See ya Slater

[Springs09]

When the shoulder charge ban was brought in we saw silly penalties for what were essentially braces. Then when fans and players wanted it back they doubled down to stamp it out and decided any shoulder charge was worth 200 points at least. That meant that simple bumps to the chest or shoulder were now penalised harsher than contact to the head.

To me, the Slater tackle was a good rugby league play. But the NRL decided there can not be discretion with this rule and that any and all shoulder charges had to be stamped out and punished, no matter how soft or non-dangerous they were nor what the context of the tackle in the game was. They can't suddenly change their stupid rule because their golden boy will miss out on his Grand Final. But hopefully they will review the rule in the off-season and learn something about over-reactions.

 

[Chook Norris]

When the shoulder charge ban was brought in we saw silly penalties for what were essentially braces. Then when fans and players wanted it back they doubled down to stamp it out and decided any shoulder charge was worth 200 points at least. That meant that simple bumps to the chest or shoulder were now penalised harsher than contact to the head.

To me, the Slater tackle was a good rugby league play. But the NRL decided there can not be discretion with this rule and that any and all shoulder charges had to be stamped out and punished, no matter how soft or non-dangerous they were nor what the context of the tackle in the game was. They can't suddenly change their stupid rule because their golden boy will miss out on his Grand Final. But hopefully they will review the rule in the off-season and learn something about over-reactions.

Good, sensible post unlike many of the others on here.

 

[T.S Quint]

It is a stupid rule, but it is a rule nonetheless.
If Feki was charging at Slater who used his shoulder to brace himself for the impact, then there may be a point of contention...however Feki was trying to avoid any impact, going for the corner. Slater initiates the collision, which was shoulder-first, no attempt to use his arms to wrap up the ball carrier. Definite shoulder charge, and a suspension should ensue.
The argument that he was trying to stop a try being scored and should do anything and everything he can to stop it is quite frankly a stupid one. If you can’t affect a legal tackle to stop a try then bad luck, try gets scored. Same as when players were outlawed from sliding in feet first to stop tries.
Funnily enough, the Sharks showed how it should be done in the second half. Can’t remember the players involved, but a Sharks defender used his hands to push the Melbourne attacker over the sideline when he was going for the try line. Pretty much the same position on the field, but they used a legal tackle. For mine, I was surprised they didn’t give a penalty try.

I would be happy if the NRL changed the rules to allow shoulder charges again but I don’t know if there’s any way to do that without letting every shoulder charge go, even the ones deemed dangerous (not just the ones to the head, but the ones with severe impact that could lead to serious injury) and I don’t think the NRL will allow them. Can’t have some shoulder charges allowed and others not, I guess.

 

[T.S Quint]

Wow, that came out much longer than I intended. f**king rambler I am.

TL;DR:
Tackle bad. Suspend the prick!

 

[edabomb]

Should have been binned but shouldn't miss a GF.

The irony being that it was likely an NRL directive that led to him not being binned. How much do the NRL now wish he was binned so they could say "on field punishment was sufficient"?

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

It was an illegal play in the act of scoring a try - should have been 10 in the bin or a penalty try or even a possible 8 point try.

 

[Dav0c]

It was an illegal play in the act of scoring a try - should have been 10 in the bin or a penalty try or even a possible 8 point try.

How could it be an 8 point try?

 

[_Johnsy]

Shoulder charge every day of the week. 200 points for a grade 1

See ya dude. You've been a great fullback but your time is up

I will not watch the grand final if he plays

It's Billy, They'll find away to sanction him without suspension. Maybe a Cameron Smith type warning letter will do the job, he'll play. How else can they award him the Clive Churchill medal?

 

[Dav0c]

It comes down to whether or not they want to apply the black and white ruling, or the circumstantial ruling.

Black and white it's a shoulder charge, circumstantially he had no other option, let's see which route they take

Did his arms fall off?

