NSWRL hits back at critics of its junior grading process after ‘pile driver’ tackle leaves 12-year-old with broken humerus

It’s the tackle that rocked a junior rugby league competition and left a 12-year-old boy with a smashed humerus. The NSWRL has hit back at critics to vigorously defended its grading process.

The NSWRL has vigorously defended its grading process after a 12-year-old boy quit rugby league after suffering a broken shoulder when slammed into the ground last weekend.

De La Salle prop Oliver Campbell sustained a broken humerus when tackled heavily against Kogarah Cougars with his father Peter claiming the opponent’s strength and skill were clearly above the rest of the players competing in the under-12s division three game.

A frustrated Peter called for the Cougars defender who committed the tackle - who was penalised on-field - to be suspended and demanded he play in a higher division to match his ability.

“I let Oliver play because the division three standard is quite low and he wouldn’t get injured. He’s never going to play NRL – he just wants to play for fun. He suffered a hit you might get in the gold (first) division,” Peter said.

Peter stressed kids elect to play division three to match their ability and elite junior players with an aggressive approach should be playing in a higher division.

But a NSWRL spokesperson said: “All of our junior leagues have a rigorous grading process that takes place in the early weeks of the competition and that has been the case for many years.

“We have every confidence that the process works well and that it will continue to work well this season.”

Oliver Campbell is driven into the turf.

Oliver Campbell in hospital.

A parent from the Kogarah club - who wished to remain anonymous - contacted this masthead claiming the player who perpetrated the tackle was “a good kid who is well liked.”

“The tackle wasn’t deliberate or nasty,” the parent said. “It was just a hard tackle. The young fella who made the tackle is only 11-years-old. He is playing ‘up’ a year.

“Things like this can happen, that’s footy, but we don’t want any kid playing rugby league getting injured. No-one does. And no parent wants to see their kid being hurt.”

Others in and around the Kogarah club are frustrated that the kid who made the tackle was being publicly scrutinised.

And there were also concerns from parents about the Cougars defender being plastered over social media.

This masthead did not name the tackler and blurred the footage when the story broke on Monday.

Kogarah Cougars preferred not to comment on the matter while the Cronulla Junior Rugby League is looking at video of the tackle.

Peter said some De La Salle players refused to take a hit-up after Oliver’s injury for fear of being hurt.

Kogarah only has a bronze division side but Peter insists the stronger players should be taken to neighbouring clubs to play in a division which matches their skill level.

One parent posted on social media: “There’s no need to lift and dump in that age division.”

But another said: “It’s a contact sport, what do you expect?”

X-ray of Campbell’s busted shoulder.

Oliver spent nine hours in Sutherland Hospital and will visit Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick next week to determine whether he requires surgery. He will not attend school this week and has been taking Endone and Fentanyl for pain relief.

“He doesn’t want to play again. He’s done, he doesn’t want to go back. I want him to play again but I’m not going to let him when this type of thing happens. He has teammates who are rethinking their decision to play,” Peter said.

“I have never seen a kid get pile-driven like that before and there were other kids too scared to take a hit-up.

“Kids aren’t that aggressive in division three – that’s why they’re playing division three. Kids that want to go and smash each other – that’s what the top divisions are for.”

Originally published as NSWRL hits back at critics of its junior grading process after ‘pile driver’ tackle leaves 12-year-old with broken humerus