Matabele
Journey Man
Am I blind? They say Crocker's chest (not shoulder) connected with Stewart????????
MICHAEL Crocker was just millimetres away from a lengthy suspension for his tackle on Brett Stewart as the Manly fullback fielded a towering Greg Inglis torpedo bomb in last Sunday's grand final, and any player whose shoulder connects with an opponent's head in similar circumstances during the coming Test in Wellington faces sanctions.
The warning comes as players in the Australian and New Zealand teams prepare for the tactic to be employed in the October 14 Test at Westpac Stadium, a venue renowned for its swirling winds. Crocker's sensational 44th-minute hit prematurely ended Stewart's grand final and helped Melbourne to premiership glory.
With Kiwis five-eighth Ben Roberts suggesting in yesterday's Herald that Stewart could expect to have his nerves tested by some similar high kicks, Storm and Kangaroos captain Cameron Smith admitted the ploy was "a pretty good weapon" and predicted New Zealand fullback Krisnan Inu would be wary if Inglis came in off the wing to hoist a bomb for him to catch.
Australian lock Paul Gallen, a renowned enforcer, said he would be leading the chase if Inglis put up such a kick for Inu. The Kangaroos also have Crocker in their line-up.
"We might as well use it if it's there," Smith said. "It's a pretty good weapon and it's worked for us in the last few games we've played. We might have to get Greggy in from the wing if we're about 30 metres out, like we were the other night, and get him to put one up. If he [Inu] was watching the other night, he might just let it bounce."
Gallen, one of eight debutants in the Australia side, said he was anticipating a fiery Test and revealed that he and Cronulla teammate Luke Covell - selected for the Kiwis - had sent each other congratulatory text messages before vowing not to talk to each other until after the match.
"Cov is pretty rock solid under a high ball so we'd probably be better off aiming them at someone else, but they are unbelievable, those big torpedo bombs," ," Gallen said. "It gives chasers plenty of time to get through and put pressure on the catcher, so we I think we'll have to get Greg in to put a few up."
But it is a fine line and the NRL's match review committee only cleared Crocker of any wrongdoing after finding that his chest made contact with Stewart's head - and not the Storm second-rower's shoulder.
Regardless of debate about whether players should be able to shoulder charge an opponent fielding a kick, the cause of Stewart's concussion was a head clash with Melbourne fullback Billy Slater, who was also involved in the tackle.
If Stewart had been in the air at the time of impact, Crocker would also have found himself in trouble.
Inglis said he had been toying with torpedo bombs since he was a kid growing up in Macksville on the NSW mid-north coast, and used it for the first time at NRL level in a finals match against the Cowboys during the 2005 season.
But it wasn't until Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy witnessed him launch one at training just before this year's play-offs that the tactic became part of the Storm's kicking arsenal.
"It had a few rotations on it but anyone can do it, it's not that hard," Inglis said. "I've been mucking around doing it in training for a while. Then Bellyache [Bellamy] pulled me aside and said, 'Hey, do you want to do it in a game?'. I said, 'Yeah, I'll give it ago'. It was the last game of the year."
Meanwhile, the Rugby League International Federation yesterday cleared Parramatta's Fuifui Moimoi and Wests Tigers' Taniela Tuiaki to play for NZ.
But they are now ineligible to represent Tonga in next year's World Cup, which will officially kick off with the opening ceremony at Sydney Football Stadium before Australia play New Zealand on October 26.
The RLIF also accepted a request that Nigel Vagana, Tony Puletua and Iafeta Paleaaesina be allowed to play for Samoa.
And Paul Simpkins yesterday became the second leading NRL referee after Steve Clark to announce his retirement. Simpkins, who will return to the NSW Police Force, was the fourth-most capped referee in the game's history. He controlled 284 first-grade matches, five State of Origins, four Tests and the 2006 grand final.
MICHAEL Crocker was just millimetres away from a lengthy suspension for his tackle on Brett Stewart as the Manly fullback fielded a towering Greg Inglis torpedo bomb in last Sunday's grand final, and any player whose shoulder connects with an opponent's head in similar circumstances during the coming Test in Wellington faces sanctions.
The warning comes as players in the Australian and New Zealand teams prepare for the tactic to be employed in the October 14 Test at Westpac Stadium, a venue renowned for its swirling winds. Crocker's sensational 44th-minute hit prematurely ended Stewart's grand final and helped Melbourne to premiership glory.
With Kiwis five-eighth Ben Roberts suggesting in yesterday's Herald that Stewart could expect to have his nerves tested by some similar high kicks, Storm and Kangaroos captain Cameron Smith admitted the ploy was "a pretty good weapon" and predicted New Zealand fullback Krisnan Inu would be wary if Inglis came in off the wing to hoist a bomb for him to catch.
Australian lock Paul Gallen, a renowned enforcer, said he would be leading the chase if Inglis put up such a kick for Inu. The Kangaroos also have Crocker in their line-up.
"We might as well use it if it's there," Smith said. "It's a pretty good weapon and it's worked for us in the last few games we've played. We might have to get Greggy in from the wing if we're about 30 metres out, like we were the other night, and get him to put one up. If he [Inu] was watching the other night, he might just let it bounce."
Gallen, one of eight debutants in the Australia side, said he was anticipating a fiery Test and revealed that he and Cronulla teammate Luke Covell - selected for the Kiwis - had sent each other congratulatory text messages before vowing not to talk to each other until after the match.
"Cov is pretty rock solid under a high ball so we'd probably be better off aiming them at someone else, but they are unbelievable, those big torpedo bombs," ," Gallen said. "It gives chasers plenty of time to get through and put pressure on the catcher, so we I think we'll have to get Greg in to put a few up."
But it is a fine line and the NRL's match review committee only cleared Crocker of any wrongdoing after finding that his chest made contact with Stewart's head - and not the Storm second-rower's shoulder.
Regardless of debate about whether players should be able to shoulder charge an opponent fielding a kick, the cause of Stewart's concussion was a head clash with Melbourne fullback Billy Slater, who was also involved in the tackle.
If Stewart had been in the air at the time of impact, Crocker would also have found himself in trouble.
Inglis said he had been toying with torpedo bombs since he was a kid growing up in Macksville on the NSW mid-north coast, and used it for the first time at NRL level in a finals match against the Cowboys during the 2005 season.
But it wasn't until Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy witnessed him launch one at training just before this year's play-offs that the tactic became part of the Storm's kicking arsenal.
"It had a few rotations on it but anyone can do it, it's not that hard," Inglis said. "I've been mucking around doing it in training for a while. Then Bellyache [Bellamy] pulled me aside and said, 'Hey, do you want to do it in a game?'. I said, 'Yeah, I'll give it ago'. It was the last game of the year."
Meanwhile, the Rugby League International Federation yesterday cleared Parramatta's Fuifui Moimoi and Wests Tigers' Taniela Tuiaki to play for NZ.
But they are now ineligible to represent Tonga in next year's World Cup, which will officially kick off with the opening ceremony at Sydney Football Stadium before Australia play New Zealand on October 26.
The RLIF also accepted a request that Nigel Vagana, Tony Puletua and Iafeta Paleaaesina be allowed to play for Samoa.
And Paul Simpkins yesterday became the second leading NRL referee after Steve Clark to announce his retirement. Simpkins, who will return to the NSW Police Force, was the fourth-most capped referee in the game's history. He controlled 284 first-grade matches, five State of Origins, four Tests and the 2006 grand final.
