Shoulder charge 'on way out'

[Slackboy72]

From http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23103804-23214,00.html and the Courier Mail.

Shoulder charge 'on way out'

By Steve Ricketts
January 25, 2008
RUGBY league's "Raging Bull" Gorden Tallis has predicted the demise of the shoulder charge in the NRL after a decision by the Queensland Juniors to ban the tactic.
The former Australia forward said league risked becoming like rugby union if the game became too sanitised in defence but he applauded junior officials for doing everything in their power to make the game safer.
"I've got kids and you want to see them protected," Tallis said.
"But the shoulder charge doesn't worry grown men. I think it would be sad to take away a tactic which has become the trademark of one of the game's superstars, Sonny Bill Williams. It all adds to the theatre of the game.
"But 12 years from now it probably will be gone from the NRL because kids will have it ingrained in them not to do it."
The shoulder charge has been banned nationally up to under-15 level for several years but the Queensland Juniors have now banned it up to under-18s.
"Players, parents and supporters need to know that what they see on TV is now punishable at our level with a penalty or dismissal from the field," said Brisbane Juniors chairman Rex Klein.

My personal opinion is that they are right to ban it. A shoulder charge is not an attempt to tackle a player but rather an attempt to focus all a defenders kinetic energy into one point in order to hurt an attacker. I'm pretty sure 99% of people here would disagree with me. I wonder how the manly supporters feel?

 

[Walt Flanigan]

Yeah I'd be in that 99%. Loved it when I was playing and love to watch it. Can't keep taking the rough stuff out of the game.

 

[innsaneink]

"But 12 years from now it probably will be gone from the NRL because kids will have it ingrained in them not to do it."

Fair enough, ban it to a set level, like 17s or so.
The above will see it become a thing of the past..... the best way to see minimal injuries in juniorleague imo is for a kid to be taught to tackle properly, if this helps then thats good.

 

[memyself&i]

yay lets turn sonny bill into a rule breaking thug!!! its not on the way out, i do agree with u when u say the reason a player performs such an act but i believe its a neccessary evil, its exciting it sells tickets, it makes money, its a keeper....

look at the changes made, namely the 10 interchange and the outlaw of grapple/crusher tackle, the reduced interchange will speed up the game IMO, sounds crazy? well think of it this way, the waya a team slows a game down is by getting as many ppl into the tackle as possible, gang tackles, if ur forwards are stuffed the gang tackles arent gunna happen, resulting in quicker play the balls etc etc same with the crusher/grapple, both slow the PTB down, in 2008 expect more PTB's to occur per average per game then any other year... this means for attacking exciting football, more fans more money...good old david gallop sure knows his buisiness...

 

[Bigfella]

I think we should atart by banning Gordon Tallis. First from commentating in any form, but also from any further breeding activity.

 

[parra pete]

Good idea to ban shoulder charge in my opinion.
Get the players back to tackling skills and eliminate the chance of someone taking a players head off with a shoulder charge gone wrong.

 

[joshreading]

The shoulder charge is one of the key defensive spectacles that sets RL apart from Union - to get rid of it at the top level would be ridiculous.

 

[Eelectrica]

Good idea to ban shoulder charge in my opinion.
Get the players back to tackling skills and eliminate the chance of someone taking a players head off with a shoulder charge gone wrong.

Agreed. It looks spectacular, but on the other hand we see many go wrong with elbows breaking jaws. Not good for anyone when that happens.

 

[steaming stormer]

there is a risk of injury in any tackle that goes wrong though - and like has been said, the shoulder charge is a great spectacle and another reason league sh*ts on union... I can understand at a junior level, but surely not at the top level in the game

 

[Magpie Nick]

I think we should atart by banning Gordon Tallis. First from commentating in any form, but also from any further breeding activity.

Why? Tallis has said he wants young kids protected from being hurt. I reckon you'd struggle to find someone who was against this. He hasn't said he wants in banned in the NRL, he's simply predicted that it won't be a feature of the NRL because players won't have been doing it in the Juniors.

 

[STSAE]

I think we should atart by banning Gordon Tallis. First from commentating in any form, but also from any further breeding activity.

GOLD.

:lol: :lol:

 

[STSAE]

Agreed. It looks spectacular, but on the other hand we see many go wrong with elbows breaking jaws. Not good for anyone when that happens.

How many elbows breaking jaws???:crazy:

I honestly cant think of any.

:lol: :lol:

 

[Perth Red]

Whatever next? Geez our game is becoming soft!

 

[Desert Qlder]

Rugby League is a tough game. I'm more than happy for it to be unpopular amongst the politically correct for being so.

A move however to ban it at these ages is not a bad idea, at NRL level however, forget it.

 

[OVP]

Whatever next? Geez our game is becoming soft!

This is why so many people HATE Rupert and Lachlan/ Frogface Murdoch.

But their decisions over the years leads one to believe they LOATHE this great game. Surely its just not me. Why else would they employ a muckraker like Wilson ?

Mind you, the only people stupid enough to swallow the News Bollocks is simply News themselves.... I wish !!

 

[gong_eagle]

How many elbows breaking jaws???:crazy:

I honestly cant think of any.

:lol: :lol:

hoppa for 1 ,

 

[Frederick]

hoppa for 1 ,

Clint Newton on Ashton Sims back in 04. Didn't exactly break his jaw but caused enough damage

 

[Slackboy72]

I was wondering how people felt about crocker hitting Stewart in the head in the GF?
I thought he should have been sent off but I'm a bit biased against crocker. I still think he should have been penalised.

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

sonny bill would be f**ked the he'd have to go and learn how to tackle

 

[Bulldogs_4_Life]

What kind of pussy won't take a hit or give one out? HTFU NRL..

I can only think of two incidents in the last few years of people being hurt from a big hit/shoulder charge.. Marcus Bai, after SBW smashed him in WCC and when he got to his feet, he couldn't walk and stumbled down. And Michael Weyman when the fat prick tried to smash Lima and got smashed him self.

This has really given me the sh*ts.. To try and ban something that is close to the pinnacle of entertainment during a game is ridiculous.