Rugby League bans the shoulder charge

[matty_k]

Yes there are studies coming out of the US that have been looking at retired NFL players and the long term damage they have been receiving.

Have a search on Google Scholar.

 

[Mank]

NFL? As in, not the American sport?

 

[Sully]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-14/four-corners-brain-injuries/4009112
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/jul/19/nfl-star-brain-injuries-destroyed
http://communities.washingtontimes....tters/2012/sep/8/should-my-son-play-football/

http://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?hl=en&q=brain+injury+from+football&btnG=&as_sdt=1,5&as_sdtp=

And specific League stuff.
http://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?q=brain+injury+from+rugby+league&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5

 

[matty_k]

NFL? As in, not the American sport?

Yes but similar clashes and concussion occur so it is entirely relevant.

 

[hawktrain]

The NFL results are scary. I read one that said the average defensive tackle player has the brain of an 80 year old with dementia by the time they retire. Although, they do tackle with their heads so I would imagine their brains suffer a fair bit more than a league player. Seriously, it's hard to watch some NFL tackles, where they just throw their head in front of the bloke's knees as a way of getting him down.

 

[Mank]

Look, those results for head injuries are concerning, and I'm going to just leave the debate here.

But I'm going to end with the point that none of them actually show that shoulder charges in rugby league are the cause of long term injuries, and I've seen nothing apart from personal opinions that 'shoulder charges are bad'.

I might as well tell you guys that banning rucking was needed because it was dangerous. Ban jumping for the high ball because it's dangerous. Etc.

So at the moment I'm not convinced of the need to ban shoulder charges for the reasons I've already stated.

 

[Train Without a Station]

The sad thing is that the shoulder charge itself is not dangerous. Plenty of great legitimate hits have been put on over the years. However very recently a number of these have become sickenly dangerous and illegal. Looking at that video, most of the recent ones end up not being a shoulder to the head, but an elbow to the head. It's all because of the ridiculous technique that the players are employing now, that involves them jumping to make contant with a player who is generally bent forward in a downward motion. The players only have themselves to blame. Hits like the Inglis one on Dean Young are ridiculous and cannot believe some at the time, tried to argue that one player jumping to hit elbow, arm and shoulder first, an already smaller player who is being taclked and falling.