The Tackle: Dean Ritchie reveals his likes and dislikes from round 4 of the NRL

Veteran Fox League commentator Andrew Voss has apologised to Jackson Hastings after being on the receiving end of a bizarre spray from the Knights halfback. See the full exchange in The Tackle.

Fox League commentator Andrew Voss has issued a public apology to Newcastle’s Jackson Hastings over comments made during Sunday’s match in Auckland.

Cameras panned to a group sitting on the Mt Smart Stadium hill who appeared to be Knights’ NSW Cup players.

Voss, calling the match for Fox Sports, made a tongue-in-cheek comment saying Hastings was among the throng and was asleep.

Hastings was clearly irritated and took to social media to post: “Unsure who is commentating our game but to make a false statement about me ‘sleeping’ on the hill when I’m currently sitting in the grandstand with the rest of my team is ridiculous but not surprising, to go with multiple lies told over the last few weeks.

“If you’re going to make a claim that you’re ‘100 per cent’ make sure you’re 100 per cent, because you’re wrong, again.”

Voss’s classy response to bizarre exchange.

Jackson Hastings’ original post calling out Andrew Voss on X. The post has since been deleted.

It was a light-hearted comment and not in any way meant to be derogatory towards Hastings, who was dropped to reserve grade last week.

Voss took to social media to apologise.

He posted: “Apology to you Jackson. Certainly wasn’t delivered with any critical intent. Mistake made.

“Hope we are calling you in the top grade against next week v Dragons.”

Hastings replied: “Appreciate it Vossy, all love and respect mate.”

One punter responded to Hastings’ original post by saying Voss’ comment was “light hearted in a joking nature. (Hastings) loves an outrage.”

And another said: “Not everyone is out to get you, bro. It was just a tongue-in-cheek comment. Focus on what you can control and stop letting everything get to you. Let the footy do the talking.”

Some of the responses to Jackson Hastings' tweet.

Dean Ritchie is back once again to dive into the highs and lows of round four of the NRL.

LIKES

A fractured jaw may force the NRL to consider following America’s NFL in banning the heavy collision kick return.

It would be a sad day for rugby league but the game cannot tolerate concussion risks through high speed, high intensity collisions from kick offs.

Bulldogs left edge forward Jacob Preston suffered the jaw break after a colossal impact with 118kg Souths prop Shaq Mitchell, who was charging back from a kick off.

Giant forwards – one attacking, the others defending - with a 20 metre run-up and running 30km/hr – can cause catastrophic brain damage at the point of collision.

There is no doubt the NRL privately wants clubs to employ short kicks off to avoid the heavy contact - and possible head knocks - when rampaging front-rowers charge back 20 to 30 metres off the back fence.

Banning long kicks off, and long-range drop outs, may be part of the NRL’s determined and increasing push to reduce concussion.

Mitchell surged 20 metres from a kick off before crashing into Preston, who collapsed to the ground. He passed an HIA but x-rays reveals he had a fractured jaw.

The shot that left Jacob Preston with a broken jaw. Picture: Fox League

“Big collision,” said Immortal and Nine commentator, Andrew Johns. Mitchell was later forced off after complaining of blurred vision.

It won’t be liked by the hard-nose traditionalists but the NRL could investigate only allowing short kick offs or perhaps a tap restart from the 20 metre line, after a try, rather than a long kick off.

“I love the hits from long kick offs but the contact can be sickening and violent,” said NFL legend Col Scotts, an NRL fan. “The collisions are getting more and more damaging and the brain has no shock absorber.

“Those long kick offs could damage the brain more than any other part of the game, as rugby league gets bigger and faster.”

The NFL has changed the rules to combat the kick off collision.

A Yahoo report in America says: “The changes were made in hopes of limiting the high-speed collisions that made kickoffs so dangerous while incentivising more returns after a sharp rise in touchbacks in recent years.

