Colman’s Call: Heaven knows what Artie Beetson would think about shoulder-charge rule

COLMAN’S CALL: One of the best things about rugby league is that it is an ever-evolving game. One of the worst things about rugby league is that it is an ever-evolving game.

Artie Beetson in 1976.

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ONE of the best things about rugby league is that it is an ever-evolving game.

One of the worst things about rugby league is that it is an ever-evolving game.

It seems every year the powers that run the show feel duty-bound to bring in some monumental change that is going to thrill crowds, ensure the safety of players and end all contentious decisions.

Sometimes that is exactly what happens. Other times, not so much.

Those who believe in change tell you, “there’s no evolution without revolution”. Those who don’t would say, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

Titans player Ryan James successfully challenged a shoulder-charge citing. Picture: AAP

The late great Artie Beetson was firmly in the second camp. He so disapproved of the changes made to the game he’d played and loved that he refused to take part in rugby league’s centenary celebrations — even when he was selected in the Team of the Century.

Artie was upset, among other things, that rugby league had become the only football code in the world in which players were not permitted to contest for the ball.

For someone who earned his stripes — and scars — hooking for the ball in the scrum and play-the-ball, he felt it had gone soft.

Heaven knows what he’d think about the shoulder-charge rule.

For that matter, it would be interesting to know what the rule-makers think about the shoulder-charge rule. Based on the shemozzle over the Ryan James citing this week, no one seems to be too sure.

Back in Artie’s day the shoulder charge was considered a legitimate tackle. Fair enough if it is now considered an illegitimate assault, but as the judiciary showed on Tuesday night, there is a grey area.

Surely there is a big difference between a defender charging into a ball-carrier with his shoulder, and one protecting himself when the ball-carrier bears down on him before he has time to get into a tackling position.

I wouldn’t like to have to demonstrate, but I would have thought a defender putting his hands up at the point of impact to avoid a visit to the judiciary would be more of a threat to his safety than bracing himself side-on.

Artie Beetson.

Not that all the new rules being brought in to protect players are debatable.

Artie used to call his era “jungle warfare”, and you only have to go to YouTube to see he was right.

Last week I watched highlights of the 1968 grand final in which Souths’ Ron Coote knocked out Manly’s Bill Bradstreet.

Referee Col Pearce gave Coote a caution and he stayed on. Even more astonishing, so did Bradstreet.

These days he would have gone for a concussion test and likely not returned, which surely not even Big Artie would argue about.

As for Coote, he would have been straight off and up before the judiciary where the punch would be replayed in angles captured by the Bunker.

Ah, the Bunker. League’s monument to evolution.

Don’t get me started.

Originally published as Colman’s Call: Heaven knows what Artie Beetson would think about shoulder-charge rule