NRL’s high shot worst offenders exposed ahead of Magic Round

The NRL’s crackdown on high tackles has come under the microscope following a dramatic spike in penalties and sin bins – with the Gold Coast Titans emerging as the competition’s worst offenders ahead of the Magic Round this weekend.

Eighteen players were sin-binned over the weekend in Australia – the most in a single round during the NRL era – in what many have dubbed an unofficial crackdown on high contact.

But NRL CEO Andrew Abdo insists nothing has changed. “There’s been no policy shift. It’s always been illegal to tackle high and we’ve been sin-binning and penalising high tackles for the game going back decades,” Abdo said.

“We’re not going to apologise or take a backwards step for protecting players from head high shots.”

Despite Abdo’s odd claims of consistency, the numbers themselves paint a concerning picture.

According to the NRL’s data, tackle penalties have skyrocketed – up 90% compared to the same point last year.

The worst offender award going to the Gold Coast Titans, with 18 high tackle penalties so far this season.

At the bottom of the list sit the Warriors – who have committed just three high tackle infringements during the unofficial crackdown – spanning a whopping 15-penalty gap between them and the Titans. (Scroll to the bottom to see the full table of offenders).

“You have the Titans at 18 and then you go all the way to the bottom and you have the Warriors at three. That’s a significant gap,” NRL 360 host Braith Anasta said.

“Why do we think that is?”

Veteran rugby league journalist Phil Rothfield pointed to coaching discipline: “You have to look at the defence coaches at these clubs I guess, and the Warriors coaches are probably doing a better job because they are playing good football and not belting people high.”

Anasta, highlighted some teams who might have been associated with the dark arts of rugby league over the years, have come out somewhat clean in all this.

“You look at the Storm there,” Anasta continued. “They’re renowned for their wrestling, with people critical of them at times, but they are down the bottom.”

Rugby league great Gorden Tallis agreed that while players aren’t coached to tackle high, the issue can be addressed through training: “You can make sure that the players get their targets lower at training. The more repetitive work you do, the better chance there is of it not happening.”

The debate has recently also extended into the grey area of gamesmanship, with some players accused of exaggerating contact to gain an on-field advantage under the newly perceived crackdown.

“We saw Ronaldo Mulitalo on Sunday get the lightest tap in the face and carried on like he was clouted,” reporter Brent Read said. “The players are feigning injury… We don’t want to become soccer where guys feign injuries.”

Titans on notice

For the Gold Coast Titans, the numbers are both embarrassing and problematic as they head into a must-win clash with the top-of-the-table Bulldogs in Brisbane.

Head coach Des Hasler disputed the high tackle tally at his weekly press conference, but the message has clearly landed within the squad.

“Discipline is definitely something we need to work on,” Titans five-eighth AJ Brimson admitted.

“After seeing that, I didn’t realise we would be number one in the comp. That’s not helping us in the slightest.”

The Titans have had four players sin-binned and five charged since stricter enforcement began in round five.

During Saturday’s loss to the Cowboys, they twice had to defend with 12 men – a challenge Brimson believes is making victory almost impossible.

“I feel some of those [penalties] you can’t really control, especially when people are falling and they’re hit low; but it’s something to definitely address and keep an eye on.”

While Brimson knows the Titans have to cut down on high shots, the 119-gamer joined other players in calling for fewer sin-bins when accidental contact is involved – arguing the impact on the game is just too big for incidents with no malice.

“I’m massive on head and brain safety. I think it’s the number one thing after footy,” Brimson explained.

“You want to live a long, happy life but accidents do happen and when people are slipping and you genuinely can’t control it, to go down to 12 men for 20 minutes like we did in the second half on the weekend makes life very hard to win a game of footy.”

“I’m all for player safety, but it’s frustrating when people are just making a tackle and [the attacker] runs at your shoulder. I don’t know if any of [those situations] you can avoid.

“I think ones with malice or intent, I’m definitely happy to see them given 10, but complete accidents or ones that aren’t even careless and you are just making a tackle head-on and they just hit your shoulder… losing someone for 10 minutes is pretty heavy.”

The Titans have now dropped four straight games, blowing early leads against both the Raiders and Cowboys.

“It’s worse when you know you should’ve won those games,” Brimson said.

“We’re a confident team still and we’ve been showing that in patches, but we’re not holding on for 80.”

With the Bulldogs missing several key players going into Magic Round including Matt Burton and Josh Curran, this weekend at Suncorp presents the Titans with a real chance to aim up for a chance at the top eight.

If the Titans get their discipline in check, they could just pull off the biggest upset of the year.

Gold Coast Titans – 18

Sydney Roosters – 17

Wests Tigers – 16

Brisbane Broncos – 16

Manly Sea Eagles – 15

Canterbury Bulldogs – 12

Cronulla Sharks – 10

Canberra Raiders – 9

Newcastle Knights – 9

NQ Cowboys – 9

Penrith Panthers – 8

Parramatta Eels – 8

St George Illawarra Dragons – 7

South Sydney Rabbitohs – 6

Melbourne Storm – 6

Dolphins – 4

Warriors – 3