The Avenger wrote:Pop Tart, there’s a tacit acceptance within the game that accidental head clashes happen where no one is at fault.
Rugby League is a high speed intense collision sport and accidental head contact is an inevitability
The search for someone to blame when this happens is one of the things that’s killing the sport as a spectacle. Even in this modern game where they’re trying to sanitise everything there’s still a level of discretion in the officiating of a match and those Referees who truly understand the nature of the game will use that discretion well.
Officials who know nothing of the game other than the rule book will always be on the wrong side of that discretion and will frustrate the players.
I don't particularly disagree. Accidents do happen and in this case I thought it was a good tackle.
I haven't watched it back on TV yet.
But the RFL are trying to clean up the head knocks in the game and they say that if you try to do a big ball and all tackle, you have to do it without hitting the head.
If Max ducks into the tackle at the last minute I'd say it was an accident.
If he doesn't, and there is either contact with the head or shoulder.....then it's the responsibility of the tackler