Payne Haas, Ezra Mam charged as NRL hip drop farce again exposed

The NRL world is in complete and utter confusion once again as the match review committee raised even more questions about the hip drop drama.

Payne Haas is facing a week, Reagan Campbell-Gillard is facing at least three months. Photo: Fox Sports

The NRL’s hip drop drama has erupted once again and fans are still none the wiser about the insidious tackle.

It was exposed once again on Friday night in the Broncos’ 26-16 win over the Eels with three hip drops called on three tackles that all looked very different and had varying degrees of punishment.

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Parramatta’s J’maine Hopgood was sent to the sin bin for a supposed hip drop tackle on Brisbane’s Cory Paix.

Shortly after, Ezra Mam took Eels backrower Matt Doorey to ground and the Broncos five-eighth was also sin binned for a hip drop tackle.

But later in the game, Broncos enforcer Payne Haas escaped the same fate when he landed on the legs of Eels forward Reagan Campbell-Gillard, who suffered a serious groin injury in the tackle.

It's hard to look at. Photo: Fox Sports

The NRL match review committee has revealed its charges from the match with Hopgood able to escape with an $1800 fine, while Mam and Haas are each facing a week on the sidelines.

If they fight and lose, the pair would each be handed a two-week ban.

This is after Haas’ tackle on Reagan Campbell-Gillard left the Eels forward hospitalised with a suspected hip fracture, an injury Fox League’s Jake Duke reported could be an eight to 12 week injury, with Fox League’s Steve Roach saying the tackle was “the worst of the three of them”.

UPDATE on RCG. Confirmed gone to hospital via ambulance for what is now a possible hip fracture. Would be a huge blow for Eels & season threatening for RCG. Let’s hope not the case. Puts more weight on match review panel decision Will Haas be charged for hip drop? #NRLEelsBroncos

— Jake Duke (@JakeDuke1) April 21, 2023

On Saturday, Campbell-Gillard had been cleared of a hip fracture but will still need scans to determine how long he’s out for.

The injury essentially ends any hope for Campbell-Gillard’s return to the State of Origin arena and could put the remainder of his season in doubt.

The calls have grown for the NRL to clear up what exactly a hip drop is as both coaches appeared to have different ideas post match.

Eels coach Brad Arthur said all three tackles were “similar”.

“I’m not an expert on hip drops, but to me all three of them looked pretty similar and I know which one had the worst result,” Arthur said.

“If their feet are off the ground, and that’s what happened, then yeah, I don’t know, go and ask Reg (Campbell-Gillard).

“Look that’s not my call, I’m not the expert on hip drops and if the tackle is a hip drop, yeah he should be charged.

“The people that decide that, they will have to live with the decision they make but I do know we will be without Reg for a long time.

“My untrained eye, looking at all three tackles they look pretty similar to me.”

The hip drop tackle may never be eradicated from rugby league because the officials in charge of enforcing the laws can't even agree on what a hip drop tackle is. No consistency.

— Jordan Patu (@Jordan_Patu) April 21, 2023

Trying to understand what a hip drop tackle is. I’ve no idea why Hopgood got sin-binned, I kind of sort of understand why Mam did, but I have no idea why Haas didn’t #NRLEelsBroncos

— Luke Bradnam (@LukeBradnam) April 21, 2023

There was immediate concern from Haas. Photo: Fox Sports

Rugby league legend Greg Alexander said he didn’t know what the solution was to the issue.

“I don’t know if there is one (solution) – and I don’t know how you backtrack now,” Alexander said. “So what do they say: ‘Hang on the sin bin is getting ludicrous, how do we peel it back and get to where we were last year?’ This isn’t a rush of players now having a new way to tackle people.”

Fellow Fox Sports expert Michael Ennis said the issue with the Haas tackle was that Campbell-Gillard ducked under the tackle and the Broncos star was then forced to slide around the Eels forward to make the tackle.

“All his body weight, yes it does come down on the legs and Campbell-Gillard looked to be in significant pain … if we’re going down the path that we’re going down, Payne’s in some trouble,” Ennis said.

“The frustrating thing for fans sitting at home is they’re seeing the Hopgood one, they’re seeing the Ezra man one and if it’s the Bunker that’s finding these, what are they seeing with the Payne Haas one?”

Both Alexander and Ennis called for the NRL to break out what exactly a hip drop is so that fans can finally have some clarity.

Originally published as Payne Haas, Ezra Mam charged as NRL hip drop farce again exposed