Kyle O'Donnell

[perverse]

I would make it very simple, if you shoulder charge and make contact with the head (with any body part), it is foul play regardless of intention. Do it at your own risk.

 

[Lynoman]

Why is that someone slipping into a high shot is still a penalty but this isn't?

 

[Johns Magic]

Front on shoulder charges eg SBW on Flannery, SBW on Clinton, Tahu on Norrie etc should not be banned. Much less risk as both players are able to see, aim and brace all parts of their bodies. Still a risk but much less IMO. It's fair game.

Shoulder charges where the defender turns their hip and shoulder in towards the runner resulting in a 'blind' attack aimed very close to the runners head shoudl be banned. eg burgess on KOD, Kidwell on Mason.

Yeah it is those blindside ones that are the real problem. Front-on not so much, but then it gets hard to rule on.

Regardless, I'd rather see front-on tackles where the tackler lifts the bloke up and puts him on his arse than the shoulder charge. I think those types of tackles should be encouraged, and shoulder charges are the easy way out to mask a poor tackling technique.

Jack Wighton from the Raiders is a beautiful tackler. He destroys people much bigger than him by using good technique, timing and commitment.

 

[Newie is God's Country]

Shoulder charges should be outlawed. Agreed. I called it a ripper tackle by Burgess cos he somehow got it right. Nothing more. I hated seeing Kyle like that. It makes u ill. It is absolutely going to paralyse someone sooner rather than later. Burgess is a monster.

 

[Nuffy]

Any tackle that hit the head of a ball runner should be foul play, why is a head clash allowed but a shoulder, arm etc isn't.

The minute a bloke gets hit in the head, irrespective of how, should be a penalty.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

How can you penalise for an accidental head clash? If You have 2 110kg forwards, same height running at eachother, the force of the impact flings both heads into eachother. Who do you deem at fault here? You could very well penalise the team with the ball for making high contact with the tackler, as the fault would lie just as much with the ball carrier as it would with the tackler.

Head clashes are just unfortunate accidents where no one is at fault. Any other high tackle then definitely the tackler is at fault. But a head clash.. No..

 

[Nuffy]

We penalise defenders who hit an attackers head, when the attacker slips into the tackle, it's just unlucky for the defender. You could argue that the defender isn't at fault either as they are braced for the tackle and the attacker alters his posture, deliberately or otherwise. The onus rests with the defender in that case.

Shoulder charges greatly enhance the potential for a head clash. Allowing them to continue is asking for the situation to be abused at some point.

Why can a defender attack the head of an attacker legitimately? This is what's allowed today.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

We penalise defenders who hit an attackers head, when the attacker slips into the tackle, it's just unlucky for the defender. You could argue that the defender isn't at fault either as they are braced for the tackle and the attacker alters his posture, deliberately or otherwise. The onus rests with the defender in that case.

Shoulder charges greatly enhance the potential for a head clash. Allowing them to continue is asking for the situation to be abused at some point.

Why can a defender attack the head of an attacker legitimately? This is what's allowed today.

Neither person in a head clash can help the fact unless a player deliberately spears in with the head.
Shoulder charges dont relate to what I am saying. Sure ban the shoulder charge, whatever.

There is still an opportunity to not hit the head when a player slips, but sometimes it is just too hard to pull out because players act instinctively.

If we started to penalise every head clash then i'd rather go watch soccer.

 

[Big Tim]

Shoulder charges should be outlawed. Agreed. I called it a ripper tackle by Burgess cos he somehow got it right. Nothing more. I hated seeing Kyle like that. It makes u ill. It is absolutely going to paralyse someone sooner rather than later. Burgess is a monster.

KOD disagrees with this statement.

If "got it right" is concussing a bloke, then the NRL is in alot of trouble.

Got it right would have been a great hit, that knocked the ball free, and allowed the attacker to get up and resume playing. Possibly in discomfort from being belted by a legitimate tackle, but not concussed the moment contact is made, and laying on the ground motionless.

