I'm still attempting to learn the game after playing Rugby Union for a number of years. I've been watching for a while now and players don't tackle around the legs. They seem to wrap the ball up and tackle that way which is a contrast from Rugby Union.

Is this just poor technique or what?

Wrapping the ball up stops the offload, tackling high also slows down the tackle and as such the play the ball.

If you just go for the legs, the man will go down quickly, but also get up very quickly putting your defensive line on the back foot.

Played both to a relative level. Tackling in league is far more technically advanced then union (where you just dive at the legs.)

The only way to get good at tackling in league is to use the tackle bags/ tackle columns over and over - try arching into each tackle bag (you rarely hit a player dead on) - body low and shoulder into the chest, head to hip, front foot should be between your opponents (when teaching kids you tell them to stamp on the rat between their legs) and drive upwards into your opponent (easiest way to get them off balance without using levers (which is either illegal (chicken wing tackles) or poor technique/ advanced)

I often wonder how players like James Roby can make as many tackles as they do considering the size of him compared to other forwards.

Tackling isn't just technique, it is desire and commitment as well.

he makes the tackle because he wants to.

As has been said above, tackling around the legs 1 on 1 is poor technique these days as it is about controlling the speed of the play the ball.

I played and like both codes (learning to appreciate union especially as it adapting a lot more now bar ulsters tactics against saracens). But union will soon learn that you can't just dive at players legs and hope to stop the breaking of the gain line as players like isrel falou and SBW make defences look silly by just offloading late. In an Ideal world in rugby league two players will secure the ball and stop the momentum whilst holding the player up and the 3rd tackler will come in and bring the player to ground slowing the tackle down and controlling it. If players just make a one on one tackle around the hips/legs the player will offload to a supporting player and it causes havoc with the defensive line.

In Rugby League tacklers go for the body and arms to prevent an offload.In Rugby Union the offload isn't as important due to unlimited number of tackles being allowed.

It's not so much stopping the offload that they are conceded about (although that is obviously a part of it) but more slowing down the play the ball.

In union players are allowed to join the ruck after the tackle is made, plus the defensive line doesn't have to retreat, meaning it's easier to not be caught on the back foot. In league though, if a guy just makes a one on one around the legs it means the attacker generally lands on his front and is able to get up as quickly as he wants. The defensive line then doesn't have time to get set and it leaves you exposed to runs out of dummy half.

Tacklers go high and wrestle to try to control the speed of the tackle. If you watch a good wrestling team like Leeds or Wigan, or most NRL teams, the defensive line is often able to get set before the tackle is even fully completed, because the tackle is made on the defenders terms. In the good old days when the game was slower it didn't really matter so much, but in the modern game a good hooker will crucify a side that isn't winning the floor in defense.

All the talk of 'bending your back' and such are things of yesteryear. The best/most effective technique is to square hips to the opponent, short steps and as late as possible drop your hips and drive upwards to hit under the ball.

This will give a straight back, and a good stance for leg drive, but also gives you a position to lock up the ball.

No, the tackling tecnique is poor. Despite what we see at all levels and what is taught by coaches the reason so many easy tries are scored is exactly because of the p1ss poor technique that focuses on nullifying the offload and slowing the PTB down. it's like players can't tackle anymore.

Those above saying a one on one tackle makes for an easy offload,

Effecting a proper one on one generally means the offload is extremely hard to control where the pass goes especially as the player isn't often 'held up', an effective one on one often ends up being a dominant tackle so is no quicker for the attacking team and means extra yards aren't made by not tackling around the legs which we see time and time again or grab tackles which just get brushed off by todays upper body strengthened players.

By committing 2 and 3 players (especially early in the tackle count as is common) all of a sudden you are short of numbers (12v 11 or 10) with a clear overlap and the offload which happens so often creates the spaces that result in relatively easy tries.
I understand that coaching techniques have changed over the decades but does it really, actually slow teams up, in reality no. Take time to watch what happens when a one on one happens and the defender dominates, there's always time to set the defensive line.

RL has six tackles and then a handover. RU has unlimited tackles, but you have to make sure you keep possession.

These differences mean that players run differently, they tackle differently, they support differently, they defend as a team differently, they do nearly everything differently.

If you want to know why RL and RU tackles are different, think about the rules of the game.

Spot on. There are very few dominant one on one tackles. In most the attacker is dominant, usually lands on his front, and usually gets a quick play the ball. It's nothing to do with poor tackle technique, simply that the attacker has the advantage of (usually) more power and momentum and he knows where he's going to run and what he's going to do, or might be either more powerful or more agile than the tackler.

Leeds have a policy of getting 3 into the tackle in general. Why would they do that if it doesn't control the tackle more than just one on ones?

On the other hand, if modern tackling technique is so much better, why do so many games have each side conceding 30, 40 or more points?
Watching games I see so many chest high tackles brushed off easily by players who are going forward at a fairly mediocre speed. Just watching Leeds tries v Wakefield last weekend, and they are characterised by pathetic chest and shoulder high attempts at wrestling holds by the wakey players. I wonder if someone will have the nerve to go back to more "traditional" methods?

Leeds have played 8 games this season. The most points they've conceded in a game is 14.

Wakey have won 2 of their 8 games, and regularly been on the end of hidings.

These facts have absolutely nothing to do with tackling technique and everything to with the fact that Leeds are a very good RL team and Wakey are one of the also rans.

If Wakey decided to follow the moronic "tackle round the legs" rubbish that stupid people in the crowd call out then they'd probably be getting smashed by 120 points, not just 60.

The majority of RL tackles are front on tackles done with at least two players. Most tackles are made by a set defence. The ball carriers are running hard and the tacklers are trying to hit him as hard as possible. Any team who implemented a tackle round the legs tactic in these situations would get absolutely hammered, and they'd probably be taking a couple of players to hospital because their players were getting knocked out.

Of course there are times when tackling round the leg is fine. If a player has made a line break and look like they might be scoring then a tackle round the legs is entirely appropriate. Tackling round the legs is definitely a skill a player should possess. But in RL the main tackle is the front on tackle where you attempt to cover the ball and control the speed of the PTB. Tackling round the legs is completely inappropriate in most of the situations. Of course if the defensive line have somehow managed to allow Rob Burrow to be targeted by a 6ft 4 second row and he's by himself the only way he's going to tackle the player is by taking him round the legs. But that's a failure of the defensive line in not being properly set up.