Parra tackle triggers safety alert

[Gronk]

Parra tackle triggers safety alert

Daniel Lane

March 20, 2011

Swarm reception ... Penrith lock Luke Lewis wades into a pack of Parramatta players during his team's win at Parramatta Stadium on Friday night. Photo: Getty Images

A TACKLE in Friday night's Parramatta-Penrith match could be scrutinised to determine if it should join the grapple and the crusher on the list of banned techniques.
The tackle, which is legal, involves a third defender zeroing in on the ball carrier when he is effectively held up as a means to combat the referee's dominant tackle call.
It is being described as a player safety issue.


It is understood a couple of tackles Parramatta made in their shock loss to Penrith will be examined.
Contacted by The Sun-Herald yesterday, referees boss Bill Harrigan admitted the tackle concerned him because it could expose a ball carrier to injury.
Harrigan confirmed the tackle had been flagged as a potential safety issue when he and fellow referees coach Stuart Raper saw it being practised by a NRL team - which he refused to name publicly - in pre-season training.
''We're aware of a tackling style where players are holding the ball carrier up and a third or fourth player is coming in,'' Harrigan said.
''We made mention of it after we went to a couple of training sessions and saw the team [in question] practise it.
''Although there was nothing illegal about it under the rules, I still brought it to the attention of [NRL director of football operations] Nathan McGuirk as something we needed to monitor because we have to make sure no tackling style jeopardised any player's safety.
''We also let the club know at the time what we thought.
''The right channels [in the NRL] are aware of it and we'll ask the match review committee after they view it if they share our views.''
Parramatta chief executive Paul Osborne was adamant his team had done nothing wrong in Friday night's match.
''If the referees think there's an issue with any tackle then it's up to them to look at it,'' he said.
Harrigan said there had been numerous cases where the NRL hierarchy had quickly ruled tackles illegal because they compromised player well-being. ''Any tackling style that puts a player's safety in jeopardy will be banned,'' Harrigan said.
It was expected the clubs would argue the third player who came in late was merely trying to stop the ball carrier's momentum.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...kle-triggers-safety-alert-20110319-1c1c5.html

 

[strider]

the amount of times i've seen a 3rd/4th player in to hammer one of our guys when he's already held but still on his feet over the years ... and we get scrutinised?

tbh i don't get the article "... involves a third defender zeroing in on the ball carrier when he is effectively held up as a means to combat the referee's dominant tackle call." ... why would a defender be combatting the dominant tackle call? Defenders want a dominant tackle call :?

 

[Twizzle]

why us when everyone else does it

 

[eelz47]

tbh i don't get the article "... involves a third defender zeroing in on the ball carrier when he is effectively held up as a means to combat the referee's dominant tackle call." ... why would a defender be combatting the dominant tackle call? Defenders want a dominant tackle call :?

the dominant tackle defination has changed this year. not sure what to though

 

[Tony Bongo]

I don't think I saw one single hit up by Fui Fui all night that didn't see him hit by 3 or 4 defenders and many times the 3rd or 4th guy was late. What are they going to do ? Make it a limit of 2 players per tackle ? :crazy:

 

[NorthShoreEel]

Touch Footy - here we come!

 

[True EEL]

now this is simply insanity.......
this happens in EVERY game, and EVERY team does it
to single out Parra or ANY team for that matter is sheer stupidity and prejuidcie

what a beat up, what a joke.....

 

[born an eel]

if only parra could have got 3 or more players into our tackles and showed some dominance it would have been good.

Unfortunately they are only looking into a couple of tackles, as that is the only time we showed any sort of dominance.

Bill should be looking at why his "boys" didn't enforce the rules that are already part of the game not trying to invent new ones.

 

[murraymob]

if the ref calls tackle earlier the problem is solved.There is no doubt it is a bad tackle a player is fully exposed when hit

 

[True EEL]

sad thing is, by somehow blindly only targeting us, this type of mud sticks
watch the number of penalties against us next game
this is insanity

 

[tresurehunt]

why us when everyone else does it

because SK is our coach , and coming from Melbourne we will be scrutinized for our tackling technique .

so what do we do ,only have 2 in a tackle now, please. :crazy:

 

[True EEL]

if the ref calls tackle earlier the problem is solved.There is no doubt it is a bad tackle a player is fully exposed when hit

i tend to agree with this
if they are actually trying to pinpoint something from Parramatta, it was because the tackle went on too long and we didn't dominate the tackle, so someone came in to finish it......therefore, it actually comes back to the refs not calling an end to the tackle!!!

 

[True EEL]

because SK is our coach , and coming from Melbourne we will be scrutinized for our tackling technique .

so what do we do ,only have 2 in a tackle now, please. :crazy:

exactly....the connection with Melbourne and SK is the root of all this nonsense

 

[Glenn]

As long as they are consistant across the board, then ok if they want to go down that path.
If it is Parramatta just being singled out then......

 

[eels81236]

I think you will find it was Shack. I remember thinking at the time it looked a little ordinary.

 

[strider]

I think you will find it was Shack. I remember thinking at the time it looked a little ordinary.

but its no different to any other team ... i'm baffled why we are pinged as the ones who are doing it when its been going on for years and every team does it

 

[mrpwnd]

Oh is the NRL merging with AFL now?
More pansies in the sport?

 

[eels81236]

Probably because Harrigan is new in his role and is trying to stamp his authority. He has forever been outspoken with his views on the rules and the way the game has been played. It will only come to a head now that Hollywood has gotten himself in the spotlight.
Parra are just the unlucky buggers caught first this season where the cameras picked up on the perfect angle to support his cause. Having said that, whether everyone else does it or not is irrelevant. If it is dodgy then it is dodgy.

 

[strider]

i reckon the warriors did it to us several times last week - its part of what u expect playing the warriors, some big bugger is going to slam you in the ribs/back/legs when u r prone a few times a game - if u stand in the tackle someone will come in and try and finish u off - i'm sure hindy, who is renown for standing in the tackle, has copped it plenty over the years

 

[eels81236]

No doubt, but whether we like it or not, it is 2011 and the game has a duty of care to look after the players and would be negligent in it's duties if it didn't.