Maybe early, but still not the news anyone would have wanted to hear!

I found myself hoping this was the famously terrible Aussie media jumping the gun and reporting on something that hasn't been confirmed - but still an awful situation either way.

Best wishes to the lad.

Dreadful news and lets hope that JB's take on it turns out to be the correct one. If ever there was proof that people who carry out these tackles should be banned for a long, long time then this is it.

I would hope this is jumping the gun as medical records are private.

It's something that I've never known for many years. I seem to recall maybe 10 - 15 years ago a player in the UK having a horrendous injury.

I'm sure we all hope he can walk again.

At least he his now bereaving on his own & out of the induced coma what is a positive thing...... lets hope he makes a good recovery, & i feel for the fella & his family & team mates.

Quote ="bewareshadows"I would hope this is jumping the gun as medical records are private. It's something that I've never known for many years. I seem to recall maybe 10 - 15 years ago a player in the UK having a horrendous injury. I'm sure we all hope he can walk again.'" Might be John Power your thinking of? There was an article written on him a couple of years ago. www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... ghter.html

Quote ="bewareshadows"I would hope this is jumping the gun as medical records are private. It's something that I've never known for many years. I seem to recall maybe 10 - 15 years ago a player in the UK having a horrendous injury. I'm sure we all hope he can walk again.'" Might be John Power your thinking of? There was an article written on him a couple of years ago. www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... ghter.html

Quote ="Errlee Berd"Might be John Power your thinking of? There was an article written on him a couple of years ago. www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... ghter.html'" There was also Pete Stephenson who broke his neck playing for East Hull about 10 years ago. He was told that he would never walk again but has made great progress over the years. Does a lot of good work for the RL benevolent fund too.

Quote ="Errlee Berd"Might be John Power your thinking of? There was an article written on him a couple of years ago. www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... ghter.html'" There was also Pete Stephenson who broke his neck playing for East Hull about 10 years ago. He was told that he would never walk again but has made great progress over the years. Does a lot of good work for the RL benevolent fund too.

I agree that we don't punish tackles that put players at risk like this enough. However this is one of those instances where no foul was committed, it was a freak accident that just shows what a dangerous game this is and anyone who puts their body on the line has my respect. In this instance, whilst McKinnon is the real victim, I can really sympathise with the guys who made the tackle. It must be awful having to carry something like this on your shoulders.

Have to disagree but this is not the time for it. The tackling players lifted his hips higher than his shoulders that is a foul and although we see it many times per game and have almost become used to it. it is dangerous and should be heavily penalised.

It's just awful news - literally sends a chill over me whenever I think of it - the panic on his face will stay with me a long time.

As for the tackle, although I believe there was no intent at all to injure, or commit foul play, once you lift the legs (he gripped inside his leg - which is illegal anyway) you have a responsibility to ensure the player doesn't go above horizontal and lands safely. In this case, McLean couldn't control it due to the weight of the other players, and McKinnon's momentum and technique - but ultimately, he shouldn't lift the legs in that case if he can't control it.

I don't blame McLean, it's the tactics used across all of RL now, but this one has gone badly wrong.

It's heart breaking to feel that someone playing sport can almost meet their end in this way.

Not sure what could be done about it to minimize the danger. There are malicious and dangerous tackles but in the end freak tackles also happen.

In the Leeds Saints game on Friday. Roby got right under a player in the tackle. No reaching between the legs, just a strong drive, that player could have tipped over, if it was not for Walker latching onto the top of the tackle. In the end it was controlled well, but these things can go easily wrong with tacklers pulling in all directions and attackers wriggling to get their arms free and release the ball for 2nd phase.

In American football they are all padded up with neck pads too, but I'm not sure it reduces the danger.

Yeah agree with this, that must be one of the most terrifying things to happen to anybody, let alone a pro athlete.

As others have said, we all know what can happen when things go wrong - terrible to see it though.

I hope they take similar action they took with the heart monitors and get this sorted out, feel terrible for the lad and would hate to see it happen top anyone else.

