The tackles on Paasi and Walmsley in the semi final yesterday were horrific. The fear is Paasi's career is over as is Walmsley's season at least. Jon Wilkin has posted this on his Instagram this morning. Having looked at the tackles yesterday again repeatedly, they are some of the most cynical, deliberate attempts to injure that I've ever seen. It'll be interesting to see what the Match Review Panel make of it, as it's hard to judge whether they will even be ruled to be illegal at all. They could apply the shoulder charge rule to it I guess or throw a general misconduct type charge at it. There is a strong possibility it will just be ignored too, as Kendall did nothing but wince.

The closest thing I've ever seen to this technique was Vila Mata'utia when he used to do it for Saints, but when he had the ball. I didn't like it then either and I think it was quickly outlawed. If it's the case that they find these tackles to not be against any rules, they need to change them. It had a 100% success rate in injurying opponents yesterday and the last thing we need is a raft of players having to retire as it's open season on lower legs and knee joints. It's going to cause some truly horrific injuries if it's allowed to continue.

I suspect a lot of trolls will fire back with 'nothing in it' and find it funny as it's most likely ended Saints hopes this season, but whilst 'there's nothing in it' might apply to the current rules, it cannot be left there. You can't have tackles like that in the game, it has to be stopped one way or the other.

Cry me a river

Its a good job that the hip drop tackle has been banned or Knowles wouldnt have ended a couple of players seasons and maybe career.

The trolls right on cue, anyone who isn't a troll got an opinion? The mention of hip drops is a useful comparison. This technique is far more dangerous yet is presumably legal, yet hip drops are banned. Time to ban barrelling into knees/shins recklessly with the shoulder/head?

They were reckless at the very least, and I'm not convinced that they weren't deliberate. They looked very much like a targeted attack on the knee with the shoulder, with a derisory attempt to use the arms to disguise it as a tackle. Needs sorting...its a red and 8 games in my opinion.

I agree hip drop banned,didnt stop Knowles though.
This other tackle isnt banned yet,this is where I agree didnt look good and maybe should be looked at but as yet it is legal as far as I am aware.

If you can't tackle high and you can't tackle low, where can you tackle. Asiata used his arms round the ankles. Unfortunately, the bigger they are the harder they fall. We've beaten you twice now. Stop moaning and get used to it. We'll beat you a again in the play-offs. Leigh's defence is awesome and their fitness is superior.

This isn't a moan, nothing to do with the game itself, or Leigh for that matter. I have no issues with you progressing or being better than Saints currently. I'm not even calling for him to be banned for the tackles, I've said I don't think it's covered by the current rules.

Paasi's career is rumoured to be over. The tackle was vile whether it's currently legal or not, that's my point, so was the one on Walmsley. I think we need to look at changing the rules as you can't have players throwing themselves at the shins/knees as recklessly as that, it's just too dangerous. If it continues or becomes a theme like cannonballs, chicken wings and crushers did, we're going to see broken legs and maimed players far more frequently, that's not a good thing. If someone with the shape and mass of say Konrad Hurrell tackled like this, you'd see plenty being maimed. Is that a good thing for the game?

How on earth have the managed to come to that conclusion already?

Literally making stuff up

Some people have lost the plot with this. 12000+ people watched those tackles live and clear and nobody batted an eyelid. The commentary team watched it in slow mo a few times and said nothing other than it being great desperate defence.

Taking a big bloke down by the legs is textbook. Its a shame Paasi is injured but the tackle was just gritty, last ditch defence on a huge man charging at the line. Calls for a ban are madness. Great D to keep Saints out.