 

[butchmcdick]

Players to miss a grand final through suspension
1969 — Arthur Beetson (Balmain)
1978 — Greg Pierce (Sharks)
1978 — Dane Sorensen (Sharks)
1981 — Steve Bowden (Newtown)
1988 — Steve Roach (Balmain)
1994 — John Lomax (Raiders)
1997 — Jim Serdaris (Sea Eagles)
1998 — Peter Ryan (Broncos)
2004 — Luke Ricketson (Roosters)
2005 — Carl Webb (Cowboys)
2008 — Cameron Smith (Storm)
2014 – Issac Luke (Rabbitohs)
...
2018 — Billy Slater (Storm)

If only we had Carl Webb in 05

He was training the house down and getting ready to rip shit up

 

[Haffa]

Accept he did use his other arm, it is clearly in play during the tackle. That will be his defence and it will get him off.

"accept" it's not.

 

[The Vaulting Violinist]

Ah no

 

[Meth]

I'd like to see him be cleared to play, if only for the drama.

 

[blaza88z]

Did his arms fall off?

I don't think he saves that try if he doesn't shoulder charge him into touch, obviously he could have used his arms but it wouldn't have been as effective, I am not trying to defend him.

He should be suspended but given the other factors surrounding it, I don't think he will be

 

[DC_fan]

We the fans should not be deprived of seeing the “Great Billy” the greatest player the game has ever seen, a man who towers above all overs on and off the field, a hero to all, a future immortal, play his last game in next weeks grand final. To suspend him, to stop him from playing in the grand final would be a travesty of the highest order. Not just for him or us the fans, but also for the history of the game. How will the 2018 grand final be remembered if they take the chance to play away from him. I say, as I suspect most true league fans will say let Slater play. Let we the fans, the ones who have made and help drive this great game have one last chance to see the greatest player to have ever lived show his phenomenal football ability.

 

[Pete Cash]

Simple question - has every player who has committed a shoulder charge since the last rule change been charged by the NRL? (Of those that were penalised on the field)

If not, why not and can those same reasons apply for Slater?

jack wighton got away with a pretty similar shoulder charge against parramatta last year. Wasnt even cited. The nrl also made it their tackle of the week on nrl.com if i recall correctly

They have in general been more lenient of fullbacks defending the try line with the old shoulder charge

 

[Frank_Grimes]

The still image in the news article below, front on with Billy putting his arm there will get him off no doubt.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/l...k/news-story/07ee9d7769de34692a6b0b1010d9dfad

I doubt he will even be charged.

This. First contact was probably with the shoulder but his arm was around Feki. He'll be cleared IMO too.

 

[Old Time Tiger]

Can't wait to do the station surfing this afternoon and hear the commentators tell us what a shame that a RL 'great' is going to miss out on playing his last game because of a tackle where there was no malice in it and no one got hurt.

Todd Greenberg talks about the integrity of the game and other such things, well Todd, using your shoulder in a tackle is not allowed, it's a rule introduced to protect the ball carrier. It's a rule that was not designed to be interpreted in such a way whereby for example, the ball carrier was not hurt, he got straight up. It is a rule. Lets see how your mob hold up that rule, for the integrity of the game.


For the integrity of the game, I might add,
i. the NRL should also look at the 'attacking' of the legs (I won't call it tackling) from behind when there are 2 defenders already holding a ball carrier up and that ball carrier is not moving forward. It is a cheap shot.

ii. the crusher tackle must have stronger punishment, the NRL want it outlawed but using G Inglis as an example, it should not matter if a player has a clean record and therefore no carry over points. If it's done, so is the player responsible for at least 1 game. Then the carry over points come into it, e.g. L Mitchell would miss 1 game automatically and then another due to carry over points. But that is only if the NRL wanted integrity and wanted to protect players.

 

[moffla]

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...r/news-story/237c4223d45f69eb1030e9473a649aa8

Two Sharks legends right here

 

[Parramatta1947]

He will get off - the NRL wont allow the poster boy to miss his final game