Tom Johnstone : Thu May 13, 2021 12:17 pm  

Great young player, but the head knocks thing very sadly seems to be taking him in the same direction as Stevie Ward

Re: Tom Johnstone : Thu May 13, 2021 3:12 pm  

Maybe if the RFL and the referees took contact to the head a bit more seriously....

Re: Tom Johnstone : Thu May 13, 2021 6:53 pm  

Willzay wrote:

Maybe if the RFL and the referees took contact to the head a bit more seriously....

You're right, but it's a tough one to police in a contact sport unless we go the RU way and ban anything above the chest which I wouldn't like to see if I'm honest.

Plenty of high tackles start at the chest and end up making contact with the head accidentally. And in some cases, contact is only with the head because the player drops into the tackle.

Personally, I do think that direct and deliberate contact with the head (swinging arm or shoulder charge) should be a straight red and at least a 3 match ban but there are plenty of 50/50 calls out there where a red card would wrongly ruin games as a spectacle.

Re: Tom Johnstone : Thu May 13, 2021 8:21 pm  

Egg Chasing wrote:

You're right, but it's a tough one to police in a contact sport unless we go the RU way and ban anything above the chest which I wouldn't like to see if I'm honest.

Plenty of high tackles start at the chest and end up making contact with the head accidentally. And in some cases, contact is only with the head because the player drops into the tackle.

Personally, I do think that direct and deliberate contact with the head (swinging arm or shoulder charge) should be a straight red and at least a 3 match ban but there are plenty of 50/50 calls out there where a red card would wrongly ruin games as a spectacle.

The thing is how do you judge a high tackle? Is the arm bent, straight or above shoulder height? If it’s straight as has been called you walk. These days anything around the head is pinged.

Re: Tom Johnstone : Thu May 13, 2021 8:26 pm  

atomic wrote:

The thing is how do you judge a high tackle? Is the arm bent, straight or above shoulder height? If it’s straight as has been called you walk. These days anything around the head is pinged.

Kind of my point yeah. How do you judge it? Is it first contact, any contact, type of contact?

Really don't want to see us go down the RU route.

Re: Tom Johnstone : Fri May 14, 2021 10:43 am  

Egg Chasing wrote:

Kind of my point yeah. How do you judge it? Is it first contact, any contact, type of contact?

Really don't want to see us go down the RU route.

come on its so simple to judge anything above the shoulders a direct red card depending on whether the player was clothes lined or swinging arm, anything above the shoulders from second contact ie arm riding up from trying to wrap a player up from in front or behind sin bin,

I don't know about you but I was taught to tackle around the waist upwards mainly being a Centre/winger from in front and behind making sure I got my head in the right position, tackling has got lazy of late and far more now use the head when in the tackle or using the hand across the face

Re: Tom Johnstone : Fri May 14, 2021 11:22 am  

We'd be playing 7 a side

Re: Tom Johnstone : Fri May 14, 2021 11:38 am  

Well if it helps to prolong the career and health of players so be it.

Re: Tom Johnstone : Sat May 15, 2021 6:08 am  

Egg Chasing wrote:

We'd be playing 7 a side

no we wouldn't players would learn to keep away from head high contact

Re: Tom Johnstone : Sat May 15, 2021 6:54 am  

snowie wrote:

no we wouldn't players would learn to keep away from head high contact

Always a sensible reply. They need to learn or we may not have a game in the future.

If they learn we may even have a better game...................