Penrith coach Ivan Cleary has urged the NRL to apply “a little bit of common sense” to rulings on tackles in the air, after a pair of penalty tries in round 23 reignited debate over the rule’s interpretation.
The law, introduced in 2020 to align with international standards and prioritise player safety, came under fire when both Melbourne’s Xavier Coates and Cronulla’s Teig Wilton were awarded tries after minimal aerial contact.
“I’m not comfortable,” Cleary admitted when asked about the recent decisions.
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“I think it’s one of those ones where the rule was originally made, we tend to forget why it was made, and we drift off and it becomes something else. That rule is all about player safety. That’s why it was brought in. I think some of the ones you’ve seen have nothing to do with safety, so I think there’s a little bit of common sense needed around that rule.”
To’o and Coates rivalry renewed
The timing is significant, with the Panthers preparing to face the Storm on Thursday night and Coates again lining up opposite Brian To’o, a duel that saw To’o sent to the sin bin in this year’s State of Origin opener for a similar infringement.
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Cleary acknowledged that teams have to adapt to evolving interpretations: “As long as it’s deemed safe, I think you should at least get the opportunity to try to stop a try in that situation. But that’s not going to happen now, so we’ve got to deal with it the best way we can.”
To’o, giving up a 12cm height advantage to his opposite number, said his focus would be on fair aerial contests: “Don’t tackle him in the air or take his legs out because that can do a lot of damage… as long as both of us come down safely, that’s all that matters.”