NRL needs to make statement in wake of Knights’ cheap, dirty tactics on Johnathan Thurston

WHAT the Knights forwards collectively threw at Cowboys playmaker Johnathan Thurston should be unacceptable to the NRL, writes Paul Malone.

TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 14: Johnathan Thurston of the Cowboys lays on the ground after being injured during the round two NRL match between the North Queensland Cowboys and the Newcastle Knights at 1300SMILES Stadium on March 14, 2015 in Townsville, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

THE NRL match review committee needs to view the charges on Knights players as part of a pattern of premeditated tactics aiming at intimidating Johnathan Thurston and reducing his influence on a match.

The committee will probably see these as three separate incidents, but the repeated, heavy contacts on Thurston underline that the skilful playmakers in the NRL need more protection from the referees.

Playmakers are habitually targeted in various methods, but what the Knights forwards collectively threw at Thurston should be unacceptable to the NRL.

For everyone who hates seeing players tackled headfirst into the ground, there is hope that Beau Scott will receive a grading on Monday — and subsequent suspension — severe enough to provide a deterrent for the entire competition.

An image from Saturday’s game shows Scott hitting Thurston late.

Scott was able to accept a grade one dangerous throw charge, avoiding suspension, for his role in the tackle with Blues teammate Josh Reynolds on Brent Tate in the first State of Origin game last year.

That would affect the loading of any charge he received over the lifting tackle on Thurston by Knights Scott and Chris Houston.

The decisions of referees to put on report both the lifting tackle and also Scott’s late tackle on Thurston was standard procedure, but does not provide any “in game’’ deterrent. Newcastle flew home with two competition points.

Scott was also put on report for a lifting tackle on Thurston.

I’m not sure how the Knights could go about defending Scott’s late tackle on Thurston in the first half in Townsville should it go to the judiciary.

Scott delivered a late, forceful tackle with his shoulder into the ribs of Thurston, knocking him to the ground.

Billy Slater said on Channel 9 that late tackles on playmakers is the No. 1 problem in the game, which is a valuable player’s eye view of how common these are.

Playmakers, and former Test skipper Brad Fittler named Cooper Cronk as one, are passing more often before the line of advantage because they are wary of being late tackled and injured. This, in turn, makes their playmaking slightly easier to defend against (which suits the opposing coach just fine).

If Knights coach Rick Stone did not send his forwards out with a plan to repeatedly and intentionally make contact with Thurston then he has a team ignoring his instructions after just two games.

Jeremy Smith can be seen kneeing Thurston in the head.

Stone said the tackling and pressure exerted on Thurston was “just part and parcel of competing hard’’.

The lifting tackle by Scott and Houston was a little reminiscent of the one by Josh Reynolds and Scott in the opening Origin match of 2014.

Houston’s lift of Thurston is, to be clear, is nowhere near as pronounced as Reynolds’s was of Tate (that one ended up being a 360 degree flip).

Scott finished off both tackles.

The Cowboys, who have scar tissue from their recent treatment from NRL officialdom, will fear this outcome today from the match review: no Knight is charged, but Thurston is charged for a tackle in which he caught Akuila Uate across the face as the Newcastle winger was slipping to ground.

Originally published as NRL needs to make statement in wake of Knights’ cheap, dirty tactics on Johnathan Thurston