Re: Is Rugby league becoming soft? : Sat Jun 20, 2015 2:47 pm  

Isaac Luke got two weeks, even admitted he was trying to break the blokes leg!

Re: Is Rugby league becoming soft? : Sun Jun 21, 2015 10:50 am  

Just checked the RFL disciplinary site. The offence happened in the 3rd minute! Charged with a grade F offence (8+ matches) . No outcome of hearing yet. http://www.therfl.co.uk/the-rfl/disciplinary/item?6556

Just checked the RFL disciplinary site. The offence happened in the 3rd minute! Charged with a grade F offence (8+ matches) . No outcome of hearing yet. http://www.therfl.co.uk/the-rfl/disciplinary/item?6556

Re: Is Rugby league becoming soft? : Mon Jun 22, 2015 12:20 pm  

As the BBC reports the death of another young man, this time in the Queensland Cup surely we should be looking to make the game as safe as it can reasonably be. As a man who played through the 80s and 90s I remember how virtually every team had some nutter who would happily inflict any damage that they could get away with. If the super athletes of today got up to the same tricks there would be carnage. Banning the worst kinds of behaviour is not going soft, the game is faster and as hard as it ever was but at last we are starting to show some common sense. No one should have to suffer from something that can reasonably be avoided.
My prayers go out to James Ackerman and his family.

Re: Is Rugby league becoming soft? : Mon Jun 22, 2015 12:32 pm  

Levrier wrote:

As the BBC reports the death of another young man, this time in the Queensland Cup surely we should be looking to make the game as safe as it can reasonably be. As a man who played through the 80s and 90s I remember how virtually every team had some nutter who would happily inflict any damage that they could get away with. If the super athletes of today got up to the same tricks there would be carnage. Banning the worst kinds of behaviour is not going soft, the game is faster and as hard as it ever was but at last we are starting to show some common sense. No one should have to suffer from something that can reasonably be avoided.
My prayers go out to James Ackerman and his family.

Re: Is Rugby league becoming soft? : Tue Jun 23, 2015 6:52 pm  

dr_feelgood wrote: Just checked the RFL disciplinary site. The offence happened in the 3rd minute! Charged with a grade F offence (8+ matches) . No outcome of hearing yet. http://www.therfl.co.uk/the-rfl/disciplinary/item?6556 10 matches.

dr_feelgood wrote: Just checked the RFL disciplinary site. The offence happened in the 3rd minute! Charged with a grade F offence (8+ matches) . No outcome of hearing yet. http://www.therfl.co.uk/the-rfl/disciplinary/item?6556 10 matches.

Re: Is Rugby league becoming soft? : Sun Jul 12, 2015 1:13 pm  

I think it is becoming a little bit soft. There's still some great hits and some very tough lads playing. However there's too much diving, too much feigning injury, too many players seeing their arses when a big hit comes in (some don't like being tackled hard. What's that about?!?)

I miss the shoulder charge. There was nothing wrong with the way it was. An illegal tackle was a shoulder charge to the head or a late shoulder charge - that was bang on! A fair shoulder charge was great to watch.

The thing that gets me about it is that when a player runs in with the ball he shoulder charges the defenders...so what's the difference?

Re: Is Rugby league becoming soft? : Sun Jul 12, 2015 1:19 pm  

Levrier wrote:

As the BBC reports the death of another young man, this time in the Queensland Cup surely we should be looking to make the game as safe as it can reasonably be. As a man who played through the 80s and 90s I remember how virtually every team had some nutter who would happily inflict any damage that they could get away with. If the super athletes of today got up to the same tricks there would be carnage. Banning the worst kinds of behaviour is not going soft, the game is faster and as hard as it ever was but at last we are starting to show some common sense. No one should have to suffer from something that can reasonably be avoided.
My prayers go out to James Ackerman and his family.

Purposely going out to spear tackle someone or high tackle someone in someway, or targeting joints to inflict injury, is not the same as an unfortunate incident where someone has accidentally got injured or worse has had some serious damage or died.

This is a collision sport. That's a reason for why we all love it. Like boxing or MMA. You cannot make these types of sports softer because you take away a huge reason for why fans love the sport and why the sport is so good.

For me, unfortunate things happen in collision sports and you have to live with that and just hope they don't happen, not try and stop them happening because when you try to do that you remove too much from the sport. You cannot expect serious injuries and worse not to happen in collision sports.

Of course, the bad tackles or techniques should always be punished.

Re: Is Rugby league becoming soft? : Sun Jul 12, 2015 2:43 pm  

BuckleyStreetWire wrote:

For me, unfortunate things happen in collision sports and you have to live with that and just hope they don't happen, not try and stop them happening

Of course you have to do more than hope - and yes, you do have to try to stop injuries from happening, despite the baying bloodlust of the 'bring back the biff' mob.

The game is a tough, collision sport - not a violent free-for-all - and I'm quite comfortable with the rules being adapted and rigorously enforced to keep players as safe as reasonably practicable.

Re: Is Rugby league becoming soft? : Sun Jul 12, 2015 7:59 pm  

bren2k wrote:

Of course you have to do more than hope - and yes, you do have to try to stop injuries from happening, despite the baying bloodlust of the 'bring back the biff' mob.

The game is a tough, collision sport - not a violent free-for-all - and I'm quite comfortable with the rules being adapted and rigorously enforced to keep players as safe as reasonably practicable.

Agreed with this.

I remember getting into RL because I liked the art of passing, runarounds, elusive speed, and side-steps. The exhilaration of a passing move, finding a gap, drawing in your man, etc...

Seems to me lately we have a few sadists who would rather see "shoulder charges", big hits, and what not.

At the end of the day, all tackles are to prevent a team from scoring. They're not worth losing your life or damaging your spinal chord over.

I'm not an advocate of tick and pass. And I regret how the game has developed to where every player is a 17st weight lifting behemoth, but it is what it is, and we should enact changes to safeguard players at every opportunity.

Re: Is Rugby league becoming soft? : Sun Jul 12, 2015 8:50 pm  

dr_feelgood wrote:

10 matches.

And £75