Nick Cotric takes early plea, suspended three weeks

[Botman]

Great article by Tim as usual. Sad some people completely miss the point.

Yeah it's spot on,
these paragraphs in particular:

"To ensure lifting tackles that result in players landing on their heads aren’t part of our game, there must be disincentives to ensure that players modify their styles accordingly. In a competition that was consistently and effectively run, the Cotric tackle should always be a send-off.

But so should the Burgess eye gouge and the Terepo swinging arm. But the NRL is not a competition that is consistently and effectively run, and Terepo and Burgess were not sent off."

[FROG]

Thaiday coped 2 weeks for thia tackle plus wasn't sent off

[Botman]

That was also

*checks notes*

8 years ago.

[Finchy]

I remember many years ago, might have been 2000 or 2001, Alan Tongue stuck an arm out attempting to tackle a rampaging (and bald) Corey Parker, and Parker flipped completely upside down and landed on his head. It was completely accidental, and considering Parker's momentum caused him to land head first without anyone actually still touching him, no penalty, no suspension. I'd love to see footage of it.

[greeneyed]

By the way, I'm supporting Ricky Stuart's view. He has come out in that article saying it is not a Grade 3 offence, Cotric didn't plant his feet, didn't put his hands between the legs and didn't drive. Looks like some are just not sticking solid with the coach anymore...

I would respectfully disagree re: the driving.
Nick drove him alright.

Well I'm with coach Ricky Stuart on this. Perhaps some people just aren't genuinely Rick men.

[Finchy]

By the way, I'm supporting Ricky Stuart's view. He has come out in that article saying it is not a Grade 3 offence, Cotric didn't plant his feet, didn't put his hands between the legs and didn't drive. Looks like some are just not sticking solid with the coach anymore...

I would respectfully disagree re: the driving.
Nick drove him alright.

Well I'm with coach Ricky Stuart on this. Perhaps some people just aren't genuinely Rick men.

Rickeyed

[Botman]

By the way, I'm supporting Ricky Stuart's view. He has come out in that article saying it is not a Grade 3 offence, Cotric didn't plant his feet, didn't put his hands between the legs and didn't drive. Looks like some are just not sticking solid with the coach anymore...

I would respectfully disagree re: the driving.
Nick drove him alright.

Well I'm with coach Ricky Stuart on this. Perhaps some people just aren't genuinely Rick men.

Come on now, that's a little embarrassing. You picked the wrong side, and that's ok.
You can always reverse your decision and allow Rick-men to declare themselves loudly and proudly instead of supressing them.

[greeneyed]

It is pretty clear the Rick men have abandoned the coach. It is sad to see really. He's coached the team to third place on the ladder and now all of a sudden... they have deserted. Where's the support for Ricky's position?

[greeneyed]

So Jared Waerea Hargreaves got off his charge. Cleared entirely by the judiciary. Is it the Match Review Committee making mistakes or the judiciary?

[Botman]

It is pretty clear the Rick men have abandoned the coach. It is sad to see really. He's coached the team to third place on the ladder and now all of a sudden... they have deserted. Where's the support for Ricky's position?

Ooooof.
Ugly scenes here.

[raiderskater]

I think it's sensible not to fight it, purely for PR. It's a bad look to fight, it's only three weeks, Cotric will be back in plenty of time for finals.

No need to antagonise the NRL this close to finals. Save our breath for when we really need it - ala Jack and the bogus shoulder charge in 2016.

[gerg]

You did say above ..... checks notes garbage .... the Cotric tackle is easily one of the most dangerous tackles you've seen in the NRL..... this one above is worse. Go to YouTube and search for Greg Inglis spear tackle and he was done twice in one game and both were much worse than Cotric's. One of the GI ones was the old school pick him up, flip him and drive him head first into the ground.

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[gangrenous]

So Jared Waerea Hargreaves got off his charge. Cleared entirely by the judiciary. Is it the Match Review Committee making mistakes or the judiciary?

Judiciary in this case imo. It was a headbutt deserving suspension.