“Standard kicks will still begin from the 35 but everything else will look different. The 10 kick coverage players will line up at the opposing 40, with five on each side of the field.

“The return team will have at least nine blockers lined up in the “set up zone” between the 30- and 35-yard line with at least seven of those players touching the 35. Up to two returners will be allowed inside the 20.”

Liam Martin takes out Sitili Tupouniua. Pic: Fox League

ROBBO WON’T LIKE THE CALL BUT AT LEAST NRL FRONTS UP

THE NRL has revealed why the bunker allowed Penrith a controversial try against Sydney Roosters – but the reasoning may not be accepted by coach Trent Robinson.

Penrith’s Liam Martin collided with two Roosters while a decoy runner in the lead-up to a Sunia Turuva try on Thursday night.

Martin bumped Sitili Tupouniua and Luke Keary with both Roosters appearing to have their run impacted in trying to reach the play runner.

“It was reviewed by the bunker in the background, and determined there was no impact on anyone that could have prevented the try,” said NRL head of football, Graham Annesley.

The Roosters’ anger comes after centre Joey Manu appeared to score a fair try only for bunker official Chris Butler – in what can only be described as a brain fart – to rule there was an obstruction 20 metres away from the play.

Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves had pushed through the line, as is required as a decoy. Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards then ran into Waerea-Hargraves.

One ex-coach contacted The Tackle to say: “One of the worst obstruction bunker decisions I have ever seen. I couldn’t believe it. Now they have set precedents.”

The NRL later admitted it was a horrible mistake.

ARE DIAMONDS FOREVER?

Brisbane’s heritage ‘diamond jersey’ caused plenty of debate over the weekend.

The Broncos returned to the jumper first worn in 1994 – when they were the reigning premiers - in Friday night’s win over North Queensland at Suncorp Stadium.

The jumper was generally well accepted, plenty were seen around Suncorp Stadium, with the club selling out just 24 hours after the retro jerseys went on sale.

About 1000 jumpers were sold.

“Fans love the diamonds and they also love the jumper’s collar,” said Broncos head of communications and media, Steele Tallon.

Club legend Darren Lockyer, who made his debut in 1995, is on the record declaring the diamonds jersey as his favourite. “Sure, I liked the original jersey in which the club played its first game and won its first two premierships, but there was something about the diamond design that struck a chord with me,” Lockyer told the Broncos website in 2015. It was terrific to see Billy Walters and Tristan Sailor carving up in the diamond strip worn with such distinction by their respective fathers Kevin and Wendell.

Brisbane hooker Walters added: “I like it, the diamond jersey is a pretty stand out jersey from the 90s, so it’s pretty cool.”

Hopefully we see the diamond jersey again soon.

Darren Lockyer in the diamond strip in 1995.

DISLIKES

TIME FOR CAMPBELLTOWN TIGERS TO STEP UP

Okay, fair enough, Leichhardt Oval is decaying and may fail short of NRL ground standards within the next year so how about Wests Tigers’ Macarthur fan base start coming out in numbers?

At least the Leichhardt faithful actually make an effort to attend games.

The Campbelltown fans seem to complain a lot about a lack of footy but never turn up when games are scheduled for Sydney’s south west.

The average crowd at Campbelltown Stadium over the past two years has been a modest 9464. The Leichhardt average during the same period was 13,500.

Leichhardt pulled 16,000 fans last week. It was magic. Campbelltown’s biggest crowd since 2022 was 11,201.

We keep getting told Macarthur is a burgeoning area for rugby league.

How about the Macarthur supporters actually prove to the NRL that they deserve more games.

If they don’t, then there’s no way Campbelltown should get more games if Leichhardt is closed for NRL matches.

Wests Tigers play at Campbelltown in round six against St George Illawarra before returning again in round eight against Brisbane.

Let’s see how many fans turn up.

Broncos fans love Corey Oates.

OATES CAUSING A STIR FOR KEVVIE

Did you hear the massive cheer that went up at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night when Broncos fan favourite Corey Oates was used off the bench?

