Now, plenty has been made of the banning of the shoulder charge in the NRL. A tackle that has been executed for over 100 years has been removed from the game with concussions being sighted as a contributing factor. A few problems that I have with this is that they have said that shoulder charges are becoming more prevalent in today's game. Yet statistics released by the NRL have shown only 0.05% of tackles in 2012 were shoulder charges. 17% of those shoulder charges made contact with the head with less of those resulting in a concussion.
A major focus of the NRL of late has been concussions and the research conducted into their long-term effects on the brain. The NRL's main source you ask? The National Football League in the United States. A few problems with using the research conducted by the NFL. Players, up until 2 seasons ago, were permitted to tackle with their heads. Making concussion much more likely. Also, receivers jumping in mid-air have no protection meaning they can be hammered as soon as they touch the ball. As a result you see many mid-air collisions with bodies coming into contact with heads. Another thing, the running style of receivers and running backs when they have the ball is to charge head first at the defence in order to protect the ball. It doesn't take a genius to work out that running at the defence head first is putting your health at risk.
How can the NRL rely on these statistics when the NFL's rules allow for blows to the head as a legal part of the game? Sure the NRL is a contact sport and occasional head knocks will occur but research needs to be conducted by the NRL to determine the extent of brain injuries caused by concussion during rugby league games. Thinking about the way concussions occur in rugby league, we see many more concussions due to head clashes, incorrect positioning when tackling (ie, defender leading with head instead of shoulder) and regular high tackles (swinging arm) than those due to a shoulder charge. The NRL needs to look at this and re-assess why the shoulder charge was removed..
Replies
Super for your own good and own credability try and write a blog without comparing RL to another overseas sport or sport in general, the reason you have no takers here is because people are getting board of reading this one dimentional crap, really its getting sad mate, you can do better than this, but im starting to have some serious doubts..
Like most of my blogs that mention other sports this isn't a direct comparison. I'm using it to illustrate a point. It's true that the NRL uses research conducted by the NFL to justify the banning of the shoulder charge. How am I supposed to write this blog coherently and get my point across without describing what happens in gridiron?
I agree with your blog. From my own personal experience playing footy much lower than the top grade and also from watching top flight footy its not the shoulder charges that are responsible for the most serious injuries.
They got a focus because of a couple of spectacular incidents last year as well as what is going on in gridiron - but as you say, Gridiron is a totally different beast.
The brain damage resulting from both concussion and repeated jarring is well documented. Whether it's from NFL-type impact, from boxing, or from soccer players heading the ball, repeated jarring causes brain damage, and concussion compounds it.
If such a small part of the game (just one in every two thousand tackles) has such a high rate of danger (almost a fifth of them hitting the head) then it would perhaps be irresponsible to allow them to continue.
LOL
What I'd like to see is research done by the NRL on brain injuries suffered by NRL players. Not getting information from other sports. It would give a better insight to what goes on in the athletes' bodies that play our game. The NFL and NRL are 2 different sports and as a result they need to have their own research done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlv6BrrxD_4
I see a real problem with the banning of the shoulder charge. Biggest problem bieng determining if a takle was a shoulder charge or a solid frontal should hit. This will create more grey areas in a sport that is already full of grey areas. I see plenty of complaining and divided views this year over this issue.
And the shoulder charge will not even be allowed to be used by a winger on a winger in the act of scoring a try, i heard Danial Anderson interviewed as he is the new boss of the refs, he said that under no circumstances will it be allowed to be used and used that senario as an example, the rull is going to be turned into a shit fight, it was part of the game, players play the game knowing that, its only the wowsers and soft muppets that want it gone and its a disgrace that its been outlawed.
Couldnt agree with you more. Basically wingers are going to have to let the opposing winger just stroll in for a try. Instinct will take over and wingers will put shoulder charges on in try scoring situations and get suspended for it. I see a sh&t load of suspensions in 2013.