I admit, it was an amazing collision, and it surely got the Souff$ fans hollering, but I cant see how the head clash was "accidental".

 

[Joker's Wild]

KOD disagrees with this statement.

If "got it right" is concussing a bloke, then the NRL is in alot of trouble.

Got it right would have been a great hit, that knocked the ball free, and allowed the attacker to get up and resume playing. Possibly in discomfort from being belted by a legitimate tackle, but not concussed the moment contact is made, and laying on the ground motionless.

I admit, it was an amazing collision, and it surely got the Souff$ fans hollering, but I cant see how the head clash was "accidental".

Are you suggesting that Burgess deliberately hit KOD in the head with his face?

 

[Big Tim]

Are you suggesting that Burgess deliberately hit KOD in the head with his face?

In the context of did he deliberately aim his head at KOD's? No.

In the context of did he fly in with a shoulder charge type tackle where he can not control where his body strikes an opposition player? Yes.

My point is he had no control over his or KOD's head after that type of collision. In our game, the onus is on the defender to not make contact with the head. If you lead with a shoulder, and strike the head in any way, you should be penalised and not let off for it being "accidental" or "incidental" contact.

In this example, KOD didnt slip, fall or duck. he shouldnt have to be concerned with a player flying in from his blindside and making contact with his head, whether deliberate or not.

Like I said, its a dangerous precedent.

 

[Frederick]

That's the spirit Kyle!

 

[perverse]

Haha, good stuff. He has had undeniable promise since getting here. I'm really hoping he kicks on from here, it would start to solve a lot of our problems. It's hardly unusual for a forward to take until 21 or 22 to be first grade ready. I hope giving him a crack now shows that Wayne hasn't given up on him.

If we can get he and Sims ready for decent first grade minutes by next year, our pack gets a whole new look about it, and some more youthful enthusiasm. Get Willie leading them (and shit, throw in Lewis for good measure, heh) and our pack problems go away.

 

[Frederick]

I hope he cements a bench spot and is in the team for round 26!

 

[Yosh]

I thought he hadn't been playing all that well in the lower grades? That's the impression i got from the forums.

He looked aggressive and enthusiastic is probably the buggest things we lack in our pack, oh and size as well.

What about that Vai Vai guy? The more i see Tets, the more i think he'll be a damaging wide running backrower.

 

[Johns Magic]

The more i see Tets, the more i think he'll be a damaging wide running backrower.

I am finding the complete opposite.

 

[Silent Knight]

Perhaps it's just a case of a young bloke receiving an opportunity to play FG and he just rises to the occasion and the rest as they say is history? That was certainly the case with young guns like Tariq Sims and DCE. Throw em' in the deep end and see if they swim.

 

[perverse]

I thought he hadn't been playing all that well in the lower grades? That's the impression i got from the forums.

He looked aggressive and enthusiastic is probably the buggest things we lack in our pack, oh and size as well.

What about that Vai Vai guy? The more i see Tets, the more i think he'll be a damaging wide running backrower.

I wouldn't say he's been playing poorly Yosh, more that he has some outstanding flaws in his game. It seems like the move to prop has served him well, which is funny for a bloke that was a centre a few years back. It's pretty clear that he is physically well equipped for first grade, but that is something we've known since we got him here. The jury is still out, but his attitude in his brief stint gives me renewed hope. He was an absolute monster in NYC.

 

[Joker's Wild]

What about that Vai Vai guy? The more i see Tets, the more i think he'll be a damaging wide running backrower.

Really? Tets runs straight and hard but rarely shows any foot work or ball playing

Perfect prop imo, not a back rower

 

[perverse]

Perhaps it's just a case of a young bloke receiving an opportunity to play FG and he just rises to the occasion and the rest as they say is history? That was certainly the case with young guns like Tariq Sims and DCE. Throw em' in the deep end and see if they swim.

RABK has been suggesting this could be the case with KOD for a while now. I hope it rings true.