[The Nickman]

It is pretty clear the Rick men have abandoned the coach. It is sad to see really. He's coached the team to third place on the ladder and now all of a sudden... they have deserted. Where's the support for Ricky's position?

Ooooof.
Ugly scenes here.

Good grief, embarrassing stuff here. You just hate to see it

[Botman]

You did say above ..... checks notes garbage .... the Cotric tackle is easily one of the most dangerous tackles you've seen in the NRL..... this one above is worse. Go to YouTube and search for Greg Inglis spear tackle and he was done twice in one game and both were much worse than Cotric's. One of the GI ones was the old school pick him up, flip him and drive him head first into the ground.

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I dont think that one is worse, just FYI. Which is not to say it's not bad and didnt deserse worse, but the THiaday tackle saw the player land elbow, shoulder, head/neck
Nick's tackle went elbow, head.
But sure if you want to say that's in the same ball park, i wont argue. Its VERY bad.
I'd have to see the Inglis one again to rank them, but when i said

*checks notes*

one of the most dangerous tackles i've seen in the NRL, the GI and LOD tackles were two that came to mind that were in the ball park.

I also dont think you can compare sentencing pre and post McKinnon either. Rightly or wrongly, (hot tip, it's rightly) there is a great concern around these tackles since that incident, and the standard has (rightly) changed in response to it.

[gerg]

A player that is tilted above horizontal that then has the ability to stretch out and feel the ground is nowhere near as dangerous as a player who is lifted and flipped. In both instances the bloke being tackled is at the mercy of the tackler but if he can put his hand on the ground he is in more control.

And also on YouTube while you're looking for the GI ones there are several other clips which are worse. And if you were so concerned about player welfare you wouldn't constantly defend Cam Smith and his wrestling holds which are more likely to cause injury than (specifically) Cotric's tackle.

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[Botman]

that's a wild swing.

I dont specifically recall defending Cam Smith for any chicken wings, crushers or any of those MMA style actions. Certainly i defend him for his actions in the McKinnon incident, and i enjoy pointing out he's the best player to ever play the game and reveal is how upsetting that is for people who hate him... but on the first charge, i plead innocent.

[Northern Raider]

I have to say it though. The tackle on McKinnon was not that severe as far as lifting goes. His legs were not up high at all. They way McKinnon ducked his head into ground was a definite contributor to such a tragic outcome.

[The Nickman]

that's a wild swing.

I dont specifically recall defending Cam Smith for any chicken wings, crushers or any of those MMA style actions. Certainly i defend him for his actions in the McKinnon incident, and i enjoy pointing out he's the best player to ever play the game and reveal is how upsetting that is for people who hate him... but on the first charge, i plead innocent.

Hahaha I’ve never once seen you defending Cam Smith’s chickenwinging tactics... this is an amazing leap by gerg in an attempt to make a point!

[bonehead]

I have to say it though. The tackle on McKinnon was not that severe as far as lifting goes. His legs were not up high at all. They way McKinnon ducked his head into ground was a definite contributor to such a tragic outcome.

and McLean got 8 weeks due to the outcome

[The Nickman]

I have to say it though. The tackle on McKinnon was not that severe as far as lifting goes. His legs were not up high at all. They way McKinnon ducked his head into ground was a definite contributor to such a tragic outcome.

I absolutely agree. I’d go as far as to say the Cotric tackle was much more dangerous, we’re all just very lucky Lafai wasn’t injured

McKinnon ABSOLUTELY contributed to his own injury, but that’s what was being coached at the time

[gerg]

that's a wild swing.

I dont specifically recall defending Cam Smith for any chicken wings, crushers or any of those MMA style actions. Certainly i defend him for his actions in the McKinnon incident, and i enjoy pointing out he's the best player to ever play the game and reveal is how upsetting that is for people who hate him... but on the first charge, i plead innocent.

