Petition to sack Vlandys and Abdo

[King Salvo]

That is a presumption that the players are questioning. 6-again has resulted in more injuries. The value of larger forwards dropped overnight. You reckon those players should be thankful? Ricky Stuart was right in saying he now has to change his large roster to suit new rules which could take years. Should the Raiders players be thankful?

Then there is the high tackle interpretation changes. Players don't want to "tackle lower" for fear of concussion. Radley was adamant you need to pre-meditate tackling lower which is a dangerous thing to do. Watch the replay of the Raiders winger getting concussed tackling Suaalii late in the game. I am sure he thought it was a brilliant idea right up until Suaalii put on some nice footwork and twisted his body to perfect line up his hip with the defender's head.

Let the players have some say in what is best for them. The fact they have not been given a say suggests there are other agendas at play.

I think it's presumptuous of Stuart saying he has to change his roster as he wasn't saying that last year when they were doing much better though - Looks like he is starting to lose the dressing room and has somewhat of a divided team.

There are no high tackle interpretation changes all that is happening is acts of foul play and misconduct are being dealt with on the field instead of being flicked solely to the MRC/Judiciary to deal with them and charge players.

As Robbo said the incidents vs Parra should have been dealt with on the field so now that they are and should have always been since the match officials have the discretion to report/sin bin and send players off as per the rules no one at least from the Chooks side can complain.

It was poor technique as the Canberra winger put his head in the wrong place though attempting that tackle. - had to be at the side of the ball carrier - you hit with with your shoulder with your head at the side and drive through.

As you can see below some text book tackles showing the correct positioning of the defenders head. You can see that Suaalii has been well schooled in tackling low and has a text book style. mmm a 17 year can tackle low and these seasoned players say it's too dangerous and too hard for them to change their ways.

Giving players more say in how the game is run and operates is thwart with danger - like having Dracula as CEO of the Red Cross Blood bank somewhat

[The Skeez]

‘Hindsight is a wonderful tool. We could have done things better’

By Adrian Proszenko

June 3, 2021 — 7.46pm

ARLC chairman Peter V’landys has promised to bring NRL players into the fold in the future, declaring in hindsight he “could have done things better” in implementing the controversial crackdown on head-high contact.

Players from each of the 16 clubs have penned a letter to the NRL expressing their frustrations about a lack of consultation on key issues. Their collective position was articulated after the Rugby League Players’ Association had a Zoom meeting with its player delegates on Wednesday night. The result is a letter that will be sent to V’landys and NRL CEO Andrew Abdo on Thursday night seeking a greater say in issues that pertain to them.

The signatures are the 11 members of the union’s player advisory group - Daly Cherry-Evans, Christian Welch, Moses Mbye, Blake Green, Michael Morgan, Josh Hodgson, Sia Soliola, Dale Copley, Wade Graham, Damien Cook and Alex Glenn - as well as a senior member from the clubs that weren’t represented.

V’landys said he welcomed the correspondence and was committed to fostering a strong relationship between head office and the players.

“Like anything in life, hindsight is a wonderful tool and certainly we could have done things better,” V’landys told the Herald. “This is probably the case here. However, the intention was never to disrespect the players because the opposite is the case.

“We do respect the players greatly. We will ensure there are better communication channels in the future.”

ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys and RLPA chief Clint Newton.

V’landys had separate meetings with RLPA boss Clint Newton and Cherry-Evans and said he was looking forward to working together with both of them closely.

“I spoke to Daly Cherry-Evans and appreciated his call,” V’landys said. “I said he showed great character and leadership during the call and I look forward to working with him.
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“I also had a meeting with Clint, which was very positive. Both of us appreciated that we will work together in the future.”

While several big-name stars have been outspoken about the crackdown on high shots, the consensus among the playing group is that they support any measures to increase player safety. However, they feel they weren’t properly consulted in that process or other issues such as recent rule changes, an upcoming players poll, a State of Origin documentary, and delays in finalising the women’s competition.

“It’s public knowledge that we met our leaders on Wednesday night,” Newton said. “Everyone is acutely aware of some of the frustrations and the commentary recently. It’s our job to bring those collective views together and then provide a correspondence to the NRL.

