The Send off rule

[frank stokes]

Dunno, reckon that is still a send off 25 years ago

No way… if he drove upwards into the chin then maybe… he lowered the shoulder, lowered the eyes and then Walsh continued to come downwards…

It’s a send off now but not a snowflakes that he is sent for that in the 90s…. Actually, probably pre-Gallen he stays on the field….

 

[Dion Johnson]

Wonder how many weeks he'll get on the sidelines.

New South Wales and Sydney Roosters centre Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i will miss 4-5 matches with a Grade 2 Reckless High Tackle charge.

4 weeks with the early plea of guilty.

 

[Scorpio]

No way… if he drove upwards into the chin then maybe… he lowered the shoulder, lowered the eyes and then Walsh continued to come downwards…

It’s a send off now but not a snowflakes that he is sent for that in the 90s…. Actually, probably pre-Gallen he stays on the field….

For context this was the first send off in a State of Origin game...

 

[frank stokes]

For context this was the first send off in a State of Origin game...

Spot the difference 🤣🤣🤣.

 

[Pete W]

At the risk of sounding unpopular... for mine, that was no bloody send off. 10min bin at most.

Playing contact sport comes with inherent risk. There was no foul play, malice intent, etc. Reckless? Possibly - that's what penalties, the sin bin, and match review committee are for. It looked spectacular, and unfortunate for Walsh - the fact is, concussion will always be around. Despite best intentions, it can't be penalised out of the game

 

[Dion Johnson]

At the risk of sounding unpopular... for mine, that was no bloody send off. 10min bin at most.

Playing contact sport comes with inherent risk. There was no foul play, malice intent, etc. Reckless? Possibly - that's what penalties, the sin bin, and match review committee are for. It looked spectacular, and unfortunate for Walsh - the fact is, concussion will always be around. Despite best intentions, it can't be penalised out of the game

Totally agree, the MRC graded it as a 2, it was all a reflex decision in my opinion, they didn’t take time to review it…

 

[XV-1]

 

[Eagle 1]

New South Wales and Sydney Roosters centre Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i will miss 4-5 matches with a Grade 2 Reckless High Tackle charge.

4 weeks with the early plea of guilty.

Fair enough, in his defense tho, if Walsh stays in his normal standing position he would of got hit in the middle of his body. Suallii's take no prisoners style of play will have to be tempered a bit, especially in the rah rah game.

 

[Rafferty]

I can’t believe there’s so much BS about that tackle, it was a good tackle gone wrong by Walsh slipping into it, a 6’5 player lowers himself to make a good hit, a 5’ something player slips into the contact, penalty at best.

Even the NFL plays the game tougher, our game has lost the plot,

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[MW66]

Came in hot and the onus is on the tackler now days. Has been the case for 12 months. No doubt Walsh slipped a little before the tackle however the way he came in only left one outcome.

Imagine he was not sent off. What next? AND as some have said if that was on a Manly player we would be wanting blood.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Old Mate Niles, who ran into the back of a bus as a kid - was certainly more passionate and animated than I can remember during his stint with Manly - when he gave Suaalii a serve.

Thanks again Bozo.

 

[Tragic Eagle]

Since we have had the interchange rule and 4 on the bench and the evolution of the game into a six again Vlady ball fest, the send rule s a significantly imbalanced penalty, Sure the player should go but the squad should be remain 13 on the field with one less interchange bench. The reason is that people pay a lot of their hard eared to watch a contest not a contest destroyed by a early send off.. That contest last night was over in 7 minutes. That was not worth the price of admission.

 

[Once Was Brissie Kid]

I still reckon even in the 1980s that tackle would have got sent off.

But either way, by the force he decided to bring to the tackle, it was Suaalii and not the referee that made a send off a possibility. It was Suaalii's decision that risked ruining the game.

Anyway that tackle took Walsh out for the rest of the game. Whether Suaalii was sent off, binned or left out there, the game was for a lot of fans ruined by Walsh not being there.

 

[Mal Cochrane]

It's like sending a driver to jail for manslaughter for hitting someone who walled out in front of the car and gave them no chance to avoid it.

 

[Pete W]

I can’t believe there’s so much BS about that tackle, it was a good tackle gone wrong by Walsh slipping into it, a 6’5 player lowers himself to make a good hit, a 5’ something player slips into the contact, penalty at best.

Even the NFL plays the game tougher, our game has lost the plot,

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It was a great hit, perfect technique. He literally did nothing wrong.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

It looked terrible but let’s face it Walsh fell into the tackle , if he wasn’t falling it would have been applauded as the hit of the night.

I think the ref was between a rock & a hard place.

Just a pity it destroyed the game but he probably deserved to be sent off.

 

[Shoe1]

That’s the objective when your defending, smash the ball carrier, Liam Martin’s effort on Coates, lined him up and smashed him, great hit, if Walsh didn’t slip, Suaalii’s tackle would of been a great hit. Said it before ref didn’t bother with it in the run of play, because there was nothing illegal in it, accidental, unfortunate, rooted the game.

I agree up to a point, but Walsh had already passed the ball. It was late, high and reckless.

I have watched Suaalii a bit over the last year, he is pretty dirty, and tries to be a “tough guy”. He made a really dangerous situation with that tackle, even if Walsh didn’t slip it was still outrageous.

 

[Scorpio]

Spot the difference 🤣🤣🤣.

Walsh's head drops in height only as he runs/turns/pivots to pass the ball... his right foot only slips a fraction of a second before Sua'ali'i hits him. So even if he doesn't slip he was still going to get hit high and after he passed the ball. There isn't much that mitigates that IMO.

Given how hard he hit him directly in the head, it's a send off every day of the week... it put the result beyond doubt and I'm sure hitting him in the head wasn't intentional, but it was the correct decision.

 

[Eagle 1]

Walsh's head drops in height only as he runs/turns/pivots to pass the ball... his right foot only slips a fraction of a second before Sua'ali'i hits him. So even if he doesn't slip he was still going to get hit high and after he passed the ball. There isn't much that mitigates that IMO.

Given how hard he hit him directly in the head, it's a send off every day of the week... it put the result beyond doubt and I'm sure hitting him in the head wasn't intentional, but it was the correct decision.

Yeah, at first I thought Walsh slipped, but you are right Walsh pivoted. Suallii came in to hot for the spectacular tackle, but turned out to be a spectacular fail instead.

 

[mickqld]

Suaali is an idiot. Poor timing. Completely missed hitting the little c*nt legally.