Wade McKinnon has had a disc removed and will face years of recovery , the storm players must be held accountable and so too the storm club for teaching those players to tackle that way .
The storm club has been in trouble for years for using dangerous tackle techniques and these players have no excuse for what happened . While accidents do occur , the techniques used by those players were ones that the club has used for several years . These players are well aware of the dangers of spear tackles . And yes it was a spear tackle as they lifted his legs and drove him into the ground . Not only does the player have to suffer but so too the players family .
The storm players must be suspended for at least 12 weeks and Cameron smith fined for his comments -period ! The storm club is guilty and should be sactioned by the NRL and face heavy penalties and they should be accountable for all mc kinnons costs now and into the future !
I still however want the shoulder charge brought back but no contact to the head .The spear tackle is far more dangerous and if you look closely you will see the player had no choice on how he landed .
The players should have let go once he was lifted . You may say it happen so quick but these are professional players who have split second decision making so there is no excuses for what happened .
Cameron smith is a total grub ,a dishonest fool and I am disgusted with his support for those players . As the face of the Melbourne storm club , Cameron smith should have focused his support to the injured player .
Yes you support your own team but when something happens like this the focus must be on the injured player . Cameron smith has shown that he is very cold and shallow and not a real role model for children and to this sport
Cameron smith should be fined very heavily for bringing the game into disrepute !! I hope that all eels supporters give Cameron smith the welcome he deserves next time we play them , especially at parra stadium .
He is a sneaky lowlife grub and nothing more .
Your comments please , I will read them and I want you views on what punishment should be given to the players , Cameron smith and the storm club who coached them on how to tackle !!
EME
Replies
Melbourne Storm’s Jordan McLean has been stood down and referred straight to the NRL judiciary for his dangerous throw on Alex McKinnon.
McKinnon sustained a broken neck as a result of the tackle committed by McLean in the Storm’s victory over the Knights at AAMI Park last night.
The NRL released a statement this afternoon stating that no date for the hearing has been set but due to the seriousness of McKinnon’s injury it was in the best interest of everyone involved to stand McLean down this weekend.
“Our immediate priority is to throw our support behind Alex and his family and to hope for a full recovery,” Todd Greenberg said.
“A date will be determined for Jordan’s hearing after we consult with the Melbourne and Newcastle clubs.
“Jordan will be stood down from this week’s match in Perth and until the matter is heard in line with the NRL’s rules. However, the Storm have the right under the rules to seek leave from the NRL Judiciary Chairman for Jordan to play.”
Meanwhile, Souths prop George Burgess has pleaded guilty to his careless high tackle charge but will be hoping to play this weekend by contesting the grade two charge and having it downgraded at the judiciary tomorrow night.
This is causing a huge difference of opinion so as long as the debate is civil I'm all for discussing this.
Firstly, I don't think a single player can be blamed for this. There were 3 in the tackle and they all contributed. Many are arguing that McKinnon contributed himself by putting his head in the wrong position. This may all well be true but I want to focus on one thing.
A YOUNG MAN HAD HIS NECK BROKEN PLAYING RUGBY LEAGUE.
I don't believe it is correct to simply say 'accidents happen' so let's forget about it and move on. A player breaking his neck playing rugby league is not acceptable. Some will argue that others like Ben Ross for example had similar injuries and that they are just accidental by products of the game. Sure in a contact sport where bodies are moving at speed collisions will occur, sometimes ugly, awkward collisions that can result in devastating injuries. In the tangle of bodies in motion accidents are unavoidable but I see the McKinnon incident differently.
McKinnon's injury wasn't merely the by product of bodies in motion colliding awkwardly. McKinnon's injury is the by product of a deliberate strategy to slow down the play the ball. His neck is broken today because in the pursuit of winning, tactics are being employed that endanger player's health.
Up until now these slow-down tactics have seen lesser injuries occur like pecs torn through chicken wings for example. The recent introduction of the cannon-ball tackle, another tactic to slow down the play the ball was subsequently banned very quickly as it was obvious this was endangering the well-being of a player who was vulnerable. I believe 3 men lifting 1 man and driving him backwards is just another example of endangering the well-being of a player who is completely vulnerable and as we now know, the result has been disastrous.
The NRL cannot let this stand. They must act immediately to ban the lifting of players by multiple defenders regardless of whether they pass the horizontal or not.
However a longer term view is needed here for the future of the game as well. How did we get to the point where a great tackle around the legs is deemed ineffective? Where defenders barely have time to square up at marker even when they are defending well? When wrestling and slowing down the play the ball became a defending team's No. 1 priority.
I hope the McKinnon incident serves as a wake up call to change the game for the better.
Referees are already instructed to call held as soon as a player's feet leave the ground. You can't ban players being lifted, that's just ridiculous. Think about it. As a defender you come up for a one on one tackle and hit the guy around his ribs meaning you can pick him up and drive him backwards. That's a good, copybook tackle. I do think though, that something needs to be done about players being lifted in gang tackles as that's where these incidents usually occur.
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