The tackling trait Broncos hitman Brendan Piakura needs to survive in ‘Six Again’ NRL era

One of rugby league’s most feared hit men winced when Broncos enforcer Brendan Piakura paid the price for his kamikaze style. Trevor Gillmeister analyses Piakura’s tackling technique.

One of rugby league’s greatest warriors felt “sick in the guts’’ watching Brendan Piakura get knocked out cold but feels a technical tweak can safeguard his complex future.

Former terror tackler and renowned defensive coach Trevor Gillmeister winced when he saw the committed but clumsy Bronco Piakura knocked out attempting a tackle on Alex Twal during Brisbane’s win over the Wests-Tigers.

Earlier in the game Piakura was sent to the sin bin when his feet left the ground in a high shot on Terrell May which saw him suspended for two games, leaving Piakura’s tackling style under scrutiny for the damage it could cause to the opposition - and the man himself.

Gillmeister’s emotions are torn because he enjoys Piakura’s fearless approach yet feels danger lurks for Piakura and the players he tackles with a style craving a spoonful of canniness to go with the crunch.

Trainers attend to Brendan Piakura. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Brendan Piakura leaves the field on a medicab. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

“I love him as a player because he really enjoys the contact and you cannot say that about everyone,’’ Gillmeister said.

“You can’t teach that. He loves contact but he just has to know how to get the contact to work for him.

“When he got knocked out his feet were side by side in that tackle. We slowed it down when I watched it at Channel 7. The number one priority is to get one foot in front of the other so you can get your head out of the way.

“You have no power when your feet are together. You just get pushed over when you are like that. With the Six Again rule the game is so fast now that if you have not got a great technique you can pay a high price.

“Everyone thinks when you tackle it is upper body strength. That helps but it is not the be-all. Footwork is more important.’’

Piakura’s kamikaze style has seen him faced concussions issues earlier in his career – he missed the 2021 Hostplus Cup grand final with Norths Devils after being knocked out in the preliminary final.

Brendan Piakura is KO'd.

“Don’t worry, I know what he is going through,’’ Gillmeister said.

“You don’t end up with a head like mine getting it right every time. It’s practice. Hopefully they can get that right.

“Everyone is bigger and faster now so your technique needs to be spot on, more so than when I played.

“Maybe he just got it wrong. He is not the only one to do it.’’

Originally published as The tackling trait Broncos hitman Brendan Piakura needs to survive in ‘Six Again’ NRL era