Just having watched it discussed on Boots 'n' All I have to agree that it needs looking at.

The shoulder charge has always been, in my view, the $hithouses option of a big hit. Ryan Bailey specialises in this, enough said really.

It has no danger for the fella putting in the hit and has a big chance of injuring the lad taking the hit.

Should we keep it as it is part of and always will be part of the game or get rid of it?

I thought he only specialised been third man in the tackle

No, banning it is ridiculous, and it's one of the many reasons Union is a complete and utter joke, nothing wrong with it and Burgess injury is a 1 in a 100 thing.

Is a very dangerous technique, and i think the RFL should follow the NHL's option of banning all hits to the head.( Yes i know what a high tackle is) I have seen countless "shoulder charges" that have been targetting the head of the opposition player.

I agree, it was an unlucky incident. And his brother Sam Burgess is one of the best around in putting in HUGE but legitimate hits in with the shoulder. I like shoulder charges if they are done properly and for the right reasons (i.e putting in a big hit and NOT just because a player can't be bothered to bend his back!)

All hits to the head are illegal anyway, unless you think penalising accidental head clashes is a good idea? who would get the penalty in a clash of heads?

I'm not a fan of it. It's simply trying to knock someone to the floor with as much force as possible rather than trying to TACKLE someone.

A bit divided here I see. A good debate ahead I think.

I agree with Spongolium, maybe not banning it but banning somebody for maybe 1 game that looks to shoulder charge the head. I'm not talking somebody running at a low angle or falls into it but you see many a player jump into these tackles with the shoulder at head height.

When you tackle someone you are trying to do the exact same thing......

They shouldn't be banned. But a lot of the 'big hits' that everyone gets so excited about are high tackles technically. If the point of impact is above the shoulder it should be a sending off and a long ban.

There are two very distinct styles of shoulder charge. One where the tackler aims for the chest and the other where they dip the shoulder into the face of ball carrier. Both are showered in glory by commentators and braindead supporters but they are incredibly dangerous.

I just love every anti RB person and thier post. Makes me chuckle.

It should be kept. Unless an accidental clash of the shoulder with the head (see Bailey on Fa'asavalu) then there is nothing is wrong with it.

Next you're going to teach the kids not to put the shoulder in to the tackle and to wrap their arms around the opposition player, who will clearly win the collision.

bring back sonny bill williams from union now that guy has a shoulder and half shame he cant use it in union www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GfziEThFes

bring back sonny bill williams from union now that guy has a shoulder and half shame he cant use it in union www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GfziEThFes

Body shots are fine but I think that players should be banned from targeting the head.

Shoulder charges are a part of the game and what makes us different from Union, but shoulder charges to the head like the one on Burgess last week should result in a ban and a fine.

It wasn't to the head?

It was an accidental clashing of both players' heads.

Watch the game again



Shoulder was to the chest, the force made Burgess' head whip forwards into Walkers head.

i dont no why jon wells has to keep going on about "premier rugby" two weeks in row when talkin about banning shoulder charge we dont need follow union in banning it weve all laughed at union for years when they cant shoulder charge. He makes it sound like he licks rugby unions ar*e call it rugby union pal instead of making it sound superior.

Now that I have seen the incident again, without any distractions from kids demanding that I turn it off because I am always watching rugby and not let them watch anything(even though usually I watch games and the super league show on the internet when they are usually in bed, so go figure), I could see that it was a clash of heads so I was wrong.

Shoulder charges are usually a pretty lazy effort. A lot of the time the attacker bounces off and makes another run anyway. Wouldn't get rid of them though. My biggest ever tackle when playing was a big shoulder charge. To make it illegal would be wrong. Any tackle to head though is wrong and illegal anyway.

Speaking on Sonny Bill. I think on youtube there's a video of him in early rugby union playing days putting in a massive shoulder charge on a fly half and getting sin binned. He doesn't seem to realise what he's done wrong.

No it should stay in the game,it's part and parcel of what Rugby is about.
A prime example is when Vinnie Anderson hit Danny Tickle in the Saints Wigan game a few years ago.
Hits like this make our sport fantastic to watch and therefore should be allowed.

Don't you normally need to "dip the shoulder" if your aiming for the chest



I sort of get what your saying but can not remember seeing (m)any shoulder charges that have deliverately targeted the head.

I do however think there's some distinction between a well aimed and controlled shoulder charge (SBW's being a good example) and a somewhat reckless and poorly controlled one like we saw on Friday that led to an accidental clash of heads - it's hard to regulate against the latter but I thought Walker's technique was sloppy.

I wouldn't ban them outright, but a shoulder direct to the head should be a sending off and lengthy ban. It's at least as bad as a swinging arm.

SBW is a good example in the WCC against Leeds a few years back. One on Bailey was a pearler IIRC - legitimate hit on the upper body. A later one against Marcus Bai clearly hit him full in the head, and IMO was illegal and dangerous, not something to be applauded.

The other thing is that I suspect players who go for a lot of said should charges are likely to hurt themselves in the long run. SBW had shoulder issues, and its not hard to see why. I'd be surprised if many coaches wanted to see it.

Why don't we make all the players wear knickers and ban all Saturday games so that they can buy shoes in peace.

sam burgess also had shoulder issues and spent a long period on the sidelines at bradford after having an opp on it when done right it is a great site to take this out of the game would be criminal in SL 90% of the time tackles arent strong enough thats why i like watching the NRL with guys like fui fui and sam thaiday or the beast up against uate.

no one likes to see a head shot but its great to see a forward flattened with a big tackle

No it wasnt.

Walkers shoulder hit Burgess bang on the Jaw. His head didnt get near Burgess.

That being said it was accidental. I like the big hit shoulder charge personally. When it is implemented properly it is an awesome sight. Any impact on the head should be penalised though.

Didnt Moz get banned in Aus in his 2nd season for hiting somone in the head with his shoulder?