What JB said.

That article 15 that people keep quoting is from the[i international [/irules.
NRL rules are clear that contact with the legs of a kicker after the ball is gone is banned.

Personally I think it was just an unfortunate incident with no intent, but it wrecked the guy's knee and so obviously was dangerous. Watching live I thought play on, but on replay I'm not uncomfortable with a penalty.

What is absolutely not acceptable is the abuse and intimidation by Graham and Klemmer. Quite apart from the absolute disgrace and the damage to the game's image, that kind of bullying is specifically targeted under Australian workplace law. (I have personally sacked two people for incidences of that sort. In one case - no worse than what Graham did - the guy's union rep told me that I had no option but to dismiss him instantly.)
He is damned lucky that the refs haven't made formal complaints against him. If they had it would go through Workcover NSW and he would be unemployed.

Graham has a record of abusing refs and has become known down under for his grubby behavior rather than his tough meter-eating. Which is a pity. (Although biting Slater in a Grand Final may, just possibly, be the single stupidest action in Rugby League ever)

James Graham is banned for four weeks: tvnz.co.nz/rugby-league-news/bul ... 95?ref=rss Klemmer got three weeks.

James Graham is banned for four weeks: tvnz.co.nz/rugby-league-news/bul ... 95?ref=rss Klemmer got three weeks.

Graham dives at speed at the point he has worked out is where the ball will be kicked. That is the same place as where the leg is. He does not have any know deficiences in his perception of space or distance so when he dived he knew he would make contact with the kicker's legs. He hoped he would block the ball and that was his intention, but from where he dived, he was always going to hit the kicker's legs regardless of whether he blocked the ball. That is why it was dangerous. I think Jammer has played RL before at least a little bit, so I think he wouldn't have needed much thought to KNOW that one of the legs he hit would guaranteed by the standing leg. I understand why he did it, he did his best to throw himself at the ball but in doing so he definitely was reckless as to whether the inevitable impact on the kicker would injure him, and as attacking the kicker's legs is an offence regardless of consequence, he is in the wrong on all counts.

This.

All I need add for Graham's apologists is that Graham pleaded, er, "GUILTY" to making dangerous contact.

I can see he’s trying to charge the ball down and had no intention of taking Reynolds out. However the rules down under don’t allow that sort of contact so you have to say it was reckless. He’s obviously doing what he can to get the win, he just overstepped the mark.

The carry on with the ref afterwards is embarrassing. Sure you can be fed up and angry but the bloke isn’t going to change his mind. Don’t take it out on him because of your mistake.

Never mind that, mugwump must have been the only saints fan, sticking up for Brandon Costin, when he took out sean long's none kicking leg back in 01 or whenever it was.

But he intended to dive full blooded at the place where the kicker would be kicking the ball. The way I see it, regardless of his "intention", he must have known that dive would, 100%, result in some contact with the kicker's legs. He just accepted that as a secondary result of his intention to try to block the ball. That recklessness is why I have a problem with it. I don't think for one second he had an intention to crash into the standing leg but certainly accepted the obvious risk that he well might.

What I am saying is the impact wasn't an accident, even if the serious result sort of was. Leg impact was inevitable and the consequence a risk Graham in that moment decided to ignore.

That is why even by Graham's standards it was particularly stupid, as you'd think he of all people would KNOW that hitting the kicker's legs is an automatic pen 10m in front of the posts. Must've been banking on the inevitable impact being ignored.


indeed.

I think talk of secondary results is daft. It's a game played at speed and you act on instinct. He did not weigh it up and start a nine page thread before deciding what he was going to do.

In the end his head was turned and had no idea he was going to hit the guy. But he hit him, hence the EGP.

If thems the rules then they are the rules. In the end the act of running at the kicker would have been enough to stop the drop goal. Maybe they should suggest that diving is outlawed as really it serves no purpose when you think about it. Better to jump up to block a ball being kicked. Diving forwards gives no value as from the moment you dive you are losing angle and height. Running straight and jumping up like soccer players do for a free kick gives the best change of stopping the ball. Also keeping your eyes open and looking helps alot too.

Don't be silly, he 100% deliberately dived to try to block the kick, "instinct" don't enter into it. And whilst he turned his head away part way through, of course he knew exactly where the kicker was. To say he had "no idea" he was going to hit the kicker is just ridiculous. What - he dived full-blooded straight at the kicker but "had no idea" that this might lead to a collision? You simply can't argue that.

Well I can..

I may not be able to fly, but I can argue a point.

I watced it live on TV & have not changed my opinion, he attempted to charged down a kick & unfortunatley hurt the kicker, if the Aussies don't want thier kickers hurt then don't kick or ban the drop goal, if they penalise accidental contact with the head if your arm moves up of the ball/chest/shoulder then ban players offloading the ball in contact. Rugby league is a hard game & with big men contacting at speed accidents are going to happen deal with it. The game has just about got rid of dangerous & malicious tackles & rightly so, but we are now in danger of sanitising the game to the point where it won't be worth watching. IMO the Aussies are ruining the game with thier reffing of the game, they even repacked a scrum because the defending team hooker struck for & won the ball.
The only thing they got right was banning James for his outburst at the ref (understandable as it was).