Slater Decision Another Weak One

[The-moP]

Can’t agree…no player could seriously miss a GF for basically bumping a winger over the sideline. Yes by definition might be a vague form of shoulder charge, but we see it ten times a year. Who was Nofo or Thomo I think in the second Chooks game got shoulder charged into touch while trying to score a try, not a peep from anyone( may have the game mixed up but it did happen in a close game we lost). Everyone except Texans and Southerners hate Billy, but he is the best no1 in the game for a long time by some distance..okay he has a grubby streak, but it’s a winning streak. The NRL got this call right for a change.
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As I keep saying, if it keeps the Bondi Parasites away from the cup it’s a great call

Sorry but i have to strongly disagree with your opinion there .. there is no if's or buts here, Slater performed a banned shoulder charge and one that was at a very high speed of contact. I'm surprised no one, including himself wasn't serious hurt. Funny enough Feki was forced off the field some 20 minutes later with a right shoulder injury, the very same shoulder Slater charged into at 33 kms an hour. Why do I say 33 km an hour, it's what Slater quoted and used in his hearing that he has been clocked at 33 km per hour in his sprints. Yes Feki got tackled and dumped on this right shoulder, but how do we know or not, if this shoulder had become weakened from the previous Slater bump into.

The rule is "black and white" no grey .. a player must Not use his shoulder to shoulder charge into another player in an attempt to tackle the player .. without using his arms. Some will say Slater had his right arm on Feki .. look at the photo, but I say that pic is a few frames after the collision.

Yes I have no problems about saying Slater is one the greatest fullbacks the game has seen .. but NO player is greater than the game itself .. and by bending the rule and allowing Slater to play in the GF is a disgrace to this great game we have all played and loved. It was a disgrace to have awarded Slater the man of the match in the 3rd State of Origin game, and then even a bigger disgrace to have awarded him the Player of the Series after he only played 1 and a half games of the series. It wouldn't surprise me if the Storm win, award Slater the Churchill Medal in this weekend even if some other player has blinder of a performance for Storm .. !!

Sorry for the rant :rant all.

 

[mike]

The NRL lost a fair bit of credibility this week. It will be interesting to see if it has any effect on the ratings come Sunday.

Is that you Donald?

Nah mate. Just a Wests Tigers supporter that says it how it is.

People will watch the GF. No matter how much they whinge.

Maybe you are right. But it will be interesting to see the ratings then we will know if you are or not. Until we get the figures we won’t know if this week has had any effect at all.

 

[Russell]

Role model and ornament to the game imo he is not.

Maybe the best full back in the past ten years, maybe not - I won't go into that.

I was referring to his recent work ethic, professionalism and affability when talking with the media. Earlier in his career he was a total pain in the butt with his milking of penalties and bating of his opponents. The master of gamesmanship. But back on topic, greatest fullback or not, he should not be playing in the Grand Final.

Players have missed the GF doing a lot less - a head pat which wouldn't be as bad as a shoulder charge.

 

[stevied]

Precisely.

 

[Marshall_magic]

Personally I don't think that's the type of tackle the shoulder charge rule was brought in to stop, it was essentially shoulder to shoulder. However by the definition of the law, it was a shoulder charge and he should have missed the game.

A re-wording of the rule should and probably will be done in the off-season but the NRL were never going to suspend Billy Slater for his final ever game - a gran final. He would have needed to decapitate someone for that to happen.

 

[The_Patriot]

Can’t agree…no player could seriously miss a GF for basically bumping a winger over the sideline. Yes by definition might be a vague form of shoulder charge, but we see it ten times a year. Who was Nofo or Thomo I think in the second Chooks game got shoulder charged into touch while trying to score a try, not a peep from anyone( may have the game mixed up but it did happen in a close game we lost). Everyone except Texans and Southerners hate Billy, but he is the best no1 in the game for a long time by some distance..okay he has a grubby streak, but it’s a winning streak. The NRL got this call right for a change.
\
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As I keep saying, if it keeps the Bondi Parasites away from the cup it’s a great call

Sorry but i have to strongly disagree with your opinion there .. there is no if's or buts here, Slater performed a banned shoulder charge and one that was at a very high speed of contact. I'm surprised no one, including himself wasn't serious hurt. Funny enough Feki was forced off the field some 20 minutes later with a right shoulder injury, the very same shoulder Slater charged into at 33 kms an hour. Why do I say 33 km an hour, it's what Slater quoted and used in his hearing that he has been clocked at 33 km per hour in his sprints. Yes Feki got tackled and dumped on this right shoulder, but how do we know or not, if this shoulder had become weakened from the previous Slater bump into.

The rule is "black and white" no grey .. a player must Not use his shoulder to shoulder charge into another player in an attempt to tackle the player .. without using his arms. Some will say Slater had his right arm on Feki .. look at the photo, but I say that pic is a few frames after the collision.

Yes I have no problems about saying Slater is one the greatest fullbacks the game has seen .. but NO player is greater than the game itself .. and by bending the rule and allowing Slater to play in the GF is a disgrace to this great game we have all played and loved. It was a disgrace to have awarded Slater the man of the match in the 3rd State of Origin game, and then even a bigger disgrace to have awarded him the Player of the Series after he only played 1 and a half games of the series. It wouldn't surprise me if the Storm win, award Slater the Churchill Medal in this weekend even if some other player has blinder of a performance for Storm .. !!

Sorry for the rant :rant all.

If you knew the rules as much as you claim you would know that the rules allowed Slater to get off. The wording of the rule left the grey are he fell into.

I get people will never understand why he got off but he got off because he presented a factual case that was very hard to argue with when the video backed up his and his lawyers explication.

To say the right hand touched Feki after the shoulder contact isnt factual either. First contact was the right hand. The video clearly shows this.

If you are seeing something else you are seeing it through biased eyes.

 

[shane2801]

Role model and ornament to the game imo he is not.

Maybe the best full back in the past ten years, maybe not - I won't go into that.

Try the best fullback in 110 years.

 

[cktiger]

Role model and ornament to the game imo he is not.

Maybe the best full back in the past ten years, maybe not - I won't go into that.

**Try the best fullback in 110 years.**

Can't agree with that.
Fullback play has changed enormously - especially over the last 50 years.
At one time fullbacks (like Barnes and Simms) would engage in kicking duels before one would take the run.
People loved it, but you would never see it now.
Gradually that disappeared with the 4 tackle and six tackle rules and guys like Les Johns and Langlands were stars.
Players of past eras were just as dominant in the styles that they played….. and Slater is good in his era.
The bloke is best at one thing though - being a grub.

 

[innsaneink]

Sad the game has come to this

Can’t agree…no player could seriously miss a GF for basically bumping a winger over the sideline. Yes by definition might be a vague form of shoulder charge, but we see it ten times a year.

Shoulders to the head/jaw are one thing...shoulder to shoulder is another, re-word the rule correctly and lets try and keep our game somewhat tough which is what drew us all to it in the first place

 

[Onthebus]

Glad he is playing, hope he scores the winning try just to rub it in to the Rorters