“It’s a request from the playing group to work with them and bring about change. We truly believe it will result in better outcomes for the game.”

[ism22]

> I think it's presumptuous of Stuart saying he has to change his roster as he wasn't saying that last year when they were doing much better though - Looks like he is starting to lose the dressing room and has somewhat of a divided team.

Poor sticky. No more 5 man strips... might have to learn how to coach! What an outrage.

> There are no high tackle interpretation changes all that is happening is acts of foul play and misconduct are being dealt with on the field instead of being flicked solely to the MRC/Judiciary to deal with them and charge players.

The guidance on what to penalise has changed. There is now a zero tolerance, zero warnings, zero accidents... send-off AND suspend them right away approach.

I've said this before but your argument is like (for example) posting a bunch of cops out on a busy street to ping EVERY driver who is 1km over the limit and EVERY person who they see j-walking. Zero tolerance, zero warnings... go crazy and throw the book at everybody.

You're not changing the law, but you're changing your policy position such that the rules of engagement are substantially different. TBH 99% of the law in some matters is knowing what the government's policy stance is on a given matter.

> As you can see below some text book tackles showing the correct positioning of the defenders head.

IMO the first one shows the tackler getting a knock to the head.

I think a nuance is that players have learned quite advanced wrestling/judo tactics for bringing larger players down. They will now have to un-learn a lot of these (effective) tactics and develop new ways rather than trying to copy a yawnion tackle outta some 50's 'Gentleman's guide to the game they play in heaven' kinda manual.

[King Salvo]

> I think it's presumptuous of Stuart saying he has to change his roster as he wasn't saying that last year when they were doing much better though - Looks like he is starting to lose the dressing room and has somewhat of a divided team.

Poor sticky. No more 5 man strips... might have to learn how to coach! What an outrage.

> There are no high tackle interpretation changes all that is happening is acts of foul play and misconduct are being dealt with on the field instead of being flicked solely to the MRC/Judiciary to deal with them and charge players.

The guidance on what to penalise has changed. There is now a zero tolerance, zero warnings, zero accidents... send-off AND suspend them right away approach.

I've said this before but your argument is like (for example) posting a bunch of cops out on a busy street to ping EVERY driver who is 1km over the limit and EVERY person who they see j-walking. Zero tolerance, zero warnings... go crazy and throw the book at everybody.

You're not changing the law, but you're changing your policy position such that the rules of engagement are substantially different. TBH 99% of the law in some matters is knowing what the government's policy stance is on a given matter.

> As you can see below some text book tackles showing the correct positioning of the defenders head.

IMO the first one shows the tackler getting a knock to the head.

I think a nuance is that players have learned quite advanced wrestling/judo tactics for bringing larger players down. They will now have to un-learn a lot of these (effective) tactics and develop new ways rather than trying to copy a yawnion tackle outta some 50's 'Gentleman's guide to the game they play in heaven' kinda manual.

Why do players have to be warned not to do something which is against the rules in the first place as prescribed under foul play and misconduct - see pages 12 and 13 - or don't players know the rules?

https://www.nrl.com/siteassets/opera...tions_2020.pdf

Why do the general public need to be warned as well not do something like speeding and j walking as you mentioned when it's against the law and why should there be any tolerance or leniency for law breakers.

Of course people would have a different view if they are the ones that have to break the news to families of the death of loved one involved in car accidents as a result of speeding or jwalking - run over by a car, bus or motor cycle.

https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov...toll-daily.pdf

Section 230 of the Road Rules 2014 provides that jaywalking can cost pedestrians up to $220. Should you receive a fine for jaywalking and choose to have the matter determined by a court, the maximum penalty increases to $2,200.

So why don't they teach even basic wrestling , judo and jujitsu defence tactics to kids though and more advanced ones as they get older instead of the ancient ways of defence - mmm I wonder -

It's got naff all to do with bringing larger players down it's about slowing the play the ball down pure and simple/ Chicken wings, hip drops, turtling, surrender and dominant tackles, crushers , grapples, rolling pin , head locks, double pikes with a half twist you name them all to do with this rubbish wrestling , judo and jujitsu style of defence

I don't know of anyone who likes the wrestling,judo and jujitsu defence except the NRL coaches and players - all this rubbish oh i can't tackle any other way is total bunkum as they didn't tackle that way when playing junior footy did they.

