the shoulder charge has only really become acceptable since we got the stupid aussie sayings like "winning the collision" and "dominant in the wrestle" which idiots like Cullen, Millward et al. furnished us with.

I agree with this, it was more apparent in the 80s when the big immobile forwards where generally knackered so resorted to a charge, the game has moved on and evidence suggests it causes more bother than it is worth with potential injuries and penalties etc. The game is a lot faster now and safety has to be considered I will not be too disappointed if they are outlawed even though the effective ones are good to watch.

An the next rule change 'Standee' will be that the ball carrier cannot meet the defender with the ball and forearm in front of his chest, and there has been many a collision won in this way. He must carry the ball under his arm like a roll of wallpaper.
A backward step banning the shoulder charge.

Not at all. But, as a fan, I disagree with the banning and I enjoy seeing hits going in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab8WmB1 ... ata_player How many shoulders in this montage? Only a few that class as traditional tackles, some half tackles half shoulders. How will a ref call it? Listen to the crowd the commentators when some of the shots happen. Its this physicality that makes league what it is. Contact with the head already illegal a shoulder goes wrong you get punished anyway. Promote better technique and hand out bigger bans for reckless challenges but don't make moves that will sanitize the physical nature of our game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab8WmB1 ... ata_player How many shoulders in this montage? Only a few that class as traditional tackles, some half tackles half shoulders. How will a ref call it? Listen to the crowd the commentators when some of the shots happen. Its this physicality that makes league what it is. Contact with the head already illegal a shoulder goes wrong you get punished anyway. Promote better technique and hand out bigger bans for reckless challenges but don't make moves that will sanitize the physical nature of our game.

Taking away the shoulder charge would be a blow to rugby league.. as previous posts said, you taking away something that can change momentum and lift sides and fans..

Yes some clashes are extreme with contact to the head, that wurried were a scrum hat. our sport is rough and tough not fairy diving like football..

Why not?

Amateur & professional game have separate bodies and have had differing rules in the past. International rules are different to SL, which is exactly the same principle. There's absolutely no reason why it couldn't be outlawed at some levels and not others.

Shoulder charge isn't allowed at junior level in oz, and at every level are you not allowed to make contact with the head. So I don't see why they just haven't increased the penalty for careless challenges. Make sure the player gets it right.

Like last season when they clamped down in the NRL and SL, then when players got sent off or suspended the coaches, players and fans just took it on the chin.

Not one Hull fan moaned when Moa got sent off.

Moas tackle was a peach end of story.........

Sort of proves my point.

Any way hopefully a reduction in the number of replacements will soon follow.

I sometimes get the impression you're not altogether enamoured of impact props.



Tbf, I like to see half-backs sparkle and dulling them by running massive blokes at them, when said massive bloke can go off after ten or fifteen minutes to catch his breath, denying a hb the possible revenge of skipping around his exhausted leaden-footed hugeness does seem like cheating.

Do you mean interchanges or replacements, btw? I think there is also an arguable case for going to 16-man matchday squads.

Shoulder charges being banned - as a fan I don't like it, but if the players wanted rid of it then I'd definately accept it as a welfare thing. Seems at least a few don't though.