I can understand Tony Smith's point of view with regard to protecting players from long & serious injury & maybe a directive from the RFL is needed (Judderman) to all the clubs & referees. It is more important than ever now with the "increased intensity" & since the demise of the academy system most clubs usable squads are already depleted. None of us would be happy to turn up to watch the play offs to find competing teams made up of under 16s because their main players were injured.

This issue has arisen out of the ball carriers struggle to stay upright and prove his strength. This allows weird placement of limbs, including adverse pressure where its not welcome and also helps teams create the cannonball tackle. May be the clubs take this into their own hands by coaching the ball carrier to hit or be hit by the first defender and go to ground, then struggle like mad on the floor to get up and play the ball?

Proving your strength and staying upright gains nothing from the officials whereas hit the defensive line land on your front and get up at speed to play the ball gets you a penalty if there is interference of any kind. Many players can hit the defensive and then go to ground when it suits like near the touch or coming out of the in goal so why not in the middle?

they can, but that will be called a surrender tackle and the defenders get a bit more leeway to take their time getting off, more so in the case of multiple defenders (this is where wigan excelled against us last year)

In terms the leg lifting, this one was a poor decision by wilkin, it wouldn't surprise me if if it disapeared for a few weeks after this injrury, in twenty years of watching this sport i have never heard of anyone suffering from a ruptured hamstring like this. But the leg lifting in general, not so much the lifting to collapse but the lifting and turning that you see, especially the lifting the leg of a grounded attacker and draggin it around so he faces the wrong way, its done to slow the ptb and also increases chances of a penalty for facing the wrong way whilst playing it, for me, that is no different than the penalties that get given for 'clocking' players, its so obvious, it should be a straight penalty.