Looking at some of the posts on this site I doubt whether many people know much about RL in general let alone what happens in the NRL but there is a bit of 'history' between these 2 as McKinnon knocked McLean out after a head clash (and appeared to be quite pleased he had done so) in a finals match between The Storm and Newy last year

The video containing the incident can be found on that well known video sharing website we are not allowed to mention that rhymes with 'Blue Cube' when you type in "NRL 2013 Finals Week 2 Highlights: Knights V Storm"

It's a terrible injury to happen to anyone and I can only hope it wasn't in anyway malicious behaviour on behalf of McLean as I've heard one or 2 people mention.

7 matches.

Sounds big but in reality the outcome was always going to have a bearing on the penalty given.

How many did Long get for betting on a sure thing??? With no life in danger. So whilst it may seem a big penalty, I think there has been some understanding shown as he could have got 11.

7 matches seems appropriate to me. It's large enough to set an example, but any bigger and it would probably have been a tad tough on Mclean bearing in mind that this sort of tackle techinque happens dozens of time in a game without even a penalty (as it's rare it ends with the player landing on their head).

What I think needs to happen now is that similar length bans are handed out to anyone lifting the legs above horizontal, regardless of how the tackle ends. It's this technique that needs to be eradicated, as we've seen, it only takes 1 to go slightly wrong and it's catastrophic.

For me, this whole culture of trying to slow down the ruck and wrestle techinques (this includes cannon balls, chicken wings, crushers, lifting the legs in gang tackles etc) is the real blight on our game, and are the ones that cause serious injury, yet we've banned the legitamate shoulder charge due to the potential risk. I can't remember anyone getting a life threatening injury from a legitate tough shoulder charge tackle.

Thankfully, though, you grace us with your presence, unworthy and ignorant as we are, and allow us to share in your wisdom, for which I am sure we are all grateful

<tugs forelock gratefully>

The 7 match ban is obviously in response to the injury rather than the tackle itself, which is I suppose understandable in the circumstances although I don't agree with it. They are making an example of a young player who has done something that every single player in the world has done at some point, the difference this time is that someone has been unfortunate enough to get hurt. You could argue that it will encourage players to be more careful, but the injury will have much more of an effect in this regard than any ban could.

Everyone will have their own view, but I would argue until blue in the face that it was a legal tackle and it was just a freak accident. I assume they are going to dish out 7 match bans for every player who uses this technique in the future, although they might have to reconsider when after 2 months we are down to playing 7 a side.

It wasn't legal though...

The inu one on inglis was worse that got 5.matches,luckily inglis didnt suffer serious injury

It wasn't? Perhaps you could travel to Australia and explain that to the NRL, seeing as you see the same tackle all the bloody time without so much as a penalty.

Heck, there were about 20 other ones in the Storm - Newcastle game alone that were let go!

Players play to the referee. The NRL is at fault here for allowing lifting tackles and lifting tackles behind the horizontal to happen several times a game without so much as a penalty, never mind a suspension.

"Superted"wrestle techinques (this includes cannon balls, chicken wings, crushers, lifting the legs in gang tackles etc) is the real blight on our game, and are the ones that cause serious injury.





Melbourne's name comes up a lot with regards to these sorts of techniques doesn't it. Add to that the fact that they were sued by Jarrod McCracken years ago.

I agree, but the problems now faced are twofold.

Firstly, there was little consistency prior to this incident. These sorts of gang tackles are not a rarity in the NRL, but very little has been done up to now to "manage/police" them. Therefore, the penalty handed down is charting new territory and seems to go against the "TV/MEDIA" experts opinions that this was a very sad and unfortunate accident.

Secondly, now they have laid down their judgement, every single tackle involving any of the elements that combined to make this sickening incident what it is will now be scrutinised, by the very same "TV/MEDIA" experts alluded to above.

There'll be lots of "I told you-so's" bandied about for the rest of the year.

Bottom line is the ARL/NRL need to come out with a very clear statement pronto, underlining exactly what will be penalised and how strongly. If not, chaos will reign and players will begin to 2nd guess themselves before going into tackles.......which in itself, is dangerous.

Personally, I think they've handed down the wrong punishment in this matter....and potentially ended a 2nd NRL career in the process. they've Punished the injury, not the infringement (if there was any).

Totally agree with you GF.

I've just spilt my beer

I agree with you a lot mate. It's just you're going over the same thing that irks on occasion. This is new and you are right. What more can I say?

That poor fella has been punished as a result of the injury as opposed to the severity of the tackle. A freak accident that no-one wants to happen. Being London fans. Matt King is still close to us.