Crushers

[simon64]

No, I'm not talking about the drinks at KFC.

I thought there would be more talk about this after last night's game. Especially after the penalty the Tigpies got right in front (which came after the forward pass but let's not go there).

I agree that intentionally coming down hard on a player's neck should be rubbed out. But there were a few penalties given last night for incidents where I saw no intent to injure a player at all.....by both sides. You can bet anything, no player will be cited.

The days where Melbourne would use it as wrestling move have gone. And we're left with penalties being blown for what are in essence just by products of a physical game. Had Wests scored last night after the crusher penalty, Toovey's head would have turned beet red.

 

[Killer03]

The big problem I see is that the refs and NRL are unable to distinguish between a defender executing a crusher and an attacker getting their head in the wrong spot. I'm not talking intent as that is very hard to prove or disprove. But you can see with that one that Lui got charged with, the player launched with his head into a dangerous area. Lui didn't take him into that position.

The other classic a few weeks ago was when a player fell into a standing Brett Stewart. Brett stood there and the player fell into his arm (Brett didn't even brace himself). On report!

 

[globaleagle]

??

Where there's a penalty.....there shall be players milking the system for it.

 

[bob dylan]

Neither tackle should have been a penalty.

 

[KOMORI]

Neither tackle should have been a penalty.

Exactly. When will these piss poor referees grow a set of balls and a brain? Nothing intentional in either tackle: fair enough the players were hurt but having seen the replay you'd think the refs would realise its unintentional and just play on.

 

[Ron E. Gibbs]

The one called against Lui - where he made a great stop on the last tackle of the set - had the potential to really screw with the result of the game. Everybody on the field, including Horsehead, seemed mystified that there was a penalty called on that play.
The way our season has gone, I was expecting the Tigers to come back and snatch the win. Was not happy with the refereeing.

 

[MAL895]

nearly ripped off buy a d******* referee

 

[Brookie Brawler]

You never see anyone come off injured after staying down and getting a penalty for one of these "crusher" tackles, let alone missing a game with a resulting injury.

That tells me these constant penalties are a joke and easy to exploit.

Penalise the Storm style actual crushers and let's just get on with the game.

 

[tookey]

If a player runs with his head down what are the defenders supposed to do? Let him run pass and then tackle him side on? FFS they idiots in charge are ruining the game

 

[sheridanstand78]

I was gob smacked by that call from video ref Hayne in he last few minutes of the game, great ball and all hit that snuffed out a potential try. Hayne bloody Hayne, that guy continues to torment us.

 

[HappilyManly]

Lawyers are lurking - so penalties will continue to protect the NRL
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...-arlc-to-millions-in-lawsuits-20150620-ghsndu

Michael Greenfield shoulder charge court case could open the ARLC to millions in lawsuits
Date
June 20, 2015 - 11:45PM

• 49 reading now

Adrian Proszenko
Chief Rugby League Reporter

Michael Greenfield is taking legal action against the Australian Rugby League Commission over a shoulder charge that prematurely ended his career in a landmark case that could have huge ramifications for Australian sport.

The case, which begins with a directions hearing in the Supreme Court next week, is sure to be closely scrutinised by the legal fraternity and could result in more action being taken against sporting bodies for negligence. The development comes just months after Fairfax Media revealed Alex McKinnon had engaged a law firm to explore his rights, with the advice indicating the former Newcastle forward has strong grounds for taking action against the NRL and Melbourne.

Greenfield played 38 first grade games during stints with the Sharks, Rabbitohs, Dragons and Storm. His career effectively ended on May 25, 2012, when, in his one and only appearance for Melbourne, he was the victim of a shoulder charge from then-Brisbane forward Ben Te'o. Greenfield, who has a history of neck injuries, was knocked senseless in the sickening collision. The front rower underwent surgery two months later to correct a bulging disc, a procedure that ended a promising career.

