Commission to outlaw 'shoulder charge'

[attila_the_gorilla]

No. Not wrong. From juniors players are taught to tackle with the SHOULDER. A heavy tackle will have the point of the shoulder going right into the players chest and stomach and if performed right they hurt a hell of a lot more than shoulder charges.

Leading with the shoulder is not the same as full contact with the shoulder ONLY. Try it. It's understandable that players lead with the shoulder in defense, otherwise it's very hard to stop a player with 10 metres of momentum. This is what tempts players into shoulder charges. In my opinion, if we went back to 5 metres, there would be fewer impact injuries. But then other rules would need to be changed to compensate for the decreased go-forward.

The reason punching, kicking, elbowing are illegal is because they are dirty tactics. A swinging arm to the head will do just as much damage as a punch on occasion.

They are dirty tactics because they're illegal. And they are illegal because of the pointed impact.

 

[taxidriver]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...tised-after-dangerous-hit-20120419-1xa11.html

Guilty as charged: Chase chastised after dangerous hit

April 20, 2012

• Read later

Face facts ... Tangi Ropati had three plates and 15 pins inserted in his jaw after a mistimed tackle.

These are the type of images the NRL has been trying to avoid with the recent crackdown on shoulder charges.
England and Castleford halfback Rangi Chase, the 2011 Man of Steel, was suspended for three matches on a dangerous tackle charge after an incident in last weekend's Challenge Cup loss to Featherstone that left former Queensland Cup star Tangi Ropati with a broken jaw.

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Ropati's partner Emma posted these photos on Facebook after the Samoa international had three plates and 15 pins inserted in an operation that will sideline him for up to three months.
Footage posted on YouTube suggests Chase had intended to make a shoulder charge but he badly mistimed the tackle and struck Ropati with a raised forearm or elbow.
The RFL judiciary found Chase's actions to be reckless and he was found guilty of a grade C dangerous tackle, which is similar to the grade-three dangerous conduct charge laid against Brisbane's Ben Te'o for the shoulder charge that knocked out Wests Tigers prop Matt Groat two weeks ago.



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[docbrown]

It's all in the game.

 

[Danish]

Reminds me of:

 

[AuDragon]

Footage posted on YouTube suggests Chase had intended to make a shoulder charge but he badly mistimed the tackle and struck Ropati with a raised forearm or elbow.

This part of the story didn't raise an eyebrow?
I'm pretty sure these have been referred to the judiciary for quite a while...

Last weekend, a forward hit Farah's head with his hip, resulting in a concussion for the Tigers player during his attempted tackle. We should ban hitups! :sarcasm:

 

[firechild]

This part of the story didn't raise an eyebrow?
I'm pretty sure these have been referred to the judiciary for quite a while...

Last weekend, a forward hit Farah's head with his hip, resulting in a concussion for the Tigers player during his attempted tackle. We should ban hitups! :sarcasm:

Exactly. It was this kind of hit that got Hopoate 17 weeks in 2005. Oddly enough the same kind of hit on Lockyer in an international match last year didn't come under anywhere near the same scrutiny.

 

[Springs]

Leading with the shoulder is not the same as full contact with the shoulder ONLY. Try it. It's understandable that players lead with the shoulder in defense, otherwise it's very hard to stop a player with 10 metres of momentum. This is what tempts players into shoulder charges. In my opinion, if we went back to 5 metres, there would be fewer impact injuries. But then other rules would need to be changed to compensate for the decreased go-forward.

Many times a player will go in for a conventional tackle leading with the shoulder and the attacking player will bounce off or be knocked to the ground from the force of impact. You will see a lot of these in junior comps which have banned shoulder charges. A lot of them are penalised wrongly.

 

[Jankuloski]

FFS.. Watch the video! Does this look like a shoulder charge?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCZHmfa4FbE

It's a swinging arm, it's outlawed already. Chase got off easy, maybe it's because he plays for England - I dunno really. Punish the grub properly, and get it over with!

 

[Dresden Dan]

Noticed no reporters name with that story. Anyone that knows league could tell you that wasn't a shoulder charge. Talk about a non story.

As was pointed out above Farrah get knocked out. The only way to stop players getting injured is to not play.

 

[southwalesrabbitoh]

Keep the shoulder charge, but as we saw with the Test today, reduce game to 12-a-side, 7 interchanges from 3 players.

 

[Marshall_magic]

Keep the shoulder charge, but as we saw with the Test today, reduce game to 12-a-side, 7 interchanges from 3 players.

