Sydney media finds grub tactic from News Limited owned club
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Cherry_Poppins
- Thunderstorm
- Posts: 509
- Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2012 12:26 pm
And no,its not about Melbourne!!!
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 6401708061
BEN Hannant is adamant this is not a deliberate act.
It sure looks deliberate in the stills we obtained from Fox Sports Stats.
And even in real time during the Brisbane-North Queensland game last Friday night in Townsville, it seemed as though Hannant's go-slow tactic was a premeditated move.
We first spotted the Bronco, affectionately known as the Polar Bear, giving Dallas Johnson a "wedgie" early in the game. Then, when superstar Johnathan Thurston copped one, it made us stop and think something just wasn't right with big Ben's tackling technique.
So we investigated further.
Turns out this latest party trick wasn't restricted to just one game because Ben Creagh also copped a beauty in Origin II the other night.
If Hannant isn't careful, he might end up with a new nickname, "The Wedgie King", and take over the crown from the long-retired Jason Stevens (who back in his day was world class when it came to the "wedgie").
When contacted yesterday and asked to explain his actions, Hannant pleaded not guilty.
"You're not doing a story on this, are you?" he asked.
"I didn't even realise."
Asked if this wasn't the same tactic Stevens made famous, Hannant added: "Not at all. It's just a matter of trying to hold them down. I didn't know it was a problem. You've got more to worry about with all the other wrestling tactics.
"I'm just trying to hold them down.
"Whatever you are doing, pulling on jerseys, pulling on shorts ... whatever it is. You are trying to hold them as long as possible without giving away a penalty.
"I think it is a very little thing. I actually think it is quite funny."
But ask yourself this: Would you think it was funny if someone started pulling your pants up the back of your bum as hard as they could?
Asked again if it was deliberate, Hannant was adamant.
"I am not doing anything illegal. It is just a matter of pinning blokes down," Hannant said.
However, the ARL Commission's operations boss Nathan McGuirk had a different take.
McGuirk said without witnessing the incidents with his own eyes, it was hard to comment if Hannant's tactic were illegal.
But he said that any tactic used to deliberately slow down the play was open to interpretation by the match referee - and if Hannant's "wedgies" were slowing down the play, then he would be penalised.
So when the Broncos run out to take on the Rabbitohs on Friday, fresh eyes will be watching.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 6401708061
BEN Hannant is adamant this is not a deliberate act.
It sure looks deliberate in the stills we obtained from Fox Sports Stats.
And even in real time during the Brisbane-North Queensland game last Friday night in Townsville, it seemed as though Hannant's go-slow tactic was a premeditated move.
We first spotted the Bronco, affectionately known as the Polar Bear, giving Dallas Johnson a "wedgie" early in the game. Then, when superstar Johnathan Thurston copped one, it made us stop and think something just wasn't right with big Ben's tackling technique.
So we investigated further.
Turns out this latest party trick wasn't restricted to just one game because Ben Creagh also copped a beauty in Origin II the other night.
If Hannant isn't careful, he might end up with a new nickname, "The Wedgie King", and take over the crown from the long-retired Jason Stevens (who back in his day was world class when it came to the "wedgie").
When contacted yesterday and asked to explain his actions, Hannant pleaded not guilty.
"You're not doing a story on this, are you?" he asked.
"I didn't even realise."
Asked if this wasn't the same tactic Stevens made famous, Hannant added: "Not at all. It's just a matter of trying to hold them down. I didn't know it was a problem. You've got more to worry about with all the other wrestling tactics.
"I'm just trying to hold them down.
"Whatever you are doing, pulling on jerseys, pulling on shorts ... whatever it is. You are trying to hold them as long as possible without giving away a penalty.
"I think it is a very little thing. I actually think it is quite funny."
But ask yourself this: Would you think it was funny if someone started pulling your pants up the back of your bum as hard as they could?
Asked again if it was deliberate, Hannant was adamant.
"I am not doing anything illegal. It is just a matter of pinning blokes down," Hannant said.
However, the ARL Commission's operations boss Nathan McGuirk had a different take.
McGuirk said without witnessing the incidents with his own eyes, it was hard to comment if Hannant's tactic were illegal.
But he said that any tactic used to deliberately slow down the play was open to interpretation by the match referee - and if Hannant's "wedgies" were slowing down the play, then he would be penalised.
So when the Broncos run out to take on the Rabbitohs on Friday, fresh eyes will be watching.
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Cherry_Poppins
- Thunderstorm
- Posts: 509
- Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2012 12:26 pm
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