How many weeks for Billy Slaters Karate kick to the head of David Klemmer?

[Liddell]

My biggest problem with Slater's Flying Crane is it prevents opposition players challenging for bombs in the air. Who wants to jump towards a set of boot studs at head height?

Which is the reason he does it.

They were waiting for something like this to happen, you could tell by Smith's reaction to the ref.

 

[The Elephant In The room]

Both the above are correct. Klemmer should have been penalised for running in and balking the player taking the bomb. Either contest the bomb or position yourself to tackle Slater when his feet touch the ground.

How far away do you expect Klemmer to be when Billy is catching a bomb? If Billy is running and jumping at speed, he could easily "fly" 2-3 meters from where he leaves the ground. Maybe we should bring in a "fair catch" rule like the NFL

 

[Canard]

How far away do you expect Klemmer to be when Billy is catching a bomb? If Billy is running and jumping at speed, he could easily "fly" 2-3 meters from where he leaves the ground. Maybe we should bring in a "fair catch" rule like the NFL

Lets be fair, that would be gayer than Ricky Martin at Mardi Gras. Its not like this is happening all the time in our game, lets not get all baby bathwater here.

The precedence of penalising the player in mid air, would be immense. You would find defenders just rushing through and "diving" once any contact was made with the player in the air.

 

[firechild]

Lets be fair, that would be gayer than Ricky Martin at Mardi Gras. Its not like this is happening all the time in our game, lets not get all baby bathwater here.

The precedence of penalising the player in mid air, would be immense. You would find defenders just rushing through and "diving" once any contact was made with the player in the air.

What a load of crap. They almost set an awful precedence by penalising a player who did not lay a finger on the mid-air player. The precedence you refer to would simply be a reckless contact penalty/charge and would be ruled in the same manner as many other aspects of the game. We already see players diving for penalties (remember Glenn Hall diving at Watmough's feet last year for an obstruction penalty?) so I don't think this would be any different.

 

[oval]

Just watched this for the first time.

Looks like he extends the leg directly at the Bulldog player coming at him, intentionally aiming the studs to deflect the incoming tackle.

He deserves a suspension, not because he already has a bad reputation for feet to the head, but because if he gets off it sets a bad precedent.

 

[Canard]

So we should introduce a scenario whereby its the duty of the player in mid air to ensure the safety of all other players?

f**king absurd.

 

[Owen Da Saints]

I would rather call this incident "an accident waiting to happen", as opposed to just an "accident" !
I can't think of another fullback that does this.
How many times can someone accidentally do this ?
What's the difference between this and leading with an elbow (which is illegal) ?
Now is the time to make this illegal !

 

[chrisD]

Duty of any player not to perform flying kicks at opponents heads, somehow I doubt we'll have much of a problem but for one player.

 

[Sphagnum]

If Slater gets off, Graham should be allowed back too.

He didn't intentionally go out on the field in the grand final to bite billy's ear off.

No intent = no case to answer according to some of you tards.

He kicked someone in the head and has now admitted he sticks his legs out like that on purpose to defend himself.

If it was Drury Low, he'd have already had his contract torn up by the NRL

f**k Slater, the dog has been doing this shit for years and the judiciary does nothing about it.

 

[The Elephant In The room]

So we should introduce a scenario whereby its the duty of the player in mid air to ensure the safety of all other players?

f**king absurd.

To some extent there already is. If Billy, sorry make that any other fullback, jumps for ball and comes back to earth leading with the point of his elbow, it IS his duty to ensure the safety of others because you should rightly be suspended for clocking aomeone with a leading elbow. I see this as being no different as there is/should be no "legal"reason for anyone to be jumping "studs up" in the vacinity of another player.

 

[firechild]

No, but as others have already stated, this is reckless behaviour and it is no different to leading with a knee or elbow in order to protect yourself. Reckless and dangerous acts deserve to be punished.

 

[Rudderriffic]

Very well put. So.... does he get a little slap on the hand now with a gentle reminder to please not use it again or does he get a little holiday??

I'd say a little holiday due to his carry over points. There must be a punishment for dangerous play. A penalty doesn't cut it.

^ This.

I don't want to watch all 16 fullbacks to start hanging out their legs so that the ball can't be contested. Midfield bombs can be boring enough on their own, add to that uncontested midfield karate kick catches and that will be a snorefest. A short holiday for this should end this practice before it takes off.

Anyone complaining about Klemmer's mid air tackle needs to watch the incident again. First contact were Slater's studs to Klemmer's jaw before he was within grabbing distance of Slater. Klemmer then flails about as he falls. He probably would've tackled him in the air if Slater hadn't "protected" himself. But you can't have props running around "protecting" themselves from high tackles with cocked elbows.

 

[Frank_Grimes]

So we should introduce a scenario whereby its the duty of the player in mid air to ensure the safety of all other players?

f**king absurd.

What's f**king absurd is that there are people who think it is acceptable for Slater to fend with his boot.

What's the difference between this and leading with an elbow

Absolutely nothing of substance to the argument.

 

[hitman82]

"Defending" yourself while contesting a bomb by intentionally sticking your studs out toward incoming players is something most people naturally would not do... as it's an obviously dangerous and cowardly act. Whether against the rules or not, it's a shit thing to do.

During schoolyard league I wouldn't do this - simply because I would instinctively know if I caught someone in the eye it could blind them. Surely Slater's instincts are as sharp as a school kid's.

There should be a difference between competitive and psychopathic.

 

[The Elephant In The room]

So we should introduce a scenario whereby its the duty of the player in mid air to ensure the safety of all other players?

f**king absurd.

To some extent there already is. If Billy, sorry make that any other fullback, jumps for ball and comes back to earth leading with the point of his elbow, it IS his duty to ensure the safety of others because you should rightly be suspended for clocking aomeone with a leading elbow. I see this as being no different as there is/should be no "legal"reason for anyone to be jumping "studs up" in the vacinity of another player.

 

[The Elephant In The room]

...

 

[madunit]

You act as though people really thought the protected species would receive just punishment.

You carried on like he committed first degree murder.

 

[firechild]

You carried on like he committed first degree murder.

I think it's more a fact that despite a long and varied career of grubby acts, Slater has got away with just about everything short of murder since his elevation as one of the golden boys of rugby league. He is fiercely protected by the media and the NRL to an extent that makes most fans sick. So far, 3 games into the season Slater has committed 2 downright grubby acts and is yet to serve any suspension for either.

 

[chrisD]

You carried on like he committed first degree murder.

No I carried on like he kicked a player in the head and would receive no just penalty for it, as he hasn't since 06 when he didn't have the golden status to get away with kicking players in the head and his actions were judged on their merits.

 

[Scorpio30]

I just read the article in the Courier Mail hardcopy....It was like an satirical Onion article...Storm pulling the piss.