3 weeks for O'Donnell: Are they serious?

[dogslife]

I cannot fathom how Luke O'Donnell managed a 3 week suspension for what was one of the worst spear tackles in the last 5 years. I hate to use the US vs THEM mentality as an example but if he was a Queenslander he'd be gone for a lot longer. And thats not even bringing into account O'Donnells disgraceful judiciary record (worst of any active NRL player).

And something needs to be done about this ridiculous interpretation of "what is a headbutt?" I will fair dinkum turn it up if he didnt deliberately intend to hurt Taylor, seeing as though they weren't exactly entangled which is why Hayne got off, in fact im pretty sure Joel Monaghan was holding Taylor back while O'Donnell did his dirty work. I hate to sound like another whinging Queenslander usually im pretty unbiased but if the judiciary was serious he wouldnt play again this year

 

[Schiltzenberger]

Apparently they reckon he didn't make contact with the headbutt, I'd have to see it again to be sure myself though. As such if you don't make contact then you can't be charged for striking, you need to make contact.

So if you go out there and throw haymakers in every tackle and keep missing, then you can't be charged apparently.

As for the spear tackle, that was one of the worst I've seen in a long time. I thought he'd be looking at 8-10 just for the tackle. Then I assumed he'd get more for the headbutt, as well as even more for his bad record. He should've been gone for the year.

No wonder I didn't feel sorry for this grub when he got wishboned.:lol:

 

[hellteam]

That was a terrible tackle. You could see he actually did it on purpose too. Should have been 7 weeks at least, it was FAR more dangerous then any striking charges that have got 6+ weeks suspension.

 

[Loudstrat]

was a Queenslander he'd be gone for a lot longer.

Rubbish. Conjecture only. It's Origin ffs - no one cops the same suspension as in the NRL regardless of what we think it really deserved.

 

[Danish]

Tell that to Nate Myles, who copped a 6 week suspension for a lifting tackle in an origin match in 2008.


And his tackle was not half as bad as LOD's effort

 

[hellteam]

Didnt Hodges get about 7 weeks for one in 2008 or so? And it was nothing on LOD's

 

[Charlie124]

As a Cowboys fan im glad he only got 3 weeks but deadset he should be staring down the barrell of 6+ weeks for the tackle alone, let alone the headbutt.

 

[Danish]

hodges got 7 weeks because it was the 2nd time he had dumped a player on his head OFF THE BALL. those tackles were indefensible and completely intentional and deserved more.


LOD should have got at least the same as Nate, plus more with his loading. watching them both on youtube they are almost identical (forgot how bad Nate's one was).

 

[beads6]

Another shocking decision but it is what we have come to expect with this joke of an Administration.

 

[evil_p091280]

Where was thaidays citing for the dogshot on odonnell but???

I am not a LOD fan but after he hit Taylor, thaiday came in from the side and hit him, opened him up. That should also be at least a week.

 

[beads6]

Where was thaidays citing for the dogshot on odonnell but???

I am not a LOD fan but after he hit Taylor, thaiday came in from the side and hit him, opened him up. That should also be at least a week.

I don't think the actually fighting gets reported does it?? Otherwise Inglis and Scott would be gone plus a fair few others...

 

[evil_p091280]

I don't think the actually fighting gets reported does it?? Otherwise Inglis and Scott would be gone plus a fair few others...

I would class it like ice hockey, if two blokes consent to the fight then noone charged. Whilst what LOD did to Taylor was cheap, Taylor was looking at him and was half going at him, whereas thaiday had nought to do with LOD and just hit him from the side.

To me that is not on and has been cited before. 3rd man in/attempted king hit type stuff.

Origin I guess is more relaxed.

 

[dragonfire]

it was a bad tackle, but i thought that Hindmarsh was the one who put Boyd in a dangerous position to be honest. In saying that 3 weeks is probably a little lenient

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

it was a bad tackle, but i thought that Hindmarsh was the one who put Boyd in a dangerous position to be honest. In saying that 3 weeks is probably a little lenient

How do you figure that? Hindmarsh lifted Boyds legs from his shoulders?

 

[cornerposter]

Where was thaidays citing for the dogshot on odonnell but???

I am not a LOD fan but after he hit Taylor, thaiday came in from the side and hit him, opened him up. That should also be at least a week.

A week? He should of got man of the match for that punch alone.

