The NRL Tackle: NRL must fire up warning to players for disrespecting referees, hip drop confusion
David Klemmer wasn’t sin binned for a hip drop tackle but now faces a three-week suspension. Joe Ofahengaue’s hip drop tackle didn't even go on report. The inconsistency is frustrating players and fans alike, writes FATIMA KDOUH.
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The hip drop tackle, its on-field adjudication and subsequent review by the judiciary, continues to confuse pundits and fans alike.
Round 12 delivered a Russian roulette of outcomes.
Tigers prop David Klemmer wasn’t sin-binned for his hip drop on Cowboys forward Kulikefu Finefeuiaki but is now facing a three-week ban. In the same game, Cowboys centre Valentine Holmes was sent for 10 minutes for his tackle on Isaiah Papali’i but is free to join Maroons teammates on Monday.
On Saturday night, South Sydney star Latrell Mitchell was binned for a hip drop on Sean Russell but only copped a fine and Eels forward Joe Ofahengaue escaped both a sin bin and any penalty by the judiciary for his tackle on Sean Keppie.
On the face of it, it’s as clear as mud. We went to the NRL’s head of football Graham Annesley to help clear up the perceived inconsistencies.
“Generally a hip drop will have the first two elements of holding and rotating. The third element, which is the most critical, is where the body weight lands. Does it land directly on the limb or on the ground first,” Annesley said.
“That is the key differentiator between some of these incidents that on the surface look the same, but the outcome is different.
“That’s the hardest thing to educate people on because they see a similar type action and think ‘hip drop’ and it may not necessarily be one.
“The nature of our game is there will at times be situations where legs get caught under bodies in tackles. What we are trying to prevent is the full body weight of a tackler dropping directly onto unprotected limbs”.
On that explanation, it’s easy to see why Ofahengaue, who’s body weight meets the ground first, was not charged.
Likewise, Mitchell only copping a fine makes sense since his ‘full body weight’ did not land on Russell’s leg. So too Holmes, who landed on Papali’i’s leg but not with his entire body weight.
What frustrates fans is the discrepancy in the on-field adjudication. If the NRL can streamline the on-field ruling on hip drops much of the conversation over confusion goes away. The NRL acknowledges there has been a spike in hip drops but doesn’t believe players are intentionally using the illegal tackle.
Regardless of intention, the tackle is dangerous and needs to be eradicated.
The NRL will also keep urging coaches to teach tackle techniques that help avoid hip drops.
Immortal Andrew Johns believes modern tackling techniques are the main contributor.
“Tackle techniques have changed so much in 10 years … when we played it was get them to the ground as quickly as you can. Now, it’s the opposite. They hold them up and then come and take the legs away and put them down slowly. The philosophies on tackling have changed,” Johns said.
“For foul play, hip drops they’re accidents, I think we should go back to five minutes in the bin,” Johns said.
Knowing a sin bin is coming will force players to have the tackle front of mind. Right now, a player can run the hip drop gauntlet because a sin bin isn’t guaranteed.
MAY DAY
Penrith’s Taylan May has taken a strange approach to being stood down by the NRL under the game’s no fault stand down policy last week.
May took to social media on Sunday to invite fans to join him on a daily ‘walk and talk’, where he is planning to engage with fans.
May’s career is in the balance after he was charged by police for allegedly punching his wife in her face and leg.
The beleaguered Panthers star believes the move will help improve his social skills and give a place for ‘misunderstood’ people to connect.
Penrith had already stood May down from playing duties, and the club is preparing to rip up his two-year extension worth $1.5 million.
May is due to face court on the allegations on Tuesday.
DRAGONS FAIL TO BREATHE FIRE
The look of despair on Shane Flanagan’s face said it all after his side was put to the sword by Canterbury on Thursday night.
Flanagan will be forced to make changes this week with halfback Ben Hunt missing due to Origin duties, Zac Lomax a chance for the Blues and Jack Bird (ankle) facing a stint on the sidelines.
A lot has been said about the Dragons’ roster rebuild but also the crop of up and coming hopefuls waiting for a crack at an NRL spot.
“If you keep getting these results and you keep picking the same side, they’ll find a new coach,” Flanagan said in the post match.
