blueyedsamurai
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Cronulla star Andrew Fifita has called for the shoulder charge to be reintroduced into the NRL, claiming recent rule changes around player safety were turning rugby league into "touch footy".
Fifita remains sidelined over the weekend while serving a two-match ban for a shoulder charge on Gold Coast winger David Mead in their opening round loss. The NRL's hardline stance on the shoulder charge is part of a raft of sweeping changes introduced with player welfare in mind. Others include outlawing of the "cannonball" tackle and new concussion protocols.
The NSW and Australian prop isn't the only big name sidelined. Sonny Bill Williams is also serving time for a shoulder charge, prompting a Twitter exchange in which Fifita wrote: "@SonnyBWilliams it’s ok bra I know how you feel. I fought NRL was a contact sport.
Fifita stood by those sentiments, believing he shouldn't have been suspended for what he described as a "love tap".
"Footy is changing, it's happening in AFL games too. It's just going to be touch footy soon," Fifita said.
"Give us 10 years and we'll be playing touch footy. Or it will be like Oz Tag for you.
"I think some of the rule changes will be bad for us.
"I had a five foot eight or nine [172cm-175cm] person running into me and I'm six four [193cm]. Me being a bit tired at the end of the game I'm going to have to watch it. The little guys are going to be running at my shoulders.You look at the video, a lot of guys are shoulder height to me anyway.
"It is stuffing with the game, this whole new tackling rule and this whole stopping the game rule. I think they should bring back the shoulder charge and if you hit the head, cop the flak.
"If it's fair, that's just football. That's the game we actually grew up with."
Fifita's absence gave his brother, David, the chance to make his NRL debut against Canterbury. Andrew said the moment was a proud one for the family but spoke of his disappointment at not being able to share it on the field.
"It's been stressful knowing I should have been playing," he said.
"One little silly love tap got me in strife. At the end of the day I've got to serve my punishment and I can't wait for next weekend.
"I got to present his jersey to him and it's one of the best things. Saying goodbye to him, I thought I was going to cry. I would love to have been there for his debut with him, it's what he was waiting for as well.
"But he made his debut and showed the club he can handle NRL level. I think he's put his name on the map. But the day I debut with him, that's gonna hit my heart."
David is off contract at the end of the season and hoping to press his claims for an extension. Andrew, who became the highest-paid prop in history after signing with Canterbury, joked "they