tell you what kind of tackle bothers me...when a couple of defenders are holding up the ball carrier then a 3rd man in sticks the shoulder,at speed, into the back or ribs...the craig wing tackle from a few years ago is a perfect example of this....james graham got one in on ryan bailey during that firery game at st helens in 2009 (but obviously that one was ok..lol )


its abit naughty though imo...

Bloody hell if they ban these Wigan and Hudds are goosed

Luke Burgess away at Castleford last season, either a broken jaw or broken cheekbone from a shoulder to the head IIRC?

A nice delightful picture

but that wasnt from a shoulder charge, it was a regular tackle so jsut very unlucky.

I dont like the 3rd man into the tackle when the player is held and stood up - called the stinger by most teams. Danny Houghton at Hull is coached to do the stinger - not into the ribs or kidneys mind, but to take the legs, so the players goes to ground

15 posts in and there's already a dig at Wigan. Thought it would have happened much earlier IMO

There is an issue with tackling techniques but I don't think a ban on shoulder charges or 3 man tackles is the way forward.
Shoulder charges are fantastic for the fans to watch and can really change a game and you can't have the ridiculous situation where 2 men are desperately trying to wrestle someone like Lauitiiti, Feka or Solomona whilst 2 other defenders stand there watching while the ball is offloaded.

I do think there has to be much closer scrutiny of the tackle by the refs, which is why I think there should be 2 refs, to ensure that pressure is not being placed on players joints by tacklers.

Its far more dangerous going for the knees. Does real damage

I can see the case for banning shoulder charges.

One area of the game where Union has got it right.

I cannot think of a serious (as in long layoff with possible weakness in the future) injury that has occurred because of a shoulder charge except for the player making the tackle injuring his shoulder.

Behave yourself,this is part and parcel of playing RL.

Without the shoulder charge you might aswell wave goodbye to big hits

Everyone loves the shoulder going in!

Head to head collision, Walker's shoulder hit Burgess' chest but the force whiplashed them both...into each other, freak accident.

me neither

Dissagree, its one of many areas that RU has it wrong... it is afterall a sport where the players are looking to go to ground at the point of tackle and have no real desire to offload in the process... and that stupid allowance that a tackled player can throw the ball up to a supporting player.... aaaagghhh!

It's dangerous and should be outlawed Jonny.

RU have got it right.

Why is it more dangerous than a regular tackle?

A perfectly executed shoulder charge is designed to bring your shoulder/upper arm into direct contact with the opposing players sternum.

At speed. By a player who could weigh over 100 kilos.

In case you don't know, your 'sternum' is your 'breast bone'... that bit that runs down the front of your body where your ribs are attached to.

The sternum is also the bit that is compressed whilst carrying out chest compressions to a person who has stopped breathing.

If a shoulder charge is carried out correctly it can be highly dangerous.

Not many are carried out correctly owing to poor technique or the person who is about to cop the tackle taking evasive action. This means the player can cop the shoulder charge to the jaw or other parts of the head resulting in even worse injuries.


Ban it now.

arent all tackles designed to get the shoulder/upper are into direct contact with the area around the sternum?

(except of course those which tackle around the legs)

I dont think it should be banned, its part and parcel, but anyone that cant see its dangerous is blind stupid. Most of these 'big hits' are illegal tackles if you look closely with almost always contact with the head/jaw

car racing is dangerous, bungee jumping is dangerous, being a jockey is dangerous etc

RL is a tough sport, lets not turn it into a sissy sport like union has

Its idiotic to suggest that union is a sissy sport.
I never claimed it shouldnt be dangerous, but I can see the alternate viewpoints re: the shoulder charge

Quite right Dico.

Only a complete idiot would claim it was a 'sissy sport'


Oh wait.....

One of the big draws to playing RL in the southwest (from talking to and training with guys) is that the ability to shoulder charge and "smash" people.

Shoulder charge is epic and we love it. What else will the health and safety brigade come up with next? oh wait i have a vision of an NFL type game played on a rubber crumb training pitch.