I am with Sterlo it not liking the way the game is played and certainly not alone and my interest in the game has declined as result.

NRL needs to rid the game of the wrestling, judo and jujitsu trainers and this style of defence.

People are banging on how the high tackles crackdown is ruining the fabric of the game mmm what has the wrestling , judo and jujitsi done to the game though.

[Grant Hedger]

So the SOO ref says he’s going the referee Origin the same as NRL games have been over recent weeks. Give us a break you stooge. The head high tackle hasn’t been refereed consistently for consecutive weeks with a softening from the magic round mania. Unfortunately the roosters got the worst of it with suspensions for incidents that now are barely a penalty. Dirty play like trips are now ok, whilst a decent hard tack where a shoulder barely brushes a chin warrants a 3 week suspension. Rugby League, you have lost credibility, and referees, you are mostly incompetent, largely biased and wholly beholden to the dopes that think they run they game. I’m willing to bet that this year’s SOO will have the lowest ratings for years. A lot of fans have turned off.

[player 1]

So the SOO ref says he’s going the referee Origin the same as NRL games have been over recent weeks. Give us a break you stooge. The head high tackle hasn’t been refereed consistently for consecutive weeks with a softening from the magic round mania. Unfortunately the roosters got the worst of it with suspensions for incidents that now are barely a penalty. Dirty play like trips are now ok, whilst a decent hard tack where a shoulder barely brushes a chin warrants a 3 week suspension. Rugby League, you have lost credibility, and referees, you are mostly incompetent, largely biased and wholly beholden to the dopes that think they run they game. I’m willing to bet that this year’s SOO will have the lowest ratings for years. A lot of fans have turned off.

Yes and how heartwarming to hear this dildo wishes he'd done things differently and talked to the players. But it's ok, he's had a bonding session on the phone with DCE so it's all sweet now. Meanwhile our best and second best forwards sit on the sidelines for 7 weeks because our 5/8 was hospitalised the previous game by an unpunished knee in the back and the "crackdown" was the NRL's response.

Meanwhile Hassler gets off without a fine after blatantly calling the ref a cheat. Our coach was fined for complaining that the Hutcho maiming was incompetently handled.

Also, riddle me this moving forward - have a look at the barge over try by Brandon Smith last night, where he ducks down to a height of around 4 feet before burrowing over - explain to me how a defender front on with him is supposed to stop him going over and scoring without making any contact with his head?

[The Skeez]

I wonder what Nick had to say to Pete at breakfast on Tuesday? Also, I wonder if they spoke Greek to avoid being listened to?

[Mickie Lane]

Whats the count on the petition?
Im sure PVL is worrying himself sick over it.

[NorfolkStreetKid]

Whats the count on the petition?
Im sure PVL is worrying himself sick over it.

Yeah, the idiots couldn't even get to 200. No brains HedgeHog and his mate Pigdog will have to find something else to be outraged about. There had to be something done about the head highs, and he did it. There had to be an initial period of over enforcing to get the message through. We unfortunately were the victim of this over enforcing. But the future of the game is paramount. Players have to learn to keep their arms and shoulders away from other players heads and knecks. The game was never meant to allow high contact, the coaches have introduced that to lock up the ball. I would much prefer to see the game revert to mainly low tackling, and encourage ball movement. Watching 3 blokes standing wrestling another player then falling to the ground is not entertaining.

[King Salvo]

Yeah, the idiots couldn't even get to 200. No brains HedgeHog and his mate Pigdog will have to find something else to be outraged about. There had to be something done about the head highs, and he did it. There had to be an initial period of over enforcing to get the message through. We unfortunately were the victim of this over enforcing. But the future of the game is paramount. Players have to learn to keep their arms and shoulders away from other players heads and knecks. The game was never meant to allow high contact, the coaches have introduced that to lock up the ball. I would much prefer to see the game revert to mainly low tackling, and encourage ball movement. Watching 3 blokes standing wrestling another player then falling to the ground is not entertaining.

