Pfft. Waerea-Hargreaves tried to break Dwyer's shoulder with his jaw.
He should have been sent off for a vicious jawbutt.
He should have been sent off for a vicious jawbutt.
Shoulder Charges and Brain Injury
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Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
League followers will denounce the absence of shoulder charges from union as proof of its softness
Whats it got to do with the colour of one's skin?
If you like it and are not worried about the damage it does to your brain you can play it: people who talk about "hurting" people, in my experience didn't play the game much or very well..
It is not, actually, the object of any part of the game of rugby union to "hurt" people. People get hurt in the various processes of the game but its not the object.
I dont actually think that hurting people is an object in any activity properly to be called a sport: NFL and league have to cater to a public that has grown accustomed to "big hits" using just the shoulders. The reason they dont outlaw it is, therefore, obvious. But the crowd does not have to live with the consequences.
You're wrong about AFL: for several years they have been refining the extent to which hits by one player on another are permitted and the refinements have all been towards reducing the opportunity to do real harm.
Whats it got to do with the colour of one's skin?
If you like it and are not worried about the damage it does to your brain you can play it: people who talk about "hurting" people, in my experience didn't play the game much or very well..
It is not, actually, the object of any part of the game of rugby union to "hurt" people. People get hurt in the various processes of the game but its not the object.
I dont actually think that hurting people is an object in any activity properly to be called a sport: NFL and league have to cater to a public that has grown accustomed to "big hits" using just the shoulders. The reason they dont outlaw it is, therefore, obvious. But the crowd does not have to live with the consequences.
You're wrong about AFL: for several years they have been refining the extent to which hits by one player on another are permitted and the refinements have all been towards reducing the opportunity to do real harm.
BPC
Phil Hardcastle (33)
If any leaguies suggest it, they can Google Brian Lima and Derick Hougaard.
Agree. It is a possible side-effect in rugby or league, and only an end in itself in boxing, MMA and the like. The issue is when inflicting damage becomes an aim with shoulders aimed at heads. I don't like league but I don't see the shoulder charge per se as a problem, just when they are misued. But then a normal tackle can be deliberately dangerous when aimed at the throat or late (eg Richard Loe on Paul Carozza). I don't see that rugby should allow shoulder-charges, it is a distinguishing point of the game, but I don't see why league can't keep them.
Scoey
Tony Shaw (54)
I still remember that hit. And the subsequent replay after replay on the big screens from different angles, the whole time they were trying to put Hougaard back together. That's one chiropractor that I wouldn't want to visit.
Back to shoulder charges... I like that League still allows them and Union doesn't. It encapsulates perfectly the old, "League is a gentlemen's game played by bastards and Union is a bastard's game played by gentlemen". But I also think that they are stupid. It's a low percentage option defensivley and as discussed, the potential for injury for both the charger and chargee is high. Just another reason why they're not on in Union and still ok in League.
I would always prefer to see someone like Lima, perform a text book tackle to cut an attacker in half, than some boofhead tucking his arm against his chest and then aiming his shoulder at some other guys head. Stupid.
W
Waylon
Guest
They shoulder charge about 100 times a game in AFL. How many are brain damaged?
The reason Australian rugby is so soft is because of attitudes like yours
U'19 scrum laws are a joke
The Afrikaaners and kiwis love the hard physical stuff......ditto the English and the Welsh and the Irish
I'm sure nobody outside your sphere of influence could have played rugby as much or as well as you do
Rugby is about physical domination
Backs might like to poonce about dropping it and kicking it out on the full of course
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
I agree- better to be a quadraplegic and to know you have macho scrummed than to be able bodied, have kids and a career but to have played under the u19 scrum laws
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Waylon
Guest
if you can't handle the heat, get out of the kitchen..........
Bruce Ross
Ken Catchpole (46)
It's a poor circus that can't afford a clown.
Jnor
Peter Fenwicke (45)
You don't mind the odd virtual shoulder charge either, Waylon.
Scoey
Tony Shaw (54)
There is a lot wrong with shoulder charges, but to use your logic then since Rugby is a contact sport then I guess there's probably nothing wrong with stomping on faces etc either?
Sure it is a contact sport, and the harder it is played, the more I love it, but you have do draw a line somewhere as to what constitutes good contact, what is reckless or dangerous and what is straight out violence. The shoulder charge is not allowed whether you play in Australia, New Zealand or Sth Africa. So the lack of it in our game is not what is making Aussie Rugby "soft" as you put it. Yes Rugby is about physical domination, but if you need to be able to shoulder charge to dominate your opposition then you probably aren't much of a player. Some of the hardest players I ever encountered weren't thugs.
But we are clouding the issue a little here. This topic was started based on a shoulder charge aimed at another players head, which is distinctly different to shoulder charges in general.
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Waylon
Guest
I see you've been practising that line for about 80 years. You're still not getting a laugh
W
Waylon
Guest
Some people think differently to you.
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Waylon, how many shoulder charges have you been the victim of? You could be living proof of the harm they do.
Shoulder charges aren't part of rugby, they are simply to damage an opposition player
Rugby is about physical domination - within the laws. We want players to tackle below the armpits and use their arms. We want the tackle contest.
The hard physical stuff of rugby the Afrikaaners and kiwis love has nothing to do with shoulder charging a stationary player (the usual model)
Played league on Sundays and at school until I was about 17. But that was a thousand years ago ie pre shoulder charges
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
is this the set up for the "you have to have played it to understand it"?
None - and proud of it
None - and proud of it
suckerforred
Chilla Wilson (44)
It appears I have I have started something here. I just need to clarify something.
I did not start this as a League bashing exercise. I don't give a rats what context it is in, sport or otherwise, attacking the head is just not on. Shoulder charges are particularly narsty because they generally have full body weight, and therefore full force, behind them. Having treated and generally dealt with people with acquired brain injuries, from a range of causes, I strongly believe that we need to do our best to reduce the risks. And stopping this intential contact is an easy way to decrease the incidency of ABI. Lets face it, if this incidency occured on the street outside the pub then there would be an assault charge. Now I am not saying that charges should come from anything on the footy field, crap like this should just be rubbed out.
I did not start this as a League bashing exercise. I don't give a rats what context it is in, sport or otherwise, attacking the head is just not on. Shoulder charges are particularly narsty because they generally have full body weight, and therefore full force, behind them. Having treated and generally dealt with people with acquired brain injuries, from a range of causes, I strongly believe that we need to do our best to reduce the risks. And stopping this intential contact is an easy way to decrease the incidency of ABI. Lets face it, if this incidency occured on the street outside the pub then there would be an assault charge. Now I am not saying that charges should come from anything on the footy field, crap like this should just be rubbed out.
BPC
Phil Hardcastle (33)
I still remember that hit. And the subsequent replay after replay on the big screens from different angles, the whole time they were trying to put Hougaard back together. That's one chiropractor that I wouldn't want to visit.
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Chiefs #20 on Brumbies #16 at about the 72 minute mark - not sure if it was a shoulder charge but I think it was
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