NRL’s head of football Graham Annesley has said he “can’t be responsible for people’s confusion” as the furore around the controversial hip drop tackle continues.
Annesley’s comments come as the ARL Commission is set to issue the NRL with a please explain over the recent crackdown on the hip drop and the cluster of sin bins, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Round 8 saw another chapter added to the league’s battle with the hip drop, with Friday’s Eels-Broncos clash marred by three separate incidents.
Watch every game of every round of the 2023 NRL Telstra Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Two players, Ezra Mam and J’maine Hopgood were sin binned for hip drops with Mam and teammate Payne Hass subsequently charged by the NRL match committee
Haas wasn’t penalised or sin binned for his ugly tackle on Reagan Campbell-Gillard, who unfortunately, suffered a groin injury as a result and is due to miss 8-12 weeks.
Annesley appeared on Triple M Rocks NRL on Sunday and got into a heated discussion with leading journalist Ben Dobbin over the confusion from players on what constitutes a hip drop.
“There’s a lot of confusion around the playing ranks, so if they don’t understand it, surely the NRL has got to come out and give some clear guidelines so everyone has an idea?” Dobbin asked.
What constitutes a ‘hip drop tackle?’ | 07:16
MORE NRL NEWS
‘CAN’T REMEMBER’: Bennett’s classic reply to halftime question amid record win
BIG HITS: ‘Comeback for the ages’ — Star’s ‘bizarre’ day in Dolphins’ 25-year first
BIG HITS: Holmes answers ‘challenge’ in Cowboys win; Ponga ‘dangerous’ in return
“Dobbo, go to the NRL website, it’s there in black and white. I talk about it every single week,” Annesley retorted.
“I can’t be responsible for people’s confusion. It’s out there. People have to read it and understand it.
Veteran journalist Phil Rothfield also weighed in on the matter on Monday morning, stating he is “more confused than ever before”.
Rothfield pointed to the Haas tackle on Friday night, and said “there was absolutely no doubt” the Broncos prop would have been sent to the sin bin had Mam not been in there already.
“All I know is we have Reagan Campbell-Gillard out for 12 weeks,” Rothfield said on the Big Sports Breakfast.
“They are as confused on the field as they are off it. The referee had no problem with it (Haas tackle), the Bunker had no problem with it and then we wake up Saturday morning and the NRL match review does have a problem with it with Payne Haas getting a grade 2 charge.
“There was pressure on the bunker at the time. The Broncos were already done to 12 players at the time and they didn’t have the courage to put them down to 11.
Ezra MAGIC sets up skipper with flick | 00:32
“I’m sure the pressure got to the person in the bunker. Anything remotely like a hip drop tackle that causes an injury has been sent to the sin bin.
“It’s become a blight on the game, no one knows what’s happening, particularly with differing reports on what the commission think.
“What’s going on, seriously.”
The hip drop issue and how it should be policed isn’t just impacting the NRL.
Annesley revealed that the NFL have been in contact with the league after a number of incidents at the back end of their 2022/2023 season.
Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard suffered a fractured fibula and high ankle sprain after a hip drop from San Francisco 49ers safety Jimmie Ward during a playoff game in January.
Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes was also injured in a similar-looking tackle to the one caused Pollard’s injury, in Kansas City’s playoff win against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Luckily, Mahomes would return later that game and lead his side to a Super Bowl victory three weeks later.
“(The hip drop) is a new phenomenon. I’ve been around the game for a long time and this is something that popped up out of the blue a few years ago,” Annesley said.
“The NFL is dealing with exactly the same thing at the moment and they’ve contacted us for advice with how to deal with it in readiness for their upcoming season.
“It’s obviously something that has evolved from a defence mechanism to try and bring players to the ground as quickly as possible, but we have to do it in a way that’s safe.”
Get all the latest NRL news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!
