"Open season" on Cooper Cronk

[ROC181]

Its not netball.

Ask yourself this, do you want your forwards to smash the opposition half ?

On a related note, watch this kid Lewis from the Bulldogs, he could kick then sit down and have lunch before anyone gets near him

Re forward smashing the halves, yes of course but hit’s in the back has been something the referees were supposed to be cracking down lately which didn’t Radley cop a week off the last time? Burgess and another player from Canberra did it to Cronk in the last’s weeks yet not even a penalty.

[Bigchook]

Nobody seemed to care when he played for Melbourne.

Exactly. People will whinge about anything.

[Bansai Pipeline]

Good post.

He gets hammered, completely agree.

[Tommy Smith]

I've seen nothing illegal or excessive in the late hits on Cronk. No one has attacked his legs.

It's all fair game. And he's played every game so he hasn't been taken out and injured.

[Thirteen]

Good post.

He gets hammered, completely agree.

Of course he gets hammered. And I hope we do our best to hammer opposition halfbacks (within the rules) too.
Cooper doesn't seem to complain about it. It's not fricken AFL.

[Andrew Walker]

Its not netball.

Ask yourself this, do you want your forwards to smash the opposition half ?

On a related note, watch this kid Lewis from the Bulldogs, he could kick then sit down and have lunch before anyone gets near him

Lincoln Lewis the Mephew of Wally Lewis and yes he seems to have all day to put a kick in Sign of a very good player when they always seem to have so much time on the ball and kit is not only when he kicks either

[bondi.boy]

I've seen nothing illegal or excessive in the late hits on Cronk. No one has attacked his legs.

It's all fair game. And he's played every game so he hasn't been taken out and injured.

The new rules [after that late hit on Thurston ] state that hitting kickers late when the ball has gone is completely illegal.
Hitting kickers high is illegal
Hitting them late and high has always been an offence.

If the refs and the NRL aren't going to protect our players, then they should just say so...and we'll know we can bash other teams kickers.

[RoosterFanNZ]

The new rules [after that late hit on Thurston ] state that hitting kickers late when the ball has gone is completely illegal.
Hitting kickers high is illegal
Hitting them late and high has always been an offence.

If the refs and the NRL aren't going to protect our players, then they should just say so...and we'll know we can bash other teams kickers.

isnt the new rule that refs have complete discretion on it? so one game they can choose to ping every late tackle on the kicker, while the next game with the same refs officiate, they can ignore every late hit?

[ROC181]

Of course he gets hammered. And I hope we do our best to hammer opposition halfbacks (within the rules) too.
Cooper doesn't seem to complain about it. It's not fricken AFL.

It’s not about making the game softer 13 but it’s the fact if JWH or Napa or Radley do it they get penalised. It all goes back to the refs being inconsistent. Actually Cronk did seem to go down a little hard against the raiders but when he saw no penalty coming he got up straight away. Watch Milford do a Greg Louganis half pike on Saturday and see him get a penalty from their marquee player Sutton.

[Hawkeye]

Thurston has gotten hit late a lot more than Cooper.

yeah but when JT was getting hit, Ch9 tried to start some big campaign to stop the late hits on playmakers. No doubt CH9 trying to protect their future investment

[Jacks Fur Coat]

Lincoln Lewis the Mephew of Wally Lewis and yes he seems to have all day to put a kick in Sign of a very good player when they always seem to have so much time on the ball and kit is not only when he kicks either

Lachlan.

Lincoln is Wallys tv star boy.

[ROC181]

Lachlan.

Lincoln is Wallys tv star boy.

Lincoln can’t bowl can’t catch!

[rented tracksuit]

About time it was stopped.
What do our players have to do to stop it...start 20 brawls/riots a game?

I hope so! Bring it back.

[Kelby]

How come opposition players are allowed to often 'bash' Cooper late after nearly every time he has kicked the ball, and often in high tackles...and nothing is done about it by the referees?

Yes, I've noticed he is always smashed to the ground and all seems ok.
I know that it happens to all tactical kickers, but they don't seem to kiss the dirt as much.

[Waylander]

If you don't win the ruck on the 5th to give your kicker the time he needs, then he has to stand deeper so he can kick without being rushed. If he chooses to go to the line and grubber (or pass late), he gets what he gets. There's no law that says a team has to be allowed to get a clean kick away on the 5th. If you choose to kick, then you either give yourself time or get smashed. If you don't have field position or ruck speed to allow you take some time, that's your teams fault, not the defensive sides. If the hit is obviously late, then it's a penalty. If not, dust yourself off & get on with it, as most of the kickers do (with a few penalty-grabbing exceptions).