talk about concepts like ‘feel for the game’ and yes, I think you’re right, this only really comes through empathy for players and truly knowing the nature and limitations of the game. Perhaps the NRL should look more seriously at developing a post career pathway into the area of refereeing and create some incentives?
NRL referee interpretations breeding penalty pullers