Collins & the concussion crisis

[Mad_Rabid_Rooster]

I hope Lindsay is okay and doesn't head down the same path as Jake and Boyd. It is a mighty tough hard game alright.

[Thirteen]

Its to do with the tackling technique hardly anyone tackles around the legs - they want to tackle the attacking player in such a away to keep them upright and then work them over and have them on their backs so it slows the play the ball down - If your tackling someone upright you have a greater risk of a head clash not only between the defender and the ball player but other defenders who are also tackling the same way.

If players tackle around the legs the ball carrier will get up and play the ball quicker than in a tackle i mention above.

Look at Friends concussions caused by attempting to tackle the ball carrier upright - Collins concusssion - both he and JWH attempting to tackle the ball carrier standing up - head clash.

Sure players can get concussion when being tackled through contacting with the ground with their heads and or tackling around the legs when they have their head in the wrong position

In you have a ball carrier and defender running at each other at relatively the speed and both upright - what are the chances of a head clash - quite high one would say.

You teach kids when they first start playing to tackle around the legs but as they progress through the age groups the current NRL style of tackling is trained into them and tackling around the legs techniques is less so.

I'm with Sterlo on this in not being a fan of the way the game is played nowadays - if i wanted to watch wrestling i will go to youtube and watch some old WWF video's not during an NRL game.

One of my kids plays for Bondi United. I was assisting the coach yesterday by holding the tackling bags during training. Coach was encouraging them to tackle around the waste not legs.

[ism22]

no doubt it's a worry.
one of our much loved posters suggested the 10m might be partly to blame, giving players enough space to really do damage and that sounds right but going back to a 5m rule probably isn't an option.
what's the answer? in the too hard basket for me. one of the attractions of the game is that it's hard, so change is going to be very difficult

I've had this rant a few times but IMO the ref was calling 'HEEEEELD' way too early for us, to the point where he was denying us the opportunity to 'finish' our tackles. It felt like this gave Souffs a free run of the ball (i.e. they never quite stopped their play between tackles) while we were constantly on the back foot, trying to get back onside before a penalty was called.

The reverse seemed to happen for Souffs as I kept hearing the ref call out 'SURRENDER' while we were running (followed by Souffs pushing us back 5m before we could play the ball).

I know I'm just biased, but that's how the game felt to me. Maybe it's our coaching/tactics rather than the ref? I dunno. Equally, I reckon the ref's cheat sheet mighta said 'watch Easts... they're getting away with doing a heap of surrender tackles so that they can play the ball really quickly'.

At any rate, Souffs' average play the ball speed was significantly quicker than ours. IMO something went wrong for this to happen and it may well have led to over-exhaustion and (resulting) injuries/clumsiness from us.

That said... I mean... Burgarse elbowed Collins in the head! That's the real reason he got concussed. Can the match review so and so's do their job and charge him already?

[ism22]

One of my kids plays for Bondi United. I was assisting the coach yesterday by holding the tackling bags during training. Coach was encouraging them to tackle around the waste not legs.

It's odd... ay? Some oldie always tells you 'HE CANNOT MOVE IF YOU TAKE HIS LEGS OUT!!! GRAB HIS LEGS AND SQUEEZE THEM TOGETHER TO STOP THEM!!!' Then you try tackling a guy around the legs and realise it's a great way to cop a knee in the head.

I had one coach who told me that my deadliest legal weapon was to ram people with my chest. Again... it's there to protect your vital organs (and your head is right above it) so using your cheat is just gonna end up with a head clash and some impromptu CPR as you cop a chest compression from somebody's knee.

People will criticise but I mean... you can't prevent the fact your head's in the middle (like a lazy 3rd arm) every time you try to make a tackle. It just is and to me this is why footy became scary beyond a certain level. All you need is for your timing to be a little bit off and you'll cop one in the head.

---

Side note... the shoulder charge is seen as being a massive no no. However, wouldn't it be safer if players were encouraged to shoulder charge people in the gut (protecting their head with their shoulder) and then wrap around after the tackle?

[The Lip]

Yeah bring back the shoulder charge it will fix everything

[ism22]

Yeah bring back the shoulder charge it will fix everything

Might as well try

[Kelby]

Yeah I didn't suggest an answer because I don't know what it is, either.

To be sure, I don't think the 6-again rule has helped at all. Increasing the speed of the game and the amount of collisions under fatigue.

Helmets?

ala grid iron style?

[King Salvo]

One of my kids plays for Bondi United. I was assisting the coach yesterday by holding the tackling bags during training. Coach was encouraging them to tackle around the waste not legs.

Yeh they teach Kids front on block tackles , tackles from the side and tackles from behind nowadays- not tackling around the legs front on - i suppose safety reasons ? - We used to train twice a week tuesdays and thursday's and the tackles bags sessions were part of both training sessions.

[King Salvo]

Helmets?

ala grid iron style?

Motor bike helmets perhaps - in World Series Cricket they used them as there was no proper Cricket helmets back then- 1977/78

[Team Evil]

I've had this rant a few times but IMO the ref was calling 'HEEEEELD' way too early for us, to the point where he was denying us the opportunity to 'finish' our tackles. It felt like this gave Souffs a free run of the ball (i.e. they never quite stopped their play between tackles) while we were constantly on the back foot, trying to get back onside before a penalty was called.

The reverse seemed to happen for Souffs as I kept hearing the ref call out 'SURRENDER' while we were running (followed by Souffs pushing us back 5m before we could play the ball).

I know I'm just biased, but that's how the game felt to me. Maybe it's our coaching/tactics rather than the ref? I dunno. Equally, I reckon the ref's cheat sheet mighta said 'watch Easts... they're getting away with doing a heap of surrender tackles so that they can play the ball really quickly'.

At any rate, Souffs' average play the ball speed was significantly quicker than ours. IMO something went wrong for this to happen and it may well have led to over-exhaustion and (resulting) injuries/clumsiness from us.

That said... I mean... Burgarse elbowed Collins in the head! That's the real reason he got concussed. Can the match review so and so's do their job and charge him already?

I saw this as well, and was surprised he was not taken from the field for HIA, if I can see it from home on TV then why was it not picked up? He was clearly not well and then collided with GWH.

[BUDDY]

His ankle is the main concern now - was spotted in a moon boot via nrlphysio

Good to see him walking around freely in the sheds. Hopefully back next week.