The tackling technique of United Kingdom Test forward Adrian Morley is again under scrutiny after he received a two-match National Rugby League (NRL) ban for a high tackle in a club match last weekend.
The Sydney Roosters had considered appealing the severity of Morley’s grade-three careless high tackle charge on South Sydney scrum-half Ben Walker but decided to plead guilty and accept a two-game ban.
Morley said he would have to adjust to the new shoulder charge rule, which states a charge can be laid if ”reckless or intentional” contact with the arm or shoulder is made to the head of an opponent.
”During the tackle with Ben Walker my shoulder accidentally made contact with his head,” Morley told reporters on Tuesday.
”There was no malice in the tackle, I’ve actually called Ben to apologise and he has accepted my apology. There are no hard feelings there. The last couple of years I’ve been doing a lot of work on my tackling technique, but the implication of this new rule is that there may be a bit more work.”
Roosters chief executive Brian Canavan said the Morley incident was a ”test case”, as it was the first such incident under the NRL’s new rule.
”In this case, we just accepted the new rule is in place, the wording is very tight and we didn’t think we would be successful in getting a downgrade from a grade three to a two,” Canavan said.
”Adrian will do more work on his technique in relation to this situation as well.” – AFP
