Sunshine Coast Player Dies

[leaguerefaus]

A very sombre day for rugby league, with the death of James Ackerman - seriously injured whilst playing in a Queensland Cup game on the weekend.

To make this incident even more tragic, a friend of mine who referees but was at the game in a non-official capacity believed the tackle which fatally injured James was a shoulder charged - this has also been mentioned by some media sources.

Rightly so the NRL is giving counselling to all players and officials involved in the match.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-2...injury/6563864

Due to the extremely sensitive nature of the incident, the QRL is opting to delay reviewing the tackle.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/q...-1227408692666

[menace]

Shocking news. My heart goes out to the devastated family.

If it was truly caused by a shoulder charge then this is a reminder why rugby referees need to be vigilant with dealing with them severely. Hopefully RL will come down harder on them. I know they are supposedly illegal in RL now, but from what I see on TV and locally you wouldn't know it.

[beckett50]

Tragic.

[leaguerefaus]

Shocking news. My heart goes out to the devastated family.

If it was truly caused by a shoulder charge then this is a reminder why rugby referees need to be vigilant with dealing with them severely. Hopefully RL will come down harder on them. I know they are supposedly illegal in RL now, but from what I see on TV and locally you wouldn't know it.

I've seen very few shoulder charges in RL this year, Menace, although admittedly we have a much more specific criteria than union. In league, there are plenty of no arms tackles that aren't shoulder charges because a shoulder charge is defined as

a defender, without attempting to tackle, grab or hold the ball-carrier (or any opposing player) using the arms or hands, makes direct physical contact with the shoulder or the upper arm (tucked into the side).

Many times in a RL game you will see what we deem to be "collisions" which are front on but do not fulfill the shoulder charge criteria.

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

Very sad indeed.

[leaguerefaus]

Update: The tackler, Francis Molo, has been referred straight to the judiciary. The date of the hearing is not as yet determined.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...-1227410863882

I wouldn't be raising my hand to sit on the judiciary panel... What a job they are going to have.

[Phil E]

I read this over the weekend, very sad news.

Due to the extremely sensitive nature of the incident, the QRL is opting to delay reviewing the tackle.

I understand it is a sensitive time, but what happens if someone else gets injured in the meantime. Delaying doesn't really help anyone.

[Taff]

I understand it is a sensitive time, but what happens if someone else gets injured in the meantime. Delaying doesn't really help anyone.

Exactly. What are they gaining by putting off the inevitable?

[leaguerefaus]

As posted in the update, they have reviewed the tackle and it has been referred straight to the judiciary (i.e. it is too difficult to grade the tackle).
The QRL has not released the charge, but based upon info I have heard, it is a shoulder charge he has been charged with, but due to the extreme circumstances have not graded the shoulder charge.

So they are no longer delaying admitting the tackle is illegal, they are now delaying when his hearing will be.

[SimonSmith]

I have no wish to hang the guy, but if an act of foul play has this kind of result, will the polis likely get involved?