NRL NRL Health and Safety Ignorance

I have been concerned for several years now that the NRL has been ignorant in it's duty of care for player safety.

Sure there are more high shots or shoulder charges or head contact or crushers called now and they are fined or suspended but it's usually too light.

IMO there are still too many reckless moves and mostly committed by a small group of players that are under punished and not a deterrent.

You get eight weeks for making a racist comment, yet you get F*** all for potentially crippling, maiming or paralysing someone.

JWH, NAS, Latrell, Molo, Jared Wallace just to name a few are too carelessly and dangerously reckless with their actions at times to such a degree that they should be rubbed out for way more weeks than they usually get.

I mean there was a witch hunt last year for hip drops and fair enough but I would rather have a bung leg for six months than never walk again.
 
I have been concerned for several years now that the NRL has been ignorant in it's duty of care for player safety.

Sure there are more high shots or shoulder charges or head contact or crushers called now and they are fined or suspended but it's usually too light.

IMO there are still too many reckless moves and mostly committed by a small group of players that are under punished and not a deterrent.

You get eight weeks for making a racist comment, yet you get F*** all for potentially crippling, maiming or paralysing someone.

JWH, NAS, Latrell, Molo, Jared Wallace just to name a few are too carelessly and dangerously reckless with their actions at times to such a degree that they should be rubbed out for way more weeks than they usually get.

I mean there was a witch hunt last year for hip drops and fair enough but I would rather have a bung leg for six months than never walk again.

I blame the over sensitives lefties

aye Worried2Death Worried2Death ;)
 
I get what you’re saying, racism is never a good idea as it generalises a group of people and should be off limits but people need to harden up to a certain extent. I’ve been on the receiving end of racism from both sides, I’m multi racial as are both my parents are and I’ve been called a cracker/honkey/ballhead because of my fairer skin etc and I’ve been called a scum bag Māori and a dumb coconut, if you’re a born and bred Kiwi you can usually tell if someone, despite their skin colour that they are afakasi, not always but most of the time you can. The lines get blurred with some of us. It don’t bother me anymore. Even from “my own people” It hasn’t happened for quite some time now but it’s water off a ducks back for me if it happens again. I would just laugh it off but it still isn’t morally just. Especially within the confines of professional sport. I’m no Liberal so my skin is tougher and I lean more the opposite way but it’s that grey area that is very difficult to navigate. I’m far more concerned with players physical welfare because that can have a huge adverse impact on their future and in turn their mental wellbeing. Talk smack about my Mum and your gonna get a bitch slap, talk smack about my racial make up (whatever you think it is and what you think will sting me) I will pity you, smirk and get on my way and let God take care of you.
I miss the shoulder charge, not the ones to the head but the ones in the chest and ribs that would leave you out of breath for a bit. But I understand why they have banned it now, it’s too risky. They still happen with no repercussions from time to time. It’s subjective. But the dirty unnecessary tackles that are clearly designed to inflict maximum damage on a player that could potentially end a players career are downright pathetic and cowardly and almost always when the ball carrier is in a vulnerable position. They are clear cut when you see them happen, you have to be a moron not to realise that the offending player is being a coward and doing his best to look like a tough guy. They want that rep. Correct me if I’m wrong but SBW/Matai et al obliterated opponents with heavy and devastating legal tackles that were fine in my book with no real malice behind them, just playing hard to get the upper hand for their team and instill fear and dominance. These other guys are doing it in a way to feed their egos and it’s cowardly. Hip drops aside, they are usually accidental but almost a natural movement to get the ball carrier down asap. Both should be punished regardless but extra for malicious intent. Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me or something like that…..who cares about feelings. Logic is the only way, for a man in particular to operate.
 
If penalties for dangerous play are not adequate, it has nothing to do with the penalties for racism.

Fixing a problem doesn't require comparison to something unrelated.

I see how this discussion started perhaps as a commentary on the NRL's hypocrisy, and lack of perspective.

Hopefully the focus stays on the issue Ref raised which quite rightly pisses people off regarding the same thuggery, dished out by the same people.
 
I get what you’re saying, racism is never a good idea as it generalises a group of people and should be off limits but people need to harden up to a certain extent. I’ve been on the receiving end of racism from both sides, I’m multi racial as are both my parents are and I’ve been called a cracker/honkey/ballhead because of my fairer skin etc and I’ve been called a scum bag Māori and a dumb coconut, if you’re a born and bred Kiwi you can usually tell if someone, despite their skin colour that they are afakasi, not always but most of the time you can. The lines get blurred with some of us. It don’t bother me anymore. Even from “my own people” It hasn’t happened for quite some time now but it’s water off a ducks back for me if it happens again. I would just laugh it off but it still isn’t morally just. Especially within the confines of professional sport. I’m no Liberal so my skin is tougher and I lean more the opposite way but it’s that grey area that is very difficult to navigate. I’m far more concerned with players physical welfare because that can have a huge adverse impact on their future and in turn their mental wellbeing. Talk smack about my Mum and your gonna get a bitch slap, talk smack about my racial make up (whatever you think it is and what you think will sting me) I will pity you, smirk and get on my way and let God take care of you.
I miss the shoulder charge, not the ones to the head but the ones in the chest and ribs that would leave you out of breath for a bit. But I understand why they have banned it now, it’s too risky. They still happen with no repercussions from time to time. It’s subjective. But the dirty unnecessary tackles that are clearly designed to inflict maximum damage on a player that could potentially end a players career are downright pathetic and cowardly and almost always when the ball carrier is in a vulnerable position. They are clear cut when you see them happen, you have to be a moron not to realise that the offending player is being a coward and doing his best to look like a tough guy. They want that rep. Correct me if I’m wrong but SBW/Matai et al obliterated opponents with heavy and devastating legal tackles that were fine in my book with no real malice behind them, just playing hard to get the upper hand for their team and instill fear and dominance. These other guys are doing it in a way to feed their egos and it’s cowardly. Hip drops aside, they are usually accidental but almost a natural movement to get the ball carrier down asap. Both should be punished regardless but extra for malicious intent. Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me or something like that…..who cares about feelings. Logic is the only way, for a man in particular to operate.
Matai was sneaky tho in my book, hitting the blind spot, legal sure, but I admire other front on tacklers a lot more than his side on hits for out and out flexing nuts, great player though, beautiful hitting technique that side on stuff.
Just for my old fashioned view I like some other hitters more.
 
