Legends can’t agree on hip drop tackle as Sharks down Roosters

The NRL has left the fans and commentators alike baffled as the game’s new hot button issues once again raised its ugly head.

Was this a hip drop? Photo: Fox Sports

The hip drop tackle has once again been moved to the forefront of the NRL after yet another player was sin binned for the act, despite legends of the game being unable to agree on what it actually is.

The Cronulla Sharks claimed a hard fought 22-12 win over the Sydney Roosters but were assisted by 55 per cent of possession and three sin bins at PointsBet Stadium.

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The Sharks scored the decisive try when Brandon Smith was sin binned for head contact in the 75th minute, while Victor Radley was given his marching orders for a professional foul minutes later.

But it was the first sin bin that reignited the confusion over the hip drop tackle.

It was in the 15th minute with the Sharks attacking the Roosters like that Briton Nikora ducked under one tackle, leaving Nat Butcher to make the tackle.

The Roosters second rower wasn’t in a great position, coming in from the side and slipped onto the back of Nikora’s legs.

The Sharks second rower clutched his ankle, but continued to play the full 80 minutes.

Initially, on Fox Sports commentary, Steve Roach said he thought Nikora had twisted his ankle.

Nikora had the ankle checked by the trainer. Photo: Fox Sports

However, he was quickly convinced Nikora was the latest victim of the hip drop.

“That is a dangerous tackle there, a semi-hip drop,” he said. “Just the way they wrap themselves under and pull them back towards the tackle.”

Matt Russell said the hip drop had been a hot-button issue in the NRL and the tackle “brought it sharply back into focus”.

Michael Ennis admitted Nikora had shrugged Butcher off the tackle and the sin bin was as had been expected as the NRL crackdown on the tackle.

The hip-drop features once again and Nat Butcher is on his way for 10.

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He said it was similar to a tackle from the Warriors’ Marata Niukore, which cost him a two week suspension

That tackle had seen Niukore lunge at Siosifa Talakai from behind and drag him to the ground.

Even that tackle was controversial as Brad Fittler said of Niukore’s tackle: “Talakai was pulling through the tackle. There was no other place for Niukore to be other than behind him.”

It’s hard to argue against Fittler’s take on the Talakai tackle and directly compare it to the Butcher tackle.

Was this a hip drop? Photo: Fox Sports

Grant Atkins had no choice. Photo: Fox Sports

But at halftime, Greg Alexander and Gorden Tallis were split on whether it was a hip drop.

“It happens quick but it doesn’t look like there’s much time thinking,” Alexander said echoing Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou’s comments last week.

“When you slow it down, it looks like that’s intentional because he’s had time to think about what he’s doing but ends up on the back of the legs.

“Does that sort of tackle happen at training? And they play opposed, but those sorts of tackles don’t happen at training.

“Was there another option for Nat Butcher? I don’t know because it was so quick.”

Interestingly after Demetriou’s comments over a Jacob Preston tackle, the Bulldogs forward wasn’t charged.

But Tallis disagreed.

“He loses grip up top and he’s fallen to the ground, he happens to have fallen on the legs,” Tallis said. “That’s not the Carrigan, where he’s still got hold, he’s got his hands around his hips and he drives the butt into the lower legs. That’s not a classic hip drop to me.”

Post match, Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon said both Nikora and Butcher should be fine after the incident.

But Roosters coach Trent Robinson suggested the NRL needs to work out how best to deal with the issue.

“It’s common in our game that guys get into that position,” he said. “It’s disappointing that there was nothing wrong with him. He plays 70 minutes after that, there was no injury whatsoever. But the cause of what happens in that moment, Butch gets 10.

“Shouldn’t end up in those positions but if you did every single one of those, we would be having 10-a-side. I understand the injury ones but there was no injury.”