Rugby League Coaching Manuals

...what is changing is the way players are tackling, whether it is on the ground or during the takedown. Traditionally, the ‘textbook' leg tackle is slowly disappearing from the game as players focus on using their upper body strength to gain an advantage.

As the pace of the game quickens, players adapt. The nature of the game itself is unpredictable. Sometimes there is only one thing that can be depended on - the opposition.

 "A lot of stuff you can rely on is obviously who you're playing. Some sides can have one or two ball players plus a good dummy half, some sides are unfortunate enough to only have one ball player, and some have three or four in their side."

In today's competition, the opposition may have one predominant player against the ball a lot, who can be easily shut down. Another side can have three or four, a good dummy half, a good half and a good five eight. The ball player can make the decision for you. If the ball player plays early, it will obviously be hard to come up and hit him, because if the ball player goes to the line, someone's got to nominate him and take him, everyone else on the outside needs to go for a body.

"Some people probably forget the initial contact in the tackle is the most important."

Brown explains, "The original tackle, getting hit with a shoulder, good body positions is so much more important than the wrestle because if you don't win the initial contact, it does get tough to win the wrestle."

Wrestling has become a huge part of the game. Each team is now carefully scrutinised for the way they put a man on the ground, how long he's down there and the technique applied for keeping him down.

Essentially, the initial contact is still important but then after you've made that good contact, grabbing an elbow or an arm that helps to get the player on the ground is always beneficial.

In turn, different techniques that the wrestling coaches have introduced over the past three or four years since Melbourne (who entered the competition in 1999) have become very wrestle dominant. Now the majority of teams are using this strategy..............

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