Ripper tackle

A ripper tackle, also referred to as the ripper,^[1] is the name given to a wrestling technique which involves defenders wrenching the limbs of the player in possession while completing a tackle.^[1]

Use of the ripper was noticed during when Melbourne Storm played Parramatta in the 2007 NRL finals series.^[1] Parramatta's Nathan Cayless suffered a torn pectoral muscle and a torn biceps after he was tackled by Melbourne's Brett White.^[1] Journalist Dan Koch described how, "it involved two players pinning [Cayless'] legs and a third using [Cayless'] loose arm as leverage to try to flip him on to his back".^[2] Journalists Dean Richie and Steve Mascord wrote in The Courier-Mail how cameras had captured images showing the arm "being ripped backwards".^[1]

Richie and Mascord also noted that "the NRL match review committee reviewed the incident but laid no charges".^[1] The two journalists also reported that Melbourne's Cameron Smith had attempted to "rip Eric Grothe's arm back behind him" in the same game, while Channel 9 showed a Melbourne whiteboard that read: "Commitment: WRESTLE!!!" at halftime.^[1]

Manly-Warringah, the team due to play Melbourne next in the Grand Final, reacted with concern. Forward Anthony Watmough commented, "You can't have players purposely ripping the limbs off other players. It will be open slather. You'll have players popping shoulders, breaking legs, cruciates and knee reconstructions. If they get away with it, everyone will be doing it next season. If they don't put a stop to it, it can shorten a player's career. It's not good for the game".^[1]

Brett White explained his challenge on Cayless: "During a game, you go back to muscle memory. That muscle memory is what you train all the pre-season for. We train to wrap up the ball and to put blokes on their back. You go into every tackle thinking about it."^[1] Cameron Smith denied he had intended to perform a ripper on Grothe.^[1] Both White and Bellamy questioned whether their club was being unfairly accused over wrestling techniques, with Bellamy saying, "You get tackles where blokes get hurt, particularly when they're playing us, and suddenly it's a new, illegal tackle that we've made up".^[1]

Todd Balym wrote that Robert Finch, the NRL referees' coach, said the ability of the Grand Final referee to stop rippers was limited unless it occurred after the completion of the tackle.^[3] Finch stated, "It's not a grapple, it's more like work on the ground more than anything else. In the course of the tackle the referee has got to adjudicate whether the tackle was complete or not when that issue arises".^[3] Finch explained, "I've said all semi-finals series we're not changing anything we do. We are not going to go into the Grand Final with any preconceived ideas on these issues. We'll judge it as we see it".^[3]

[edit] References

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