Williams wants tough action on crusher tackles
TWO weeks after the NRL announced an immediate crackdown on crusher tackles, Northern Pride coach Ty Williams has urged the QRL to follow suit.
It comes days after Pride lock and North Queensland Cowboys-contracted rising star Peter Hola was the victim of an ugly incident in the club’s 52-8 loss to Sunshine Coast Falcons on the weekend. In the 24th minute of the match, Falcons forward Sam Burns was placed on report after he slammed Hola, who was locked up in a precarious position, into the Barlow Park turf.
The 20-year-old Pride player immediately grabbed his neck in pain as he lay on the ground, as co-captain Tom Hancock voiced his disgust at the incident.
Having viewed the incident a number of times over on the game tape since then, Williams doubled down on his skipper’s thoughts at yesterday’s Pride team announcement.
“It’s disgusting the way the tackle ended up and it should be ruled out of the game,” said the coach.
“We had a player sent from the field for an (alleged) headbutt, but there’s some aggressive downward pressure on the neck and there’s feet off the ground. If Peter Hola doesn’t move his head out of the way, we’re looking at a bloke that’s probably up at (Cairns Hospital).”
Williams said the QRL needed to come down hard on dangerous tackles where players’ heads, necks and backs were put under extreme pressure.
“Guys know when they’re in their positions, they know how to control the ruck, but if you’re not going to be careful in what you’re doing then you deserve the length of suspension that this guy’s going to get,” he said.
“He might be a genuine guy from the field, but that brings lives in danger and that’s not what rugby league’s about.
“It’s a contact sport, but when you bringing wrestling in and get people’s heads and necks in different areas, that’s just a no-no in the game.”