its amazing how many players and ex players are saying what a daft decission this is ,,,,,,its part of our game

Quote Rooster Booster="Rooster Booster"No it's not. It's a league. This ban is not solely about the NRL, the NRL are only a competition in Australia. This is an ARLC directive and applies to ALL Rugby League competitions in Oz. The link I posted earlier has now changed to a longer, different story for some reason. This was the release earlier, on a different site. last para states that the ARLC has begin talks with the RFL about banning it in internationals. www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-20/s ... tion=sport'" Ah well Rooster you will have to amend your Coaching manual or go "home"

Quote Rooster Booster="Rooster Booster"No it's not. It's a league. This ban is not solely about the NRL, the NRL are only a competition in Australia. This is an ARLC directive and applies to ALL Rugby League competitions in Oz. The link I posted earlier has now changed to a longer, different story for some reason. This was the release earlier, on a different site. last para states that the ARLC has begin talks with the RFL about banning it in internationals. www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-20/s ... tion=sport'" Ah well Rooster you will have to amend your Coaching manual or go "home"

It must be a health & safety thing. I mean, who wants to run the risk of a hefty lawsuit for allowing what is basically a violent block? It must be risky which is why they would never even contemplate such a thing in that most litigious of societies, the US. I mean you never see anything like that in the NFL do you? Oh, hang on . . .

Seriously, they want to start by sorting out their terminology. The ordinary meaning of a shoulder charge is shoulder to shoulder, and it's allowed when both players are going for the ball. As it is in that soccer game. I presume what they are referring to is the shoulder hit, or shoulder tackle, but what is basically only ever referred to as a "big hit", and is something completely different from a shoulder charge. The "shoulder charge" is specifically allowed and described in the Notes to Section 5 of the laws of the game, so it looks like the ARL are discussing banning one thing when they are talking about something completely different.

The true reason is of course that they are sick to death of Sam Burgess sitting their players on their fat arrses.

Sonny Bill must be scratching his head thinking WTF I'm glad I only signed the 1 year deal.

I think that the shoulder charge will continue, I think the way RL is played it will be impossible to legislate so it can be policed consistently without it making a huge impact on the way the game is played.

I think that the shoulder charge will continue, I think the way RL is played it will be impossible to legislate so it can be policed consistently without it making a huge impact on the way the game is played.

Sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Just remove the 'on report' cop-out and force officials to consistently penalise 'big hits' that end up making contact with the head, either through recklesness, intent or poor execution, and let them get on with it; coaches and players would soon get the message and use their own prudence to judge when a shot like this is appropriate or not - and they'd get better at it so as to avoid being penalised.

It seems a huge knee-jerk reaction to something that actually only happens in a tiny percentage of the total tackles made and has caused injury in only a tiny percentage of that tiny percentage.

Does this mean that you can no longer run the ball in leading with your shoulder.

I can think of two high profile incidents when Ruben Wiki smacked Soliola and Mark O'meley flattened Bryce Gibbs.

These are exact same types of contact they have just outlawed, the only difference is if you are carrying the ball under your arm when you commit it.

Should the attacking player have a duty of care over the defender who is trying to flatten them?

What an absolute pump of a decision.

Softcock criminals.

A truly ridiculous decision. If you asked the people in the stands what they wanted to see, the big hit would be very high up that list.

It's also very, very unpopular with the NRL players, I've seen a few questioning their place in the sport if it is brought in.

A better compromise would have been to clarify that a shoulder to the head is not acceptable and would mean a 12 game ban, or whatever. Banning it altogether is just very silly.

I play both League and Union for local teams. I favour league greatly and i have got peaple from union to league. The main thing that draws them is the shoulder charge (shot).