The Dragons will face a Origin-depleted Panthers outfit this week, and there is no better time for Flanagan to make true on his words.
NSW Cup winger Sione Finau scored a treble and made 206 metres and eight tackle busts against the Bulldogs in reserve grade on Thursday, and has now surely earned a look in with the NRL side regardless of Origin and injuries.
Savelio Tamale, who is on the radar of a growing list of NRL rivals, continues to press his claim and the powerful centre should be in serious consideration to replace Bird.
Like Finau, Tamale isn’t afraid of a tough carry out of yardage either.
The likes of Toby and Ryan Couchman are giving Flanagan plenty to think about in the engine room too. Both props churned out 200-plus metres on the weekend and did a mountain of work in defence. Both are in the top 10 for post contact metres in NSW Cup, and given Canterbury ran for almost 600 more metres on Thursday the twin brothers can add some much needed go forward.
Alec Tuitavake and Dylan Egan are also knocking on the door, will Flanagan answer the NSW Cup call?
DISRUPTOR RULE
The law of physics isn’t a forte at The Tackle but there is no way Canterbury playmaker Matt Burton was going to generate enough hang time to catch a bomb that was also being contested by Dragons winger Zac Lomax.
Burton is in the air well before the ball is in reach of the players. According to the rule, a ‘disruptor’ is a player who leaps up after a kick without any real intention of contesting the ball and using his body to impede other players from making a genuine attempt to field the ball.
Referees were giving out disruptor penalties like lollies to start the year but on this occasion opted to put the whistle away. The rule was never popular with the masses, who would gladly see referees put their whistle away on disruptors permanently.
TIGERS DESPAIR
The Wests Tigers are staring at the reality of three-straight wooden spoons.
Benji Marshall took on the role as head coach with no experience and the side’s eight consecutive losses are leaving the rookie coach with nowhere to hide.
Marshall will be given a grace period, and as a club legend has earned the right to prove himself as the right man for the job.
He’s already scored some huge signing coups including brothers Samuela and Latu Fainu; and Penrith premiership winners Jarome Luai and Sunia Turuva for 2025.
But frustrated fans want to see at least an improvement in the Tigers in 2024, and that is yet to happen.
A public roster rebuild will only add to the feeling of instability in the playing ranks. Isaiah Papali’i has been released to the Panthers, while the likes of Charlie Staines, Brent Naden and Jayden Sullivan, who signed a $2 million deal as part of the rebuild, are on the outer.
But shining light Lachlan Galvin does credit Marshall for his development, now it’s on the coach to find a way to improve others on an individual level too – and the wider team improvement will come.
BRONCOS WALL BREAKS
Brisbane can score points but worryingly have shown they can leak them too.
Sunday’s 36-34 shock loss to the Titans was the fourth time in opening 12 rounds that the Broncos have conceded more than 30 points.
Before Sunday, the Broncos also leaked 40 points to the Roosters in round nine, 34 points to the Storm in round five and 34 points to premiers Penrith in round three – all sides standing between Brisbane and a title in 2024.
The Broncos have enough strike, and prowess, across the park to pile on points but that won’t win Brisbane a premiership if Kevin Walters can’t fortify the young side’s defence in the second half of the season.
The Broncos can’t afford to be ambushed by lowly placed sides like the Titans either, not when the battle for a top four spot is as tight as ever.
NRL MUST ACT ON REF ABUSE
The NRL needs to fire up its warning to clubs demanding players stop their “argumentative, intimidatory, and disrespectful” behaviour towards referees because clearly some, like Elliott Whitehead, need a stern reminder.
Only three weeks ago the NRL told all players to pull their heads in or face the consequences, in the wake of the way Kasey Badger was treated by Canterbury and Wests Tigers players in round nine.
Whitehead neither pulled his head or faced any consequences for his over top reaction to being penalised for not clearing the ruck in a tackle of Roosters backrower Angus Crichton on Saturday.
Referee Todd Smith was met with a barrage of foul language from Whitehead and even needed to remind the Canberra skipper to stand up straight while talking to him.
Yes, Smith was talking to a captain but that shouldn’t deter a referee from sending someone that shows disrespect to the sin bin.