The ARLC banned the shoulder charge six months later after engaging Roosters CEO Brian Canavan to review the controversial tackling technique. Canavan's report found there were 71 shoulder charges that season - 12 of which resulted in the player making contact with the ball carrier's head. While shoulder charges made up only 0.05 per cent of the 142,355 tackles that season, four per cent resulted in injury to the attacking player, whose average size was four kilograms heavier and 12mm taller than a decade earlier. The report also found the average G-force of the shoulder charge - measured from accelerometer data taken from GPS tracking - was 76 per cent greater than a conventional head-on tackle (10.682 compared with 6.056).

After considering the findings, the ARLC decided to ban the shoulder charge in the interests of player safety and to prevent lawsuits. However, they didn't act quickly enough to protect Greenfield, whose case could open up the ARLC to millions of dollars in claims from other players injured prior to the crackdown.

Some of the game's biggest names - including coaches Wayne Bennett, Ricky Stuart, Jarryd Hayne and Aaron Woods - spoke out against the ban when it was announced.

The NRL's judiciary and match review committee have increased penalties for dangerous tackles, such as lifting ones and shoulder charges, in recent years to discourage the practices. However, that will be of little comfort to McKinnon and Greenfield, who could use that as evidence the governing body should have acted sooner to ensure the safety of its participants.

In the US, the NFL was accused of hiding the effects of concussion for decades and reached a $765 million settlement with more than 4500 ex-players.

The NRL is yet to unveil its promised injured player's foundation, while the players are being covered by an interim insurance policy sourced by their union.

"From a medical and player welfare side, [the shoulder charge] should definitely be outlawed," Greenfield told Fairfax Media in July, 2012.

"As a fan of rugby league, I wouldn't want to see it outlawed but as a player who has gone through this now, you wouldn't want to see your teammates go through the same thing. [A ban] would probably save a lot of blokes a lot of injuries."

Greenfield also revealed that he walked away from the game with a premiership ring, a broken neck and not much else. The former Australian Schoolboys forward made his NRL debut as a teenager and didn't plan for a fallback option when rugby league was taken away from him. He wasn't a part of the run-on side when St George Illawarra won the 2010 grand final but earned a ring nonetheless. He was never a big earner during his time at the top level and left without a trade or any qualifications.

"I'm 26 and not really qualified to do anything," Greenfield said at the time. "It's going to be hard to find someone to want to hire me.

"All I've got is footy and that's it. It's a tough one."

Former Wests Tiger forward Jarrod McCracken was awarded $97,000 in 2006 after suing the Melbourne Storm and two players he claimed cut short his career with a spear tackle. However, Greenfield's action shapes as a test case because it is the governing body being sued.

The NRL declined to comment.

 

[Clay]

Rugby League will never be the same

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

If a player runs with his head down what are the defenders supposed to do? Let him run pass and then tackle him side on? FFS they idiots in charge are ruining the game

That's an interesting one, our own Richie Fa'aoso of course suffered a broken neck using this running style. I was critical of the penalty on Lui, with my Manly eyes I only saw a great try saving tackle on a runner getting low to reach out and score.

In fairness though, why should intention have any bearing on a crusher charge?

These tackles typically occur after someone has been stopped, so there is no need for the tackler then to go on with it by applying pressure to the neck of the tackled player when he is already on the ground. Players should have an obligation to avoid that.

Frequently in 'crusher' scenarios there is more than one defender on the attacker, who is already stopped and on the ground. I have no idea if Lui performed such a tackle but I agree that once a player's momentum is stopped then any pressure on the neck should be rubbed out.

 

[sheridanstand78]

I think Lui had no where to go, the tigers player got low and he had to take him ball and all. I agree that there must be every effort from officials to eradicate from the game tackles where pressure is applied to the neck of a player. the wrestling in the game has been a blight for some time and that needs to be looked at as well.

 

[MissKate]

Every other tackle kasiano makes is a 'crusher' tackle and he never gets pulled up for them. I reckon Manly would have to be one of the teams most penalised for crusher tackles and even when we fight them at the judiciary we still get busted for them. We do nothing more than any other team we just get busted for it more

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

I reckon Manly would have to be one of the teams most penalised for crusher tackles

Probably because Crusher won a comp with Manly.

(Not that he was noted for his tackling though..)