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!

Mickey Paea got a 2 match ban for doing it against Castleford. Not even a penalty was awarded on the pitch at the time.

he should have appealed as its not against the rules

Tackling around the legs is and always will be fine as long as its a standard tackle. When its not fine to me is when the attacker has been stopped usually by 2 defenders and the 3rd man is just there to injure by putting pressure on the knees or ankle joints. And as for your mm's late tackle from behind as being called a late check tackle is remarkable. He 's not the sharpest tool in the box but one thing he knows about is slyness on a rugby league field. He has every cheap shot in the book .Maybe got it off his dad mr newton

Or maybe Sonny Knuckle!

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.

Hey im no saint.. But in todays game we are trying to expand the great game and reach other areas that previously we haven't been able to tap into . With summer rugby moving into the junior element we can finally try to tap into the kids who play football and to a lesser extent RU. We have stamped out the fighting to a degree but the cheap shots have to be stamped out. Its a hard game without those .I know

First up, it was side on and not from behind. Secondly it was a check tackle because the point of impact was with the body, not the shoulder. It also wasn't high. It wasn't even THAT late for God's sake! It was a penalty, nothing more. However I know you have an agenda. I've seen your anti-Wigan ravings over on the Saints boards many times so I'm not particularly sure what you're expecting as a response as I already know full well you aren't after a rational debate. Incidentally, if you're so against the 'third man in' tackle, might I suggest you write to your own club and ask them to stop doing it, along with the other 13 clubs in Superleague.

As for the 'his dad mr newton' (sic) quote; really? I mean....really?

Going knowhere