Quote: Phuzzy "Don't disagree with you Yed on the knee tackle per se but I think we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves here. The tackle to the legs is fine as long as it's to the back of the knees. There is no more chance of injury from this particular tackle than any other part of the game. We, as a RL community, are too often in danger of throwing the baby out with the bathwater and I think this is another case in point. Tackling around the legs is fine. It remains fine as long as there is no specific danger to the players. Our game shouldn't be watered down any more than is absolutely necessary to protect players.
As an aside to this, I watched both MM incidents again yesterday as I'd only seen them at the game and was surprised by some of the vitriol being spouted on these boards. At the game I'd seen little more than a tough, uncompromising game of Rugby League; in fact the very type of game that first attracted me to the sport. I've watched it again and I was absolutely right. There was nothing in either incident that I hadn't seen thousands of times and, in fact, MM's 'incidents' were totally unremarkable. A slightly late check tackle and a tackle to the back of the legs! I was totally bemused by the reaction (other than it being pantomime villain McIlorum, of course!). As I've said over on your board, had it been any other player I doubt it would have warranted so much as a mention!'"
Spot on. Similarly, whilst a spear tackle should be illegal what is wrong with a player's legs being lifted above the horizontal if he is lowered back to the ground? Also, if a guy is 3 foot off the ground catching the ball and gets cartwheeled in a tackle that should obviously be penalised. Is it really dangerous play if you tackle someone just a fraction early when he is literally inches off the ground? As you say, the baby is being thrown out with the bath water.