Last edited:
I have been concerned for several years now that the NRL has been ignorant in it's duty of care for player safety.

Sure there are more high shots or shoulder charges or head contact or crushers called now and they are fined or suspended but it's usually too light.

IMO there are still too many reckless moves and mostly committed by a small group of players that are under punished and not a deterrent.

You get eight weeks for making a racist comment, yet you get F*** all for potentially crippling, maiming or paralysing someone.

JWH, NAS, Latrell, Molo, Jared Wallace just to name a few are too carelessly and dangerously reckless with their actions at times to such a degree that they should be rubbed out for way more weeks than they usually get.

I mean there was a witch hunt last year for hip drops and fair enough but I would rather have a bung leg for six months than never walk again.

The way i see it Ref - the impact to society is far greater with the words you use than actions you perform on the field

A hip drop, breaking a guys leg - its almost part in parcel one of the dangers in playing the sport. Not many of us watching actually play so the risk of doing it is remote.

However, call someone a monkey, or whatever, and the audience you hit is large.
The impressionable little kids sees or hears that on tv, and you can see how easily that would spread like wildfire on the playfield. Anyone and everyone can use that word to hurt.

Spenser Lui is a thug - both on the field and off it. An ignorant thug at that.
 
Matai was sneaky tho in my book, hitting the blind spot, legal sure, but I admire other front on tacklers a lot more than his side on hits for out and out flexing nuts, great player though, beautiful hitting technique that side on stuff.
Just for my old fashioned view I like some other hitters more.
That’s true and a good point, Im more of the same old school thoughts on big hitters also….at least front on the ball carrier, if even for a split second, knows he’s getting laid out fair and square and I guess the hitter, depending on his character can flex afterwards if he likes. But you can be fairly humble about it….take Mark Hunt for example, the walkway King, he didn’t jump on the poor bloke laid out on the canvas and rain down hammer blows when it wasn’t required. That’s more admirable imo. Or maybe he was just tired & couldn’t be bothered 😅
 
The way i see it Ref - the impact to society is far greater with the words you use than actions you perform on the field

A hip drop, breaking a guys leg - its almost part in parcel one of the dangers in playing the sport. Not many of us watching actually play so the risk of doing it is remote.

However, call someone a monkey, or whatever, and the audience you hit is large.
The impressionable little kids sees or hears that on tv, and you can see how easily that would spread like wildfire on the playfield. Anyone and everyone can use that word to hurt.

Spenser Lui is a thug - both on the field and off it. An ignorant thug at that.
I agree but I do wonder how many times has Spenser been called a coconut with no penalty is it that as bad as monkey?
 
If penalties for dangerous play are not adequate, it has nothing to do with the penalties for racism.

Fixing a problem doesn't require comparison to something unrelated.

I see how this discussion started perhaps as a commentary on the NRL's hypocrisy, and lack of perspective.

Hopefully the focus stays on the issue Ref raised which quite rightly pisses people off regarding the same thuggery, dished out by the same people.

I totally agree rascism has to stamped out. However the gay slurs are in a different league. A lot of work sites have the word 'faggot,' used between workmates. As Joe Jackson said in his song 'Real men' don't call me a faggot unless you are my friend. Personally I think there needs to be a mechanism for a meeting of the victim and perpetrator to get resolution before charges are laid.

Can someone tell me the difference when a player can be 3rd or 4th player in can shoulder charge with impunity.
 
Sorry Guys

I wasn't meaning to compare racism with physical recklessness as an incident.

My point is the NRL have not been tough enough on some callous and reckless play and mostly carried out by the same serial offenders.
 
Sorry Guys

I wasn't meaning to compare racism with physical recklessness as an incident.

My point is the NRL have not been tough enough on some callous and reckless play and mostly carried out by the same serial offenders.

Is the biff considered callous and reckless

Cause I’m all for that coming back

A lot of the recklessness is not deliberate so where do you draw the line vs someone deciding to throw a punch?
 
I agree but I do wonder how many times has Spenser been called a coconut with no penalty is it that as bad as monkey?
That does call into question what word's worse? Also always bear in mind some players won't go to the referee and complain about it - the "I don't snitch" thing which probably causes more problems than it solves. Ever wonder why sometimes Player A bends Player B's leg just that little bit excessively when Player B's been tackled? Utu aka Revenge?
And on top of racist terms, and Sup 42's bang-on point that kids will hear those words and use them, how about Mr Walsh's use of the C word to the referee (I don't believe it was to one of his Broncos team-mates, forget who he claimed it was aimed at)? If he'd called him a prick is that a penalty? 10M Sin?
 
Back
Top