Sounds a drastic change to the rules of the game. Seems to me just using the current NRL guidelines would do the job.

As I've said many times before - the ruck is a mess; the lunatics have taken over the asylum and the wardens appear unable, or unwilling, to take back control. As a result, the game has become slow, frustrating and unpleasant to watch. I imagine it's not much fun to play either, when you're the victim of a gang tackle where two blokes hook their arms under yours to hold you up, and one or more come barrelling in to smash your knees and ankles in all sorts of unnatural directions.

This is a simple matter of playing within the spirit, not just the rules, of the game; the former Wigan coach introduced a style of play to SL that was designed to injure opposition players - particularly in the tackle; Shaun Wane has carried on that approach, and it's spread to other clubs because it hasn't been dealt with - it's an unchecked arms race at present and will end in disaster - at least a personal disaster for one or more players.

For my money, the RFL needs to hold an urgent summit and get right across this, so that coaches, players and fans can be made fully aware of what is, and isn't, acceptable in terms of contact; if that means a spate of sin-binnings for a few weeks after they press go - tough - that's the coaches and players fault.

I think we should ban tackling all together, that's the only way we'll completely eliminate the chance of players getting injured.

Well, they changed the rule slightly, after ratchford was took out in the grandfinal '13, but they've never really enforced it unless someone has been ridiculously blatant(like rangi was). It really does seem like they're waiting and leaving it until their hand is forced.

This crap about its ok as long as its from behind because the knees bend that way, its excusing foul play, seeing someone collapse backwards with two or three players on top of them, unable to break their own fall and with someone underneath them is just as unpleasant and painful to watch as someone coming in third man putting the shoulder to the knee join from the side, or snapping the pole as i believe it's known around Orrell way.

It's a house tactic no matter what. And it wants eradicating from the game.

Spot on

I don't see anyone calling for the complete elimination of any chance of injury; injuries are part and parcel of a fast contact sport and RL players accept and deal with that, as do many other sportsmen and women.

What I'm advocating is that the governing body deal with the grubby, thugby league mentality that has spread outwards from Wigan and been allowed to infect the sport. The ruck is a total free for all and attacking players are not being safeguarded by the officials; it's a matter of time before there's a catastrophic injury as a result of gang-tackling, and that will have been entirely preventable.

If the RFL need a reminder as to why they should deal with it, they need only look at Alex McKinnon. It's clear that so long as they are allowed, certain coaches will continue to instil a house, win at all costs mentality in their players - so stop allowing them, and balls to the ensuing whining and moaning when people are penalised; even Shaun Wane can work out that if those tactics are not creating an advantage, it's time to change them.

OTT hysteria for me. The game is infinitley cleaner than it was. I doubt even Wane tells his players to literally 'go out & break his f-cking jaw', which I heard many times as a player. There are occasional bad tackles, as you say spread from Wigan. But these are picked up by the review panel.

But it's not though. Wigan, under Maguire and since HAVE been coaching players to attack the legs of players held in the tackle. There have been mass brawls in Wigan academy games over it, where the opposition has taken exception to it and kicked off. 'Snapping the pole', 'car crash', the speech Wane did on Sky that ultimately showed why Wigan lost the plot last season.

This isn't a purely Wigan issue, it's a tactic other clubs have been desperate enough to join in with. However you word the ruling, it's a very simple rule change that would have little to no impact on the game, but would enhance the safety of players.

I'm surprised you've managed to infer hysteria from anything I've said - I'm not generally a hysterical person.

Injury to players is one part of this - I also take exception to the ugly spectacle the game has become since the introduction of the 'hunt in packs' gang tackle, and the strategy of holding the tackled player up, so your fellow defenders can join in late and chop him recklessly to the ground, then clamber all over each other in the ensuing melee, to ensure a slow ptb and a set defensive line. It's against the spirit of the game in my view, and would be relatively easy to sort out.

You said;





In my view this is way, way OTT. The game is quicker than it has ever been. Trying to slow the PTB is part of the game, which is a completely different thing to the very occasional attempt to deliberately injure someone. I am sure you are not an hysterical person, but your comments are bordering on the dictionary definition.

What's not? I have already agreed it started & spread from Wigan. There is no need to change the law; it just needs applying to breaches of it. The instances of it occurring are, thankfully, a rarity.

I don't think they are completely different; the desperate need to 'control the ruck,' and the tactics developed to do so, have created the conditions in which an attacking player is rag-dolled by a gang of defenders, starting with holding him up so that others can attack his lower body, and ending in an ugly wrestle with the aim of leaving him on his back, with his head facing his own sticks. I've watched wrestle coaches teach players from U8 right through to SL level how to do that; and because it wasn't dealt with by officials from the outset, coaches have continued to employ those tactics and players are getting better and better at it.



No they're not. I'm happy to discuss the point, but not if you're going to be silly.

One for all the "Wigan Haters" www.therfl.co.uk/the-rfl/disciplinary/item?6413

One for all the "Wigan Haters" www.therfl.co.uk/the-rfl/disciplinary/item?6413

I noticed in the Wakey v Leigh game a few dodgy/scumbag hits to the back of a player already on his way down to the ground.

Another potentially very dangerous tactic designed to injure that should be eliminated from the game.