 

[Meth]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,27286744-5018993,00.html

Battered NSW enforcer Luke O'Donnell has vehemently denied he headbutted Queensland forward Dave Taylor - and accused some Maroons players of "dog shots" during the wildest Origin brawl since, well, last year.

O'Donnell accepted an early guilty plea for a grade-two dangerous throw on Maroons winger Darius Boyd that sparked the all-in brawl.

He will miss game three in Sydney on July 7 after being given a three-match ban.

Yet he could have been rubbed out for far longer with Origin match review commissioner Greg McCallum revealing that teammate Nathan Hindmarsh and Maroons hooker Cameron Smith indirectly saved O'Donnell from a lengthy stint on the sidelines.

While Hindmarsh's involvement in the Boyd tackle saw the dangerous throw charge downgraded, McCallum said that Smith pulling O'Donnell back as he attempted a headbutt meant there was no contact with Taylor.

"Cameron Smith pulls his jersey as he lets the headbutt go so there was no contact - he assisted him at a critical time," McCallum said. "It's saved him from a significant suspension."

But an unrepentant O'Donnell told The Daily Telegraph newspaper that he hadn't attempt to headbutt Taylor and revealed he was on the end of cheap shots from other Queensland players, especially forward Sam Thaiday.

"I keep getting asked about the headbutt - I don't think there was much in that," O'Donnell said.

"I was getting pulled and pushed in every direction, and Taylor kept scruffing me up.

"I was doing whatever I could to get out of there. Sam Thaiday ran in and started throwing punches. There were a few dog shots coming in.

"Someone said I should've been sent off. That's a bit rich considering they were coming in and hitting from behind with some cheap shots. I've got a bruised eye from a nice cheapy from someone when I was on the ground. Self-preservation crosses your mind at some stage."

O'Donnell also denied that he has a problem with his on-field discipline, even though this latest sanction will mean he has missed 29 weeks of football because of suspension during his 11-year career.

McCallum also said the match review committee had decided not to take any action against Paul Gallen after taking an early plea for his grade-one high tackle on Nate Myles.

 

[badav]

Didn't Lopini Paea get 10 weeks for a similar tackle?

 

[kmav23]

NRL Judiciary need to be sacked....

Thurston, Hayne and Odonnell..... are allowed to headbutt, abuse refs and spear tackle....

That have set a dangerous precident as all other players will use this when they get charged....

Headbutts and abusing ref are okay....

Spear tackles max 3 weeks with bad record... 1 week if u good record

 

[SDM]

I thought Myles tackle was worse, becasue Cross actually bounces on his head.

 

[myanonymoususername]

Yet he could have been rubbed out for far longer with Origin match review commissioner Greg McCallum revealing that teammate Nathan Hindmarsh and Maroons hooker Cameron Smith indirectly saved O'Donnell from a lengthy stint on the sidelines.

While Hindmarsh's involvement in the Boyd tackle saw the dangerous throw charge downgraded, McCallum said that Smith pulling O'Donnell back as he attempted a headbutt meant there was no contact with Taylor.

"Cameron Smith pulls his jersey as he lets the headbutt go so there was no contact - he assisted him at a critical time," McCallum said. "It's saved him from a significant suspension."

"Someone said I should've been sent off. That's a bit rich considering they were coming in and hitting from behind with some cheap shots. I've got a bruised eye from a nice cheapy from someone when I was on the ground. Self-preservation crosses your mind at some stage."

The lengths the match review committee goes to to justify why something isn't as serious as commonsense and logic tell everyone else is just ridiculous. That was a spear tackle as bad as I've seen in years. If thats a grade 2, there's obviously no such thing as a grade 4 or 5 - you must have to load the guy into a spear gun and fire him into the ground for that.

The headbutt was a headbutt - plain and simple. Until about 2 weeks ago, players (a) got sent off for headbutting, (b) got significant penalties from the judiciary for doing it. Its only changed in the last 2 weeks out of expediency - for the previous 100 years a headbutt was a headbutt and was punished, no ifs or buts.

The league is a joke over all the contortions it goes through to justify letting star players off, or minimising their punishments. It is about as credible as the bullsh*t the ICC went through to bastardise the laws of cricket to be able to say Murali doesn't chuck.

As for O'Donnell saying its a bit rich for people to say he should have been sent, he's missing the point. He should have been sent for the spear tackle, the headbutt and the brawl were incidental.