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Randall backs banRandall backs banJoe Barton 9 February 2008 LEGENDARY Manly hardman Terry Randall has backed the NSWJRL decision to outlaw shoulder charges from all junior matches. Randall, (pictured) the hard-edged enforcer who helped the Sea Eagles to four premierships in the 1970s, believes the shoulder charge has no place in the modern game. Randall's call comes in a week when the NSWJRL fell into line with the ARL and Queensland Rugby League by banning the shoulder charge at all levels under 18 years of age. He believes modern teams would be better off avoiding shoulder charges at any rate - citing Bulldogs superstar Sonny Bill Williams' missed tackles as an example of where they can go wrong. "I just can't think of them as a real tackle," Randall told the Daily yesterday. "(Williams) is not trying to wrap the ball up at all, he's just trying to hurt the bloke - that's not a tackle. "If you miss-hit the bloke, you miss them anyhow and I've seen him miss a few." Manly Warringah Junior Rugby League president Peter O'Dwyer backed Randall's support and went a step further believing the tackle should be banned at senior level as well. "I don't think it's needed in the game," O'Dwyer said. "This is the most constructive and positive news to come in rugby league for many years." But Randall said he doesn't want to see the end of big hits and brutal collisions that are a feature of the sport. "It's always been a warrior's game, hasn't it?" he said. "I don't go for dirty tackles like head highs, but I do like to see hard tackles. "As long as it's not around the head, then there is nothing wrong with it," Randall said. "I used to use my body as a ram - I'd go in with the shoulder but I tried to get up under the rib cage so it wouldn't be classed as a shoulder charge." NSW Coaching and Development manager Martin Meredith said the rule was wonderful for the game and made it much safer for the younger kids. "A lot of the kids watch the guys in the NRL do it and try and copy it on the field," he said. "If their technique is poor it tends to lead to injuries." Randall also dismissed the claims of former international Gordon Tallis who believes the sport risks becoming too much like rugby union if it gets too sanitised in defence. "You see some bigger blokes (in the junior grades) these days, and when they're younger they can dominate and really hurt the smaller kids," he said. Source: http://www.manlydaily.com.au/article/2008/02/09/8657_sports.html |