The end of the shoulder charge?

[Kaz]

"Molo’s shoulder hit James’ chest and the whiplash effect severed arteries in his neck".

Any tackle can potentially do that.

 

[Morkel]

Tooves is still shitty about Mason being suspended. Seriously, too fucking bad. Everyone else knew about the crackdown. Too busy, too distracted, whatever, it's his job to keep up with what's going on.

Toovey said it was unacceptable for a governing body to introduce a change in interpretation a few hours before a game and expect players to know about it.
“I didn’t know about it. If the coach doesn’t know about it I’m pretty sure the players won’t know about it,” Toovey said.

Geoff Toovey still waiting for answer from NRL over Willie Mason?s shoulder charge ban

 

[1910]

The problem at the moment is that the MRC is made up of people that THINK they know the game, but are completely out of touch and biased.

I'm a big fan of Nashys idea of getting in an independent panel. Understanding the game isn't necessary, intelligent people can be trained to know what is right and wrong, free of having a 'feel' for the game.

QRL panel is legal people.

 

[broncos4life]

Tooves is still shitty about Mason being suspended. Seriously, too fucking bad. Everyone else knew about the crackdown. Too busy, too distracted, whatever, it's his job to keep up with what's going on.

Toovey said it was unacceptable for a governing body to introduce a change in interpretation a few hours before a game and expect players to know about it.
“I didn’t know about it. If the coach doesn’t know about it I’m pretty sure the players won’t know about it,” Toovey said.

Geoff Toovey still waiting for answer from NRL over Willie Mason?s shoulder charge ban

Too fucking right, it's their responsibility. Shut the **** up tooves.

 

[Nashy]

I think the biggest issue at the moment is that no one, NRL included, has a clear definition of what a shoulder charge is.

 

[Morkel]

I think the biggest issue at the moment is that no one, NRL included, has a clear definition of what a shoulder charge is.

Well they did. Arm tucked in, first impact made by shoulder.

Until a Roosters player did it and wasn't charged. So they had to "revise" the rules to pretend they didn't simply **** up.

 

[Nashy]

Well they did. Arm tucked in, first impact made by shoulder.

Until a Roosters player did it and wasn't charged. So they had to "revise" the rules to pretend they didn't simply **** up.

Yeah, but then we look at Blair too, and his hug that was deemed a charge. So they really have no idea.

Well maybe the NRL do. But the refs and MRC really don't.

 

[Morkel]

Yeah, but then we look at Blair too, and his hug that was deemed a charge. So they really have no idea.

Well maybe the NRL do. But the refs and MRC really don't.

That's the NRL though isn't it? Factions, in-fighting, and the left hand not knowing that the right is doing?

That, and never admitting mistakes.

Blair's actions still wouldn't be a shoulder charge under the new rules. But because the MRC has been soft on anyone hitting Thurston (or anyone really) late, they couldn't charge Blair for a late shot without looking inconsistent. And you can't charge someone for a head clash. And since it wasn't a high shot, they saw that one arm was tucked in and charged him under the SC rules. Basically, they thought what he did was dangerous, and just found whatever charge they could to do so. If they'd just sucked it up early, admit that they've let late shots fester too much and reign it in, we wouldn't be in this stupid situation.

I would have been satisfied with him being charged with a "contrary conduct" or something, as it was a tad late.

 

[Browny]

Clubs need to fight charges more to hold the MRC to account.

Blair and Hodges prime examples

 

[Porthoz]

Clubs need to fight charges more to hold the MRC to account.

Blair and Hodges prime examples

There wasn't that much to complain about in the Hodgo charge to be honest, but the Blair suspension was one of the most ridiculous decisions of the season, and given the amount of stupid coming out of the MRC/Judiciary, it is saying something!

 

[Rally Towel]

More brouhaha over the shoulder charge this week. Little to no consistency, and confusion abounds amongst players and fans alike.

They've had it wrong since day dot, and it's only getting murkier.

Allow the shoulder charge. Penalise high contact heavily, both on the field and at the judiciary. If they could implement a five minute sin bin and not be skirts about it's use in conjunction with the above, that'd help too.

 

[Mr Fourex]

More brouhaha over the shoulder charge this week. Little to no consistency, and confusion abounds amongst players and fans alike.

They've had it wrong since day dot, and it's only getting murkier.

Allow the shoulder charge. Penalise high contact heavily, both on the field and at the judiciary. If they could implement a five minute sin bin and not be skirts about it's use in conjunction with the above, that'd help too.

Throw in a swipe at David Smith...and you're spot on !!! Rally -ho !!

 

[abashii]

More brouhaha over the shoulder charge this week. Little to no consistency, and confusion abounds amongst players and fans alike.

They've had it wrong since day dot, and it's only getting murkier.

Allow the shoulder charge. Penalise high contact heavily, both on the field and at the judiciary. If they could implement a five minute sin bin and not be skirts about it's use in conjunction with the above, that'd help too.

I haven't seen the Molo/Ackers tackle (and never will) but have read in quite a few places it was a regular shoulder charge. Got him square in the chest and the whiplash effect was enough to burst blood vessels in his neck and/or head. So unfortunately (assuming the reports are correct) it's a demonstration that a shoulder charge doesn't need to be high to be very dangerous.

 

[Morkel]

And poignant difference is that shoulder charges have been measured to have considerably higher g-forces.

 

[Big Pete]

The shoulder charge was always going to leave the game at some point or another. Once the research came out and all those NFL cases became public knowledge, the NRL was always going to do everything in their own power to protect themselves thus the shoulder charge had to go.

I think most people accept that, although since they're nothing more than spectactors, they'd rather look the other way because it affects their enjoyment of the game...

Where I think everyone will agree is that the response has been predictably inconsistent and unprofessional. When the tackle was outlawed in 2013, everyone assumed that every single instance would be penalised. However, when the likes of Sandow would rush up and lay one on, it didn't seem to raise the slightest bit of concern from the referees or the MRC.

Even as late as last Thursday, when replays showed that Keary had executed a shoulder charge on O'Neil, it didn't seem to illicit any response until the MRC jumped on board.

That's why so many people are frustrated with the administration of the game. We see these instances and it seems as if nothing is done until a coach speaks up about it and then they get too heavy handed with it.

It's almost to the point where I feel as if they're taking the piss. Like the time Bennett spoke up about Hayne's diving, only for a Bronco to get charged for it.

Basically, I don't have an issue with the current adjudication. The problem is how it's come about and how it wasn't done properly in the first place. After all this talk about being proactive, it seems as if the NRL is reactive as ever.

 

[Dexter]

If Taufua doesn't get off this week it will completely lose credibility. No way was his contact a deliberate shoulder charge. This just gets messier by the day and I agree it's because they didn't crack down under the previous rule and have made policy on the run.

 

[Browny]

Todd Greenburg refuses to acknowledge the confusion lol

Heres hoping a doggies player misses a big game then

 

[Foordy]

If Taufua doesn't get off this week it will completely lose credibility. No way was his contact a deliberate shoulder charge. This just gets messier by the day and I agree it's because they didn't crack down under the previous rule and have made policy on the run.

Does a shoulder charge need to be deliberate ... I can't think of many things that needto be deliberate to attract a charge...

Parker has had a bit of a go at people whinging at the crackdown... He said it has been black and white all year, the players were instructed at the start of the season what eould be deemed a shoulder charge by the referees and MRC. In fact there has been no change to the rule itself, just the judiciary guidelines.

So if players don't want to be suspended for a shoulder charge then i have an easy way for them to avoid it .... Don't shoulder charge, seems simple enough.