Alex McKinnon

[COMMANDER]

Poor bugger. There's been a number of these types of injuries in recent years including in our own ranks with the forced retirement of Richie F and Wolfman's injury a few years back.

Terrible news for the young bloke and for RL.

 

[wedgetail eagle]

All 3 tacklers should get a minimum 6 weeks each.

Agree. Very callous of Smith to bring up something as trivial as being put on report, when McKinnon is being carried off with a severe neck injury.
I know Smith wasn't aware of the severity of it but it was obvious it wasn't good. Poor form indeed.

 

[Chip and Chase]

Tragic result for young McKinnon. The likely fallout from this is the eventual banning of any lifting tackle at all. Once your reach in between the legs and lift you surrender control of the outcome in a gang tackle. It's too easy for loss of balance to occur and by removing the opponents contact with the ground you significantly reduce their ability to protect themselves. The NRL talk duty of care with shoulder charges....these type of tackles are far worse.

 

[Eagles2nv]

Yeah that is unfortunate news. I wish him all the very best in his recovery.

It sad to see a player cop such a severe injury, makes us all realise how dangerous of a sport NRL is.

 

[wombatgc]

All 3 tacklers should get a minimum 6 weeks each.

Agree. Very callous of Smith to bring up something as trivial as being put on report, when McKinnon is being carried off with a severe neck injury.
I know Smith wasn't aware of the severity of it but it was obvious it wasn't good. Poor form indeed.

I'm filthy on Smith. He didn't just winge about being put on report but alleges Mc Kinnon contributed to his injury. It's one thing to soften up the refs for your player at fault with some crap, but to go on with it while the player is being strapped down FFS is disgusting.

 

[torana355]

I watched the game live and it was sickening to watch the countless replays, but what really pissed my off was Cam Smith arguing the point with the refs while the poor guys was laying motionless on the ground, then for the commentators on fox to defend his actions..

I hope he has a full recovery and my best wises go out to his family and friends.

 

[eagles2win]

Hope Newcastle does something like this -
Next home game they play in Alex's junior club jersey and also instead of keeping the profit from the game let the Mckinnon's take the gate.
Also have people walk around with buckets for donations

Side note I'm thinking the next time the Storm play the Knights might be a little bit interesting especially when Alex's teammates hear the audio of what Captain Fantastic said.

 

[Ralphie]

All 3 tacklers should get a minimum 6 weeks each.

Agree. Very callous of Smith to bring up something as trivial as being put on report, when McKinnon is being carried off with a severe neck injury.
I know Smith wasn't aware of the severity of it but it was obvious it wasn't good. Poor form indeed.

I'm filthy on Smith. He didn't just winge about being put on report but alleges Mc Kinnon contributed to his injury. It's one thing to soften up the refs for your player at fault with some crap, but to go on with it while the player is being strapped down FFS is disgusting.

Smith is a grub of the highest ordered so I was completely unsurprised. I know all teams have had tackles of this type from time to time, but I have been expecting something serious to happen involving the scum. To be honest I thought it would have been a crusher or grapple or chicken wing or rolling pin or cannonball or some other illegal tackle that they have invented.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

There are many incidents each year which could result in serious injury (but don't, thankfully), and I didn't see anything specifically Storm-like about this one. Don't forget we've had players done for lifting, even Jamie Lyon was suspended once from memory.
It can happen in the game, it is dangerous, which is why it is outlawed.

Smith's comments have naturally attracted criticism, and it's easy to see why, but in his defence he was probably just trying to make his own player feel a bit better. If he knew McKinnon would be in a coma right now I'm sure he wouldn't have said anything at all.

 

[manlyfan76]

Tragic result for young McKinnon. The likely fallout from this is the eventual banning of any lifting tackle at all. Once your reach in between the legs and lift you surrender control of the outcome in a gang tackle. It's too easy for loss of balance to occur and by removing the opponents contact with the ground you significantly reduce their ability to protect themselves. The NRL talk duty of care with shoulder charges....these type of tackles are far worse.

Or the refs could just call held.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

The likely fallout from this is the eventual banning of any lifting tackle at all. Once your reach in between the legs and lift you surrender control of the outcome in a gang tackle

We haven't always had gang tackles. I watched a 1997 match on fox yesterday and was struck by the large number of one-on-one tackles by both teams. There were also plenty where a second player was involved, but only a couple had more than that. Still potential for spearing of course, but less danger of being accidentally crushed under a mountain of defenders, which may have played a part in McKinnon's injury?

 

[Ralphie]

There are many incidents each year which could result in serious injury (but don't, thankfully), and I didn't see anything specifically Storm-like about this one. Don't forget we've had players done for lifting, even Jamie Lyon was suspended once from memory.
It can happen in the game, it is dangerous, which is why it is outlawed.

Smith's comments have naturally attracted criticism, and it's easy to see why, but in his defence he was probably just trying to make his own player feel a bit better. If he knew McKinnon would be in a coma right now I'm sure he wouldn't have said anything at all.

So once again captain scum shows an utterly disgraceful lack of judgement, just like he did when he led the Qld song after a Test etc etc. He is an embarrassment to the NRL and yet he is the darling of the media.

 

[bones]

If the NRL rewarded low tackles with more time to get off the player, rather than 'dominant' higher tackles, this would have been avoided.

 

[wedgetail eagle]

I know it's a different world, with different tactics now but at school, in the Stone-Age we were taught to tackle low,
& how much do we go on about Scott Sattler's '03 tackle on Todd Byrne.
The punters love that stuff.

 

[swoop]

If the NRL rewarded low tackles with more time to get off the player, rather than 'dominant' higher tackles, this would have been avoided.

This^^^

If a player makes a low tackle then the defending team should be allowed to get one of their players in at marker.

When there is 2 or 3 players making a tackle there should also be an immediate call of held as soon as both feet are lifted off the ground and the offender penalised.

 

[Shoe1]

Smith laughed publicly at Brett's 2007 GF concussion, at a Melbourne celebratory function. Smith knowingly signed multiple secret contracts. He was more concerned with arguing, than McKinnon.

He is a dirty player and corrupt.

 

[Daddycool08]

I have no doubt the tackle was accidental.

However, I do believe in muscle-memory.

Just watch how Melbourne continue to tackle.

The NRL need to watch the way Melbourne tackles.

There is a continual rolling over on the back by every Melbourne tackler. There are always 3 or 4 in the tackle and they wrestle and always work the tackled player over.

The NRL needs to suspend the three tacklers for 6 weeks to make a statement in the hope of reducing the likelihood of this injury happening again.

All the best young fellow and I hope you have a full recovery and I also hope there are no more "accidents" like yours in the future. God bless and all the best Alex McKinnon.

 

[Snake]

I agree that low tackles should rewarded; a player can be held around the legs for the same amount of time as it takes for tacklers to "peel off" what is now a traditional rugby league tackle.

Accidents may still happen, but it's about minimising the risk.

 

[EagleFromMay1967]

I agree that low tackles should rewarded; a player can be held around the legs for the same amount of time as it takes for tacklers to "peel off" what is now a traditional rugby league tackle.

Accidents may still happen, but it's about minimising the risk.

Tackles that are made low around the legs by one tackler alone should be rewarded by ADVANCING THE TACKLE COUNT BY 2 TACKLES NOT 1. :idea:

The re-emergence of 1 player tackles , and coaching for them, would attract many people back to the game !

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

2HD news reporting he is a quadriplegic. Shattering if this is true.