And that roar became ever louder when big Corey completed his first hit up, which set up a try to teammate Ezra Mam.

I couldn’t help but wonder whether coach Kev Walters was in the crosshairs of Broncos fans for dropping Oates.

You clearly don’t pick players on emotion – or past heroics - but Oates is much loved in Brisbane and fans don’t appear too pleased about his well-publicised snub in recent weeks.

Oates only came into the Broncos side late in the week after back-rower Brendan Piakura was ruled out with an ankle injury.

Let’s see what happens in the Broncos selection room this Tuesday.

Jack Wighton pulls down Jacob Preston. Pic: Fox League

GOOD HIP DROP CALL ON PLATH BUT WHAT ABOUT JACK?

The Dolphins’ Max Plath was correctly hit with a grade three dangerous contact charge for an ugly hip drop tackle on Gold Coast’s Phillip Sami.

He is facing a two to three match suspension. It was a shocker.

But why wasn’t South Sydney’s Jack Wighton charged for a hip drop on Canterbury’s Jacob Preston on Friday night?

Wighton escaped sanction after the NRL match review committee deemed he didn’t land on Preston’s legs.

Canterbury is privately furious after Preston was sin binned for a similar tackle last year. Those close to Preston are questioning the NRL’s consistency.

WOMEN’S DRUBBING NOT A GOOD LOOK

Games in the women’s Lisa Fiaola Cup and Tarsha Gale Cup became farcical on Saturday when Canterbury played St George at Kogarah.

The Bulldogs scored 19 tries to record a 98-0 win in the Lisa Fialo Cup with halfback Olivia Vaalele scoring two tries and kicking 11 goals for a personal tally of 30 points.

It was 40-0 at halftime. The Bulldogs have won eight from eight this year with a points difference of +420.

And then Canterbury buried Saints 64-0 in a Tarsha Gale Cup.

That’s a total of 162-0.

Canterbury women’s program, under the expert guidance of former first grade forward Barry Ward, and the Warriors have been named as NRLW expansion sides for 2025.

The women’s game has progressed so far in such a short space of time but clearly there is a lot of work to be done in regards to player depth.

TIGERS COP IT AGAIN

Poor old Wests Tigers fans keep getting slugged.

We told you last week it cost them a whopping $55 to sit on the Wayne Pearce Hill at Leichhardt Oval.

Now we’re getting messages of complaint over the $65 being charged to sit in the away bay for Monday’s big match against Parramatta at CommBank Stadium.

One punter said the seats were “nosebleed” and prices were “madness.”

“It would cost $170 for my wife and I to go – what a joke,” he said.

Blake Lawrie grabs a piece of Josh Aloiai's hair. Pic: Fox League

LEAVE THE HAIR ALONE BLAKE

WHAT would prompt any player to pull the hair of a rival, particularly when you’re a big, rough prop?

It’s hardly the actions of a hardened middle.

Dragons prop Blake Lawrie was placed on report for pulling the hair of Manly prop Josh Aloiai on Saturday.

He won’t be suspended, nor should he, but Lawrie was charged with contrary conduct and faces a fine of either $1800 or $2500, depending on his plea.

Worse than a fine will be the damage to Lawrie’s tough-guy reputation.

“We don’t want to see those things in our game,” said Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga.

COWBOYS WOBBLY UNDER THE HIGH BALL

No doubt Des Hasler watched with interest when North Queensland played Brisbane on Friday night.

Cowboys stars Scott Drinkwater, Murray Taulagi and Kyle Feldt fumbled and bumbled bombs from Adam Reynolds, virtually gifting Brisbane a win.

Yes, conditions were horrible but no doubt Drinkwater, Feldt and Taulagi will be heavily targeted with high balls by Hasler’s Titans this Sunday in Townsville.

Originally published as The Tackle: Dean Ritchie reveals his likes and dislikes from round 4 of the NRL