But his very success as a player is based around controlling the ruck, and by control I'm specifically talking about controlling limbs. Necks and arms. You watch his game closely and above 50 % of his tackles are controlling the head, neck, shoulder or arm... But I digress

I thought at first look the Cotric tackle was bad but the more I see it the less dangerous it appears to me... compared to many, many worse I've seen, but I did start watching in the 80s when the game was rougher.

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[gerg]

that's a wild swing.

I dont specifically recall defending Cam Smith for any chicken wings, crushers or any of those MMA style actions. Certainly i defend him for his actions in the McKinnon incident, and i enjoy pointing out he's the best player to ever play the game and reveal is how upsetting that is for people who hate him... but on the first charge, i plead innocent.

Hahaha I’ve never once seen you defending Cam Smith’s chickenwinging tactics... this is an amazing leap by gerg in an attempt to make a point!

Oh here is the cheer squad now... sad times

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[Botman]

But his very success as a player is based around controlling the ruck, and by control I'm specifically talking about controlling limbs. Necks and arms.

Wow.
Incredible.

[gangrenous]

but on the first charge, i plead innocent.

You sure you want to risk it with the judiciary? You’ve got a lot of priors

[The Nickman]

Haha SO close to an echo there!

[Botman]

I have to say it though. The tackle on McKinnon was not that severe as far as lifting goes. His legs were not up high at all. They way McKinnon ducked his head into ground was a definite contributor to such a tragic outcome.

I absolutely agree. I’d go as far as to say the Cotric tackle was much more dangerous, we’re all just very lucky Lafai wasn’t injured

McKinnon ABSOLUTELY contributed to his own injury, but that’s what was being coached at the time

100% agree
It wasnt McKinnon's fault, he did as he was taught... he was let down by the game who did not discourage this sooner, and by his coaches (who were only following direction of the league, whose corse was not changed by the codes administrators when it had the chance) for teaching such practises.
Just a real damn shame the code waited for this guy to have his life altered forever before it changed

[Botman]

but on the first charge, i plead innocent.

You sure you want to risk it with the judiciary? You’ve got a lot of priors

I haven't lost an argument yet, Gangers. I'll take those boys to task too!

[gerg]

but on the first charge, i plead innocent.

You sure you want to risk it with the judiciary? You’ve got a lot of priors

I haven't lost an argument yet, Gangers. I'll take those boys to task too!

Haha... our very own (GH) Baghdad Bob.

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[greeneyed]

That was also

*checks notes*

8 years ago.

And that was just about the last time a player was actually sent off! (*Slight exaggeration!)

Let's not pretend that the goal posts were not massively shifted by the NRL and officials on Sunday night. They were. Virtually no one has been sent of for six years. Two weeks ago, we had an old fashioned high tackle, straight to the head of Jordan Rapana, broke his nose, blood everywhere, and player was not even binned. Why the desperate effort to justify the inconsistencies of the NRL?

If the goal posts, having shifted, now stay where they are... perhaps fair enough. But I somehow doubt that is what's going to happen. The NRL is a woefully reactive organisation. And then they go back to the old status quo. They're a poor organisation.

[Botman]

I dont recall anyone trying to justify the inconsistencies of the NRL. In fact i think it's been raised a number of times that it's a problem. So i dont really know what on earth you're talking about there, Fergus. So im unable to respond.

[Botman]

but on the first charge, i plead innocent.

You sure you want to risk it with the judiciary? You’ve got a lot of priors

I haven't lost an argument yet, Gangers. I'll take those boys to task too!

Haha... our very own (GH) Baghdad Bob.

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That's very hurtful to call Gangers that. I dont disagree but we were having a nice moment there. I dont think it was necassary to go there.

[The Nickman]

All I know is when it happened I immediately said “ooooof, he’s off here”

And that was before I saw a replay or before I heard the commentators say the same thing and that was without thinking about how inconsistent the NRL are, I just straight up thought he’d get sent off

And he was

[greeneyed]

But no one has seen a worse tackle than Cotric's since the 1970's or 1980s! No send off, twice!

[The Nickman]

That second one was much worse than Cotric’s and should have got sent off

You’ve got no argument from me there