Commission to outlaw 'shoulder charge'

[Masoe_eats_babies]

The media are idiots. It will be banned and they will be first to complain the game has gone soft.

If it is banned I wonder what they'll do when the concussion rates remain the same? What will they do next, ban the 10 metre line?

 

[Lockyer4President!]

But union is nothing in Australia and never will be. I'd be more inclined to believe you if you said it was AFL interests pushing it.

You're from Melb or Adelaide yeah? You'll simply never understand the chip on shoulder attitude that Australian RU wankers have when it comes to RL. How often have we seen RU journos give it to RL and praise AFL when they should be doing the opposite?

 

[supercharger]

I mean people are slamming the shoulder charge, but not one person can tell me the last time a player was concussed by a shoulder charge that didn't make contact with the face.

The crux of the matter is contact with the head, not the shoulder charge.[/QUOTE]
No i meant where you said "proper" concussion
just because a player doesn't display the "shell-shocked" symptoms we associate with concussions does not mean he has not sufffered a brain injury

 

[Masoe_eats_babies]

I mean people are slamming the shoulder charge, but not one person can tell me the last time a player was concussed by a shoulder charge that didn't make contact with the face.

The crux of the matter is contact with the head, not the shoulder charge.[/QUOTE]
No i meant where you said "proper" concussion
just because a player doesn't display the "shell-shocked" symptoms we associate with concussions does not mean he has not sufffered a brain injury

I know. But we can't do any sort of study or stats comparison on minor concussions because nobody reports them :lol:

Just wtf is your point?

 

[Masoe_eats_babies]

But union is nothing in Australia and never will be. I'd be more inclined to believe you if you said it was AFL interests pushing it.

I'm not talking about everyday people, I'm talking about the business class, the rich capitalist wankers, the psychopaths who run the world, the 1% of society. We're talking about industries and businesses that are multi national here.

How do you think Rugby grows around the world? They use their toff business platform to propagandise and influence society. Doesn't matter the size of the sport in a country, you can bet your arse many of the business and government class play it.

Whether it's Idi Amin, George Bush or the f**king royal family

 

[Bengal]

Shoulder charges are Rugby League's equivalent of basketballs slam dunk - they are thee most spectacular element in the game. When we promo league it's usually off the back of hard tackles, namely a shoulder charge. Side steps, deft kicks, great passes/offloads/catches, they're all well and good but what catches everyone's eye in any kind of promotion for league - is a big tackle. And no tackle is bigger than a well executed shoulder charge.

In any basketball highlights reel its the slam dunk that sticks out by a country mile. In League its the shoulder charge. Take that away and they take away the games biggest selling point...not to mention one of the key elements that makes this game so tough.

Therefore we need to look at other avenues centred around minimizing harm rather than eliminating one of the games biggest selling points. Stiffer penalties for tackles gone wrong and regulation centred around what type of shoulder charges are allowed in the game are two obvious avenues to explore.

The former is just a matter of agreeing on the harshness of the penalty - a few weeks, a month or more - that's all up for debate. As for regulation, shoulder charges should be limited to front on exchanges (no side on charges allowed) and one on one's (no charges allowed when an attacker is 'held' by another defender - aka the GI tackle that sent this furore into overdrive. Conversely, two players may attempt a shoulder charge simultaneously if no one has hold of the attacker. Point here being, there's ways around this - stiffer penalties and more regulation - the powers-that-be just need to spend a little more time looking at all the options rather than the few receiving the most attention thus far.

Because without doubt, from a fans point of view and I must stress - the powers to be seem to be talking to everyone but us - I know what catches my eye, I know what gets my juices flowing and I know what hooks newbies to the game more than anything else - it's the shoulder change. It's Leagues biggest selling point. Take that element out of the game and the game may suffer. Remember - few other sports or businesses would be foolish enough to ever consider eliminating one of their biggest draw cards.

.

 

[Dresden Dan]

What other reason would there be? You don't buy this player safety myth, do you? If it was about player safety where are the campaigns to ban rucks from Rugby, to ban scrums from Rugby?