“You’ve got to clear the ruck,” Smith tells Whitehead.
“F*** me … you can’t f***ing elbow me,” Whitehead remonstrates.
“Hey, be very careful,” Smith warns.
“Come over here. OK, I had no issue with the tackle … let me talk.
“Let me talk, I’ve listened to what you had to say … stand up. Elliott, stand up mate, I’m not going to talk until you stand up.
“You’re then slow out and you come down on the face on the ground mate.
“He f***ing elbowed me,” Whitehead continues to argue.
“Hey be very careful, you come down like that you risk further action.”
Smith should have taken action then.
There has long been talk in NRL circles about the introduction of a five-minute sin bin, and bringing it back to tackle dissent is a discussion worth having.
Dissent and disrespectful behaviour towards referees must be stamped out.
Canberra coach Ricky Stuart should also be having words with Newcastle-bound, Raiders reserve grader, James Schiller.
Centre Schiller slammed the refereeing in Canberra’s 36-28 win over the Roosters in NSW Cup as “very unprofessional”, and claimed “a lot of the calls not right”.
Schiller’s comments fall under the remit of the NSWRL, who will determine if any further action should be taken on Monday morning.
Whether it’s in reserve grade or NRL, the message should be clear to all players that disrespecting match officials will not be tolerated.
LIKES
LUAI SHINES AT SEVEN
Ivan Cleary tends to keep his cards close to his chest but when he does have something to say the Penrith coach usually doesn’t mince his words.
“Is he ready for that? That’s the question mark I would think,” Cleary said in November when asked if five-eighth Jarome Luai could be a chief playmaker in the no. 7 jumper during contract negotiations.
The three-time premiership winner has answered the coach’s question, and emphatically. Luai has been in a purple patch of form in recent weeks with the no. 7 on his back, playing himself back into the NSW Blues side.
He’s also proven the Wests Tigers right to throw the kitchen sink, and $6 million over five years, to secure his services as a chief playmaker.
Luai’s footwork, speed, unassuming strength and skill with the ball in hand has come to the fore, no more than in Penrith’s demolition of Cronulla.
He was everywhere, played both sides of the field, demanded the football, took the game by the scruff of the neck and his kicking game strangled the Sharks. It bodes well for the Tigers, the Blues and a Penrith side missing its general Nathan Cleary.
SKIPPER LATRELL
Skipper duties looked good on South Sydney superstar Latrell Mitchell. Now, we aren’t suggesting he should replace Cameron Murray. Murray is the heart of that football side but there is no doubt Mitchell is its soul.
Mitchell is the most influential player in that side and should carry the responsibility as co-skipper too. It only makes sense.
Mitchell showed a lot of restraint when sent to the sin bin for a hip drop tackle, and then again when referee Chris Butler didn’t do the same to Joe Ofahengaue for a similar tackle.
The superstar fullback is already a spiritual leader on and off the field, co-skipper duties makes it official. Then there’s the subject of Mitchell’s best position for the Bunnies.
Many have called for the fullback to revert back into the centres but interim coach Ben Hornby has revealed he’s toyed with the idea of playing Mitchell at five-eighth. It could be the move to get Mitchell more involved -and in the front line – in attack.
His skill, power and unpredictability make Mitchell a scary halves proposition for rival defences.
GRUDGE MATCH
Four years ago, and on debut, then Tigers rookie Shawn Blore made a beeline for Parramatta lock Nathan Brown with the fiery duo clashing three times in just 60 seconds. It left Brown baying for Blore’s blood.
Blore labelled one of the tackles on Brown “the best I’ve ever made … or definitely my favourite one.”
And Blore did it with a smile on his face. On Friday night, the enforcers locked horns again in what is the most underrated personal running battles in the game.
Brown, now in Sea Eagles colours, made a beeline for Blore in the Storm defence returning the first hit up in the second half.
Blore went out of his way to man handle Brown, and the Manly forward wasn’t having any of it.
Blore not only stood over Brown, but face-to-face with a grin from ear to ear, getting under the Manly’s forwards skin to the point he retaliated.
The two sides don’t clash again in the regular season but if they meet in the finals, the running battle between these two charges is enough to circle the date in the calendar.
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