‘Playing the wrong game’: James Graham, Braith Anasta against calls to ban the kick-off

NRL great James Graham has delivered a fiery take as debate erupted over the potential banning of the kickoff in the NRL.

Moses Suli and James Graham.

Former NRL and England star James Graham is strongly against banning the kick-off as fierce debate rages after Moses Suli became the latest player knocked out off the opening play of a game.

St George Illawarra’s Suli clashed heads with Sydney Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves as he tried to tackle him in the opening few seconds of their Anzac Day clash, with both coaches conceding after the game more needs to be done to protect players in kick-off situations.

Graham is an advocate for the understanding and treatment of concussions, estimating he suffered more than 100 in his career. However, in a passionate debate on Monday night’s NRL 360, he said scrapping the kick-off would be going too far.

The only place to watch every game of every round LIVE with no ad-breaks during play is Fox League, available on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today >

“If you want the game to be (completely) safe, you’re playing the wrong game,” Graham said.

“You’re watching the wrong game. You cannot... If you view the game through the prism of safety and that’s all you view it through.

“... Is there an unacceptable risk of injury (here)? I say no.”

Graham argued that Suli’s concussion was not caused by the kick-off, or his tackling technique, but unfortunate contact with teammate Jayden Su’a that put him in the path of Waerea-Hargreaves.

The Daily Telegraph’s Dean Ritchie — who strongly believes the game should explore the benefits of banning kick-offs — argued in response: “It doesn’t matter how it happens.

“It’s happening. It continues to happen. Whether a defender is nudged from left or the right-hand side, to me, isn’t a concern. It’s the fact that it is happening continuously.”

Moses Suli and James Graham.

“...These are people’s brains. And, Jimmy, you know this better than anybody.

“You had more than a hundred concussions and 18,000 collisions in your career, which is an unbelievably tough bloke you are.

“But you should know better than anybody the dangers of this kick-off.”

Graham responded: “Of course. I was attracted to the danger.”

NRL 360 host Braith Anasta sided with Graham and questioned why other measures could not be explored first before banning the kick-off.

“The kick-off is such an integral part of our game,” he said. “It’s what brings the fans through the gates.

“It’s what we sell subscriptions on TV. It’s why a lot of people watch the game. Yes, it’s the collision, but it’s the build-up. It’s the hype. It’s something that is so unique to our game that other games do not have.

“Why are we just going, oh, listen, let’s just get rid of the kick-off? It’s an easy thing to say.”

Veteran journalist Phil Rothfield agreed that the concept of scrapping kick-offs should at least be explored because the size, power and speed of the NRL player has changed the game and created more risk than ever before.

“20, 30 years ago, front-rowers, the great front-rowers weighed mid-90 kilos. OK, the John O’Neill’s, John Sattler’s,” Rothfield said.

Poasa Faamausili was knocked out from a kick-off in round two. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

“Today, the big front-rowers weigh 120 kilos. They are bigger, stronger, faster, and more powerful than they were in the old days.

“So what’s happened, like banning the shoulder charge, which we never thought would happen, these collisions now are a far greater force than they used to be.

“And what worries me is that in 20 years’ time, they’re going to be bigger, stronger, faster, more powerful again, and it’s going to be more frightening the collisions.

“I don’t want to come out here now and say, ban it. I want more research.

“I want every HIA, a scientist or someone from the NRL, to go through every HIA last year and this year and look at why they actually happened and what percentage of them came from kick-offs.”

Graham responded: “I agree, and why, so we’ve seen a number of them this year. Why does it happen on the opening kick-off of the game?”

“Why not after a try is scored or to start halftime? Why does it not happen then? Why does it seem to be a trend that happened at the beginning?”

Watch the full NRL 360 debate in the video player above.

Originally published as ‘Playing the wrong game’: James Graham, Braith Anasta against calls to ban the kick-off