This is a media campaign. The media get their agendas from their advertisers, they propagandise on behalf of their advertisers. Look at the people bankrolling the media and make of it what you will. They're not League people, lets put it that way.

ok now I see what you're saying about where the push is coming from.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...e-doctors-advice/story-fnca0von-1226434240260

Law firms warn ARL Commission of possible litigation should it ignore doctors' advice

• by: Stuart Honeysett
• From: The Australian
• July 25, 2012 12:00AM

THE ARL Commission has been warned by some of the country's leading law firms that it is running the risk of litigation if it continues to ignore the advice of club doctors to ban the shoulder charge.

The shoulder charge goes on trial again tonight when South Sydney fullback Greg Inglis appears before the judiciary to try to have a grade-four dangerous contact charge downgraded for his hit on St George Illawarra's Dean Young.

It is the third time this season the shoulder charge has come under scrutiny after Canterbury's Frank Pritchard was banned for a match for his challenge on Penrith's David Simmons and Brisbane's Ben Te'o was suspended for two games for his hit on Wests Tigers' Matt Groat.

The Weekend Australian was the first to report last month that all 16 club doctors had formed a breakaway group and passed an immediate motion to ban the shoulder charge over growing concerns for players' welfare and safety.

The game's medicos pointed to a class action being launched in the US by former NFL players, who accused the game's governing body of hiding information that linked football-related head trauma to permanent brain injuries.

Former Rugby Union Players Association chief executive and a dispute resolution lawyer with Wisdom, Tony Dempsey said the commission needed to determine whether the shoulder charge was dangerous. The league has already commissioned its research arm to investigate but a decision is not expected until the end of the year.

"If the doctors are all saying shoulder charges are dangerous and the data and the statistics show that there's a lot of injuries coming about as a result of shoulder charges, then the administrators have to have a long, hard look at it," Dempsey said.

When asked what would happen if they didn't heed the advice of the doctors, Dempsey replied: "Well, they run the risk of a lawsuit that may _ and I'm stressing the word may _ find them to be in breach of a duty of care. If lawmakers know of some sort of potential side-effect and they haven't created awareness amongst the players, then it's a bit like smoking. Smoking companies knew the dangers of smoking well before it became public.

"It would be a foolhardy administrator to ignore the advice of a collection of highly regarded sports physicians."

The executive director of law firm IMF, John Walker, said it was up to administrators to determine the rules of the game and therefore a safe workplace.

"If you've got a circumstance where the club doctors are saying it should be banned, then you've got medical opinion that the risks associated with the line the league's drawn is too great," he said. "The guys responsible for the rules will be sitting in a very uncomfortable chair until they make the determination.

"If the doctors are right, then the league is at risk."

ARLC football operations director Nathan McGuirk said it would take time to research the matter and the league would not be pressured into rushing anything through.

"We're looking at substantial research into a very important issue," he said.

So if the NRL warns the players beforehand about the risk then it's all good?

 

[Frances the Mute]

I don't believe this shit is picking up momentum, and alleged Rugby League fans are allowing it.

Seeing Kyle O'Donnell nearly knocked out cold by a legal shoulder charge was good enough for me.

Its not about being tough its the fact that players every year are become stronger and stronger and the damage to their opponents is going to get worse and worse.

Oh yeah and I'll also limit tackles to a maximum of 2 people at once?

Why because I actually care about players quality of life afterwoulds.

 

[chrisD]

Appropriately about the same percentage as support the greens, the fringe loon factor.

 

[Hutty1986]

Appropriately about the same percentage as support the greens, the fringe loon factor.

:lol: I'd love to hear your views on shoulder charges gone wrong if you got belted by one. Inglis should realistically get a minimum 5 weeks, but you and other geniuses like tallis think he should somehow get off.

 

[chrisD]

I'd love to never hear your views, on anything, ever. The stain insult has never been so apt as when it's applied to your mob.

