The timing might not be ideal but Northern Pride coach Ty Williams has welcomed the NRL’s crackdown on high contact, putting the onus on players to perfect their technique.
THE timing might not be ideal but Northern Pride coach Ty Williams has welcomed the NRL’s crackdown on high contact, putting the onus on players to perfect their technique.
NRL’s Magic Round was overshadowed by the biggest crackdown seen in the competition in years, with 14 players sin binned and a further three sent off for high contact.
The rulings filtered to the Intrust Super Cup, with three Pride players – Heilum Luki, Shawn Bowen and returning co-captain Jayden Hodges – placed on report for high contact in their 18-all draw with the Tweed Seagulls.
THE FORWARD STEPPING UP TO LEAD THE PRIDE
Seagulls prop Jai Whitbread was sin-binned just five minutes into the clash for high contact deemed forceful by the match officials.
Williams said the club was notified of the edict on Friday, and while he wasn’t a fan of the mid-season rule change the coach as supportive of what is the next natural step after the introduction of head injury assessments.
But it will put more responsibility on players to perfect their tackling technique.
“We’ve worked so hard on the HIA where guys get knocks and we take them from the field and get them tested,” Williams said. “And obviously there’s protocols in place when, you have a seven day period it you get knocked out where you can’t participate in some things. This is the next step.
“We all saw what unfolded on the weekend we all have to adjust now moving forward and make sure our tackle technique is spot on.
“There is going to be some unlucky circumstances where guys do get collected on the head, it’s what comes with a contact sport.
“There’s going to be danger zone there for it and guys will be sent to the bin for it or sent off so we have to be very careful in the way we deliver it.”
Williams wasn’t too concerned about the trio on report, but the players and staff will take lessons from how the rulings were interpreted at both NRL and Intrust Super Cup level ahead of this Saturday’s away game at Mackay.
“All three of them, there was no force or intent there,” Williams said. “We saw on Friday night watching the NRL how strict they are on it, obviously that will be implemented for us as well.
“ We just need to be very careful with our tackle technique, where we’re putting our bodies in positions and everything like that. It’s going to have a massive effect on the game moving forward but we have to be careful on it.”
matthew.mcinerney1@news.com.au