Getting tough on crusher tackles

[T-Boon]

The NRL are again needing to make rule adjustments to fix a problem these deplorable coaches have invented.
What kind of sick human being invented these crusher tackles?

 

[Perth Red]

Most of them are pure accidents occurring due to modern day three men tackle techniques and attacking players backing into tackles to try and offload. I doubt pretty much any player deliberately goes out of their way to drop on a players neck/head.

 

[T-Boon]

I think they started out as a deliberate thing.
I agree in most cases it is now an accident of technique and brainless aggression. Bottom line is they need to be stamped out and players should get sent off for them, that might stop coaches coaching tackling techniques that are highly likely to be dangerous. Of course in my opinion they should just go ahead and outlaw three man tackles.

 

[ACTPanthers]

A lot of the crusher tackles that occur these days is largely attributed to the ball carrier backing into a tackler and then being sat on his arse - You can't blame absolutely EVERYTHING on these (imagined) evil coaches mate

 

[ACTPanthers]

I think they started out as a deliberate thing.
I agree in most cases it is now an accident of technique and brainless aggression. Bottom line is they need to be stamped out and players should get sent off for them, that might stop coaches coaching tackling techniques that are highly likely to be dangerous. Of course in my opinion they should just go ahead and outlaw three man tackles.

Totally agree on the bolded though

 

[Perth Red]

I think they started out as a deliberate thing.
I agree in most cases it is now an accident of technique and brainless aggression. Bottom line is they need to be stamped out and players should get sent off for them, that might stop coaches coaching tackling techniques that are highly likely to be dangerous. Of course in my opinion they should just go ahead and outlaw three man tackles.

Thing is you cant "stamp" out an accident. You can try to minimise it happening but most of time players involved have no real way of avoiding it. Players going down and you cant stop yourself mid air or disappear if attacking player ends up on his bum sitting upright. IF it is deliberate I would throw the book at them in same way as deliberate spear tackle these days. Changing the weighting wont make any difference to prevalence and all it will do is see more NRL talent that we pay to watch sitting in the stands for one game bans.

 

[The_Frog]

Thing is you cant "stamp" out an accident. You can try to minimise it happening but most of time players involved have no real way of avoiding it.

They used to say this about spear tackles too and now they've just about been eradicated.

 

[T-Boon]

Thing is you cant "stamp" out an accident. You can try to minimise it happening but most of time players involved have no real way of avoiding it. Players going down and you cant stop yourself mid air or disappear if attacking player ends up on his bum sitting upright. IF it is deliberate I would throw the book at them in same way as deliberate spear tackle these days. Changing the weighting wont make any difference to prevalence and all it will do is see more NRL talent that we pay to watch sitting in the stands for one game bans.

They got rid of spear tackles pretty much entirely. They just made what was at the time a hard decisions but now seems like it was nothing but sensible that was to stamp out lifting entirely.
They could get rid of crushers by stamping out 3 man tackles.

 

[Perth Red]

They used to say this about spear tackles too and now they've just about been eradicated.

Easier to change technique to avoid spearing happening Id suggest.
Whats a defending player going to do if attacking player has his back to him and they are both going down to the ground? Only way to avoid totally would be to drop off the tackle as soon as attacking player was facing other way but thats not going to happen as gives attacking player free reign to offload.

Or as said go to 2 man tackles only so you dont have all the holding up, wrestling and twisting that is going on these days.

 

[super_coach]

A spear tackle tends to stand out like dogs balls, the crusher there is usually plenty of grey area. At present it is policed like the six again rule by the refs...one team gets smashed and the other team is untouchable.
The NRL has a million bigger problems than the crusher tackle, they could start with the ten meter rule, but I guess why disadvantage a few teams that play the 5 meter rule

 

[AJB1102]

Most crushers are either accidental, the ball carrier's fault or flat out milked. There should be medical studies conducted into the rapid healing qualities a whistle has on neck injuries.

 

[T-Boon]

Most crushers are either accidental, the ball carrier's fault or flat out milked. There should be medical studies conducted into the rapid healing qualities a whistle has on neck injuries.

Most head high tackles are accidental as were spear tackles.

 

[Sphagnum]

Noel cleal would’ve really struggled in this era of no crusher tackles

 

[Perth Red]

Most head high tackles are accidental as were spear tackles.

And we havent eradicated head high tackles have we? Accidents happen.

Personally I would do away with one match ban offences and just have personal fines for all but the worse foul play. Fans pay to be entertained by the best players the game can produce. Having players sat in the stands for innocuous accidental foul pay does no one any favours and is detrimental to the business of the game.
If its punishment to change behavior you are after (and as said most of these things are accidental so impossible to change) then $5k,$10k or $20k fines will hurt the player more and soon make them change their ways (if its possible to do so)

 

[The_Frog]

And we havent eradicated head high tackles have we? Accidents happen.

If they were all treated like Hetherington they'd disappear overnight.

 

[AJB1102]

Most head high tackles are accidental as were spear tackles.

And...?

I see high tackles every game.

You argue against more than 2 tacklers but most penalties for putting a bloke in a dangerous position now happen 1-on-1 because the ref calling held once a leg gets lifted prevents nearly every tackle even getting close to spear territory.

If they were all treated like Hetherington they'd disappear overnight.

If they were all treated like Hetherington tackling above the ribs would disappear overnight. Accidents happen, you can't be giving 4 weeks for a lazy clip on a bloke. Even then we're still gonna see instances where the guy slips and gets collected high.

 

[T-Boon]

We need a complete overhaul of the tackle. Watching Storm v Parra it has become a disgrace.

 

[T-Boon]

Every time a Melbourne player gets tackled he should get crushed or winged or something. They are appalling.

 

[T-Boon]

melbourne do it deliberately.

 

[Someguy]

My worry is that now players are backing into the defence and looking for a crusher, defenders will simply move to the side and slam them back of the head first game to the ground. Big risks of serious brain injuries.

I approve of the sivo technique of pushing up into the tackler to achieve a crusher but not all players have as good technique.