And call it topball.

 

[Broncomum]

So basically people want the shoulder charge banned because players can't execute it properly?
The rules cover the tackle quite clearly.
Perhaps it's back to the coaches huh? Teach your players to execute it properly or not use it at all.

 

[Knownothing]

So basically people want the shoulder charge banned because players can't execute it properly?
The rules cover the tackle quite clearly.
Perhaps it's back to the coaches huh? Teach your players to execute it properly or not use it at all.

That is the biggest problem with the shoulder charge, it is instinctive, cannot be coached - that is one reason that it is so risky, a matter of split second timing and luck is all that separates a good tackle from something that can potentially maim an opposition player (and the tackler can also be injured as well).

The spear tackle used to be legal, until "Straw" Andrew's neck was broken in one. The same thing will probably happen with the shoulder charge eventually, additionally there is no doubt that impacts to the head eventually cause brain damage.

 

[Parra]

Helmets are part of the problem in NFL.

For league it would more likely mean removal of high-risk moves - like shoulder charges. Already been done for spear tackles, lifting tackles and dangerous positions.

Mandatory use of mouthguards and soft-headgear would also help a lot.

 

[magpie4ever]

That is why RL should ban the shoulder charge at all levels, even when it's within the current rules - ie: doesn't strike the head; the carrying ball player still gets his head severely rattled in a back and forward motion and imagine what the brain is doing inside the skull when this occurs.

It might be good for the dickhead commenters to scream; "that's a brute big hit", but it is absolutely no good for players at any level - continually sub-concussions. Where will it lead to in later life - definitely will not be of benefit.

Remember, rugby league was invented as a game of tackle that means arms and shoulders - it is not a form of UFC.

 

[in.tro]

That is why RL should ban the shoulder charge at all levels, even when it's within the current rules - ie: doesn't strike the head; the carrying ball player still gets his head severely rattled in a back and forward motion and imagine what the brain is doing inside the skull when this occurs.

It might be good for the dickhead commenters to scream; "that's a brute big hit", but it is absolutely no good for players at any level - continually sub-concussions. Where will it lead to in later life - definitely will not be of benefit.

Remember, rugby league was invented as a game of tackle that means arms and shoulders - it is not a form of UFC.

ban shoulder charges??? NO WAY

if people dont like the brutality and roughness of rugby league, stop following it.

if we have to manipulate our product into a combination of union and oztag, well it will no longer be rugby league.

big hits are AWESOME!

players know what they are getting into when they start playing the game, if they dont like it they can play another sport.

formula 1, horse racing, surfing etc etc they all have their own life threatening risks

 

[El Diablo]

why no calls to ban hockey after the recent death of an elite player?

 

[magpie4ever]

ban shoulder charges??? NO WAY

if people dont like the brutality and roughness of rugby league, stop following it.

if we have to manipulate our product into a combination of union and oztag, well it will no longer be rugby league.

big hits are AWESOME!

players know what they are getting into when they start playing the game, if they dont like it they can play another sport.

formula 1, horse racing, surfing etc etc they all have their own life threatening risks

Spoken like a person that has never played a game of rugby league.

I played in an era where the game was a lot harder then the present day - you actually pushed in scrums, 4 replacement rule, all in brawls, head high tackles, knees, someone trying to denut you in a tackle etc etc. Shoulder charges were not part of the game - so when you see a player have his head jolted severely from a shoulder charge you know that the player will have problems later in life; especially if they are blinded sided.

As I said, it might be good for the lounge chair critic but it is not good for the person on the receiving end.

There will always be accidential injuries in all sports, such as, the player's recent death in hockey, and there will be future accidents in RL, it just doesn't need to be deliberate when you know it will lead to health issues in later life.

I played the game for 25 years and have major knee and ankle problems - no problems that is part of participating in a hard sport. I now have two sons playing at a fairly high level, my greatest fear - them being blindside by a shoulder charge not a punch in the nose, raking across the face. etc

The players are real people, they are not figures in a Xbox game. To see someone with brain damage from numeruos sub-concussions is not a pretty sight.

 

[WayneBennett]

Shoulder Charges have absolutely no effect on players; heres proof:

 

[magpie4ever]

if we have to manipulate our product (WHAT YOU HAVE THE LICENCE -DO YOU)into a combination of union and oztag, well it will no longer be rugby league.

big hits are AWESOME! (MATE, THAT COMES ACROSS GAY)