TONY Smith has a simple message for those who say rugby league’s new concussion rules are killing the sport – they had to happen.
Hundreds of people have signed an online petition calling for the lowering of tackle height to the armpit, limiting the amount of time players can be on the pitch in a 12-month period and making under-10s games touch or tag only to be reversed.
Fans have said they will hand in their season tickets, not watch any more and believe it will decimate the junior game.
But Hull FC coach Smith, who is not afraid to point out where the Rugby Football League goes wrong, believes the 44 adaptations had to happen – and they are just winding the clock back.
The former England boss said: “It’s a necessity and it‘s right. Some of us have missed the point, we’ve got to do it and I don’t think it’s that drastic a change in many respects.
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“We’re doing away with some forms of tackling that have only been in our game for 20-25 years. The catch tackle and the upright tackle never used to be about.
“What we’re saying is, ‘When we’re too upright in our tackles, we get too many head clashes.’ That’s only been a ploy since I came over. I’d never seen it until I arrived in this country in 2000.
“You’re still going to need bravery to run into 17 and 18-stone men who are going to try and whack you, not around the head but anywhere else.
“So to all the people who say it’s not going to be gladiatorial, I disagree. I just think we’ll be seeing different skills and so many different ways it can be entertaining.
“Can players go in at the same velocity? Sometimes no. Can they still bend their back and put their shoulder in around someone’s midriff? Absolutely they can.
“They’re probably the best tackles anyway. When you cop it around the midriff rather than the head, they’re some of the biggest and hardest contacts.
“Head-high tackles have never been the big hits, they’re just part of the game that needs to be outlawed.”
Smith admits he is already coaching Hull FC’s players as if the tackle height change has already come in, even though it does not officially enter the pro ranks until 2025.
Since the changes, which affect every level form under-6s to Super League, were announced he has read moan after moan after moan.
The ones that really get to him are ones from people saying the lack of tackling until the under-10s will be the demise of kids’ rugby league.
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For he feels it may have the opposite effect and bring more youngsters into the game.
Smith added: “They want tacklers to know where they’re making contact with ball carriers. They want people in control of their bodies.
“And in the kids’ game, I’ve heard and read stuff saying kids aren’t going to play. I’ll say most kids don’t develop until they’re hitting puberty.
“We alienate too many kids anyway from our sport as they aren’t ready for its physicality.
“The more we can entice the starters to play and get confidence to the degree they know they’re not going to get seriously injured will help them.
“Then when they mature, they’ve got the bravery on top of that – it’s a good way of getting participation up. That physicality alienates too many kids at the moment.”
As rugby league enters a new era, Smith also called on one vital quality to be displayed on the field - patience.
For criticising referees and players will only make a big change messy.
He told SunSport: “We’re going to have some patience with our players and our referees. We’ve got to take the pressure off them and help them along the way by not being too critical of them.
“We’ve got to make it as simple as we can for them.”