 

[Hutty1986]

I'd love to never hear your views, on anything, ever. The stain insult has never been so apt as when it's applied to your mob.

That's a real shame :lol:

F*ck off back to woolies with your boy haynesy :crazy:

 

[chrisD]

Woolies and emoticons, yeah that's about the level you stains operate on.

 

[Hutty1986]

Woolies and emoticons, yeah that's about the level you stains operate on.

Coming from the keyboard warrior who reckons head-high shoulder charges are A-okay. You & Gordie are brothers-in-arms, similar IQ too.

 

[stg666]

to all you tough guys who say , toughen up , softcocks etc etc. maybe you better start thinking about following something else , because , the shoulder charge will not be allowed next year due to people power. the game is tough enough without shoulder charges.what is the drama with having to use your arms ? you still hit with the shoulder in a proper tackle. cannot see a drama in pissing it off straight away.

 

[chrisD]

Coming from the keyboard warrior who reckons head-high shoulder charges are A-okay. You & Gordie are brothers-in-arms, similar IQ too.

More than A-okay, legal hits are f**king awesome, it's just a shame such a softcock player and sooking team who can't handle tough legal play (but love a good elbow to the face) try and bring the whole league down to their own level of softcockness.

 

[chrisD]

to all you tough guys who say , toughen up , softcocks etc etc. maybe you better start thinking about following something else , because , the shoulder charge will not be allowed next year due to people power. the game is tough enough without shoulder charges.what is the drama with having to use your arms ? you still hit with the shoulder in a proper tackle. cannot see a drama in pissing it off straight away.

Really? Where are all these "people" exercising their power? All you got here are some latte drinkers, unionites, stain supporters and a newspaper with a vendetta. All the tough guys are the vast majority, you tool sheds need to learn to worry about yourselves and leave everyone else to do the same.

Until there's a player revolt or regular fans (not unionites no-one give a f**k about) turn away due to shoulder charges there is no people power, and there is no issue but for a shit rag and a f**kload of squeaky wheels.

 

[bottle]

Typically the blame is being sheeted home to the wrong people. It's either a conspiracy against the game from the big end of town (seriously??), or down to 'softcocks', be they fans, players, mums, journos, teams, clubs or whoever. In a desperate attempt to blame someone the real culprits aren't getting the finger pointed at them. 'Softcocks' don't play NRL, and only a real softcock would seriously suggest they do. I'm hoping that those doing so are only engaging in abusive banter rather than any level of seriousness.

It's simple really, it comes back to those enacting the shoulder charge, the players themselves, and piss poor technique on their part. Throw coaches in as well, they are the ones who are closest to the actions the players take on the field and should have the most input into mitigating said actions.

A shoulder charge isn't a tackle, ever. It's a shoulder charge, and properly enacted is a body check only, that is, shoulder or lower. First point of contact is irrelevant once the head hit comes into play. First point of contact, along with subsequent, ancillary, following, preceeding, proceeding, receeding or superceeding, don't care. First point of contact could be the ankle for all that I care, hit the head, deal with the consequences.

Properly enacted they are f**king awesome, I don't want to see them gone because imbeciles who don't know that planes can actually fly in the rain can't perform them properly. Illegally enacted (see Inglis, Pritchard, Teo) they are sickening and dangerous. It is only right and sensible to punish them severely if improperly enacted. Any reasonable person would concede that this is the compromise situation.

However if they end up getting banned don't blame anyone but the players who keep hitting blokes in the head.

 

[stg666]

chris dumbass , you are a complete nincampoop, without a brain cell left. you try to come across as a tough guy but , guess what ! to people with a brain left , you are just down right stupid.

 

[chrisD]

chris dumbass , you are a complete nincampoop, without a brain cell left. you try to come across as a tough guy but , guess what ! to people with a brain left , you are just down right stupid.

Because I called you on your bullshit people power rant? You're the dickhead who made the claim that you can't even begin to back up. Go on, point us in the direction of this mass upswell amongst the every day fans against shoulder charges, and see if you can do it without slapping space bar twice as often as you're supposed to.