The NRL has conceded Johnathan Thurston was put at an “unacceptable risk of injury” in an ugly tackle by Beau Scott, despite the Newcastle back-rower avoiding suspension for the contentious hit.
The Knights’ borderline defensive tactics on North Queensland playmaker Thurston on Saturday have earned the ire of many in rugby league, including Cowboys coach Paul Green.
Cameron Smith weighed into the debate on Tuesday claiming there was in increasing trend towards playmakers being illegally targeted in the NRL.
On Wednesday in his weekly review NRL match review coordinator Michael Buettner described Scott’s tackle on Thurston, which left the representative pivot with a black eye, as “dangerous”.
But the former first grade five-eighth said the tackle didn’t warrant a dangerous throw charge.
“One of the crucial elements of a dangerous throw is that there needs to be elevation and from the footage you can see Thurston has one of his feet down on the ground at all times,” Buettner said.
“Therefore it wasn’t considered as a dangerous throw.
“Still it was considered dangerous and there was an unacceptable risk of injury to player Thurston, therefore a grade one dangerous contact (charge) was applied.”
Director of football Michael Hagan continued to defend Newcastle’s controversial tactics on 2KY’s Sky Sports Radio on Wednesday.
“I think it is a physical sport and someone like JT who plays right in the line as a ball player, that is what has made him such a great player, (you want) to put pressure on him from the inside with no intent other than to make him play early so you know what is coming,” Hagan said.
“That was going on in Origin last year and Beau Scott was very menacing for JT in the Origin series.
“So there is no secret about how Beau plays and he plays very physical so I don’t think that is going to change for the next game or two.”
However Hagan called for better protection of players, including a five or 10 minute sin bin option for late tackles.
“As a game we are doing a fair bit about that to protect our players,” he said.
“Unless you want to introduce the sin bin for late tackles to really stamp that out.
“That wouldn’t bother me, that is something you have to consider.”