100% the wrestling/judo/jiu-jitsu has ruined the game as a spectacle and needs to be also stamped out of the game - these players are only the current custodians of the game not the Governing body or rules committee.

When I read the following article i thought why bother having defense coaches just employ wrestling/judo and jiu-jitsu consultants - the game was never about this type of defensive style and should have never been allowed into the game.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/04/13/...coaching-post/

No wonder why the interest in the game has been declining - viewers and crowds

[The Skeez]

I see more controlling the tackle rather than wrestling here.

[Mickie Lane]

I see more controlling the tackle rather than wrestling here.

Well done Skeez, that’s unreal.

[The Skeez]

Well done Skeez, that’s unreal.

And that’s what Gus has been banging on about. They are highly trained at closing the gap, catching the ballrunner and the third player bringing the player to the ground. All the while giving the defence time to retreat ten and set again for the next play.

[King Salvo]

And that’s what Gus has been banging on about. They are highly trained at closing the gap, catching the ballrunner and the third player bringing the player to the ground. All the while giving the defence time to retreat ten and set again for the next play.

Which is why as a spectacle it has been diminishing in interest as who apart from coaches and players like this type of defence or the over structured robotic play.

Gould said the players had become confused because they were no longer coached to stop a ball-carrier in his tracks. These days the primary consideration instead is slowing the play-the-ball down so the rest of the defensive line has time to get set for the next play.

It is this focus, according to Gould, that has brought the scourge of wrestling into the game and whenever one specific technique is outlawed the next one emerges.

"You should see the way they attack each other at training to perfect these tackling drills," Gould said.

"It's an industry in itself. I feel sorry for them. It's not a matter of rubbing things out we've got to understand how this came about and how we best eradicate it.

The 4 or 5 hit ups and out the back or kick on the last over structured play is hard enough enough watching - The 4 or 5 wrestles with some judo and jiu-jitsu thrown in is making the game increasingly difficult to watch each year.

Well if their NRL goes pear shape they might get a gig in a 3rd or 4th string wrestling troupe perhaps - mmm no Randy Savage/ Honky Tonk Man/ Jim Duggan/ Hulk Hogan/Jake the Snake the Roberts/ George Steele/King Kong Bundy/ Ultimate Warrior/Ricky Steamboat/Andre the Giant etc among them though.

NRL needs a new name NWL (National Wrestling League)

[The Skeez]

Which is why as a spectacle it has been diminishing in interest as who apart from coaches and players like this type of defence or the over structured robotic play.

Gould said the players had become confused because they were no longer coached to stop a ball-carrier in his tracks. These days the primary consideration instead is slowing the play-the-ball down so the rest of the defensive line has time to get set for the next play.

It is this focus, according to Gould, that has brought the scourge of wrestling into the game and whenever one specific technique is outlawed the next one emerges.

"You should see the way they attack each other at training to perfect these tackling drills," Gould said.

"It's an industry in itself. I feel sorry for them. It's not a matter of rubbing things out we've got to understand how this came about and how we best eradicate it.

The 4 or 5 hit ups and out the back or kick on the last over structured play is hard enough enough watching - The 4 or 5 wrestles with some judo and jiu-jitsu thrown in is making the game increasingly difficult to watch each year.

Well if their NRL goes pear shape they might get a gig in a 3rd or 4th string wrestling troupe perhaps - mmm no Randy Savage/ Honky Tonk Man/ Jim Duggan/ Hulk Hogan/Jake the Snake the Roberts/ George Steele/King Kong Bundy/ Ultimate Warrior/Ricky Steamboat/Andre the Giant etc among them though.

NRL needs a new name NWL (National Wrestling League)

The tackle has always had elements of wrestling in it. In fact , rugby and its variants are the wrestling style of football.

The tackle we all long for which few in the NRL are adept at, the drive through the hips, see J Trbojevic, de Belin and our Radley, is the most physically demanding, especially with the 10 metre rule. The less entertaining, catch, hold and bring down, isn’t as impactful or violent but can extend a career such as Cam Smiths.

The piledriver, clothes line, elbow drop, choke slam, Cumberland throws have long been removed from the game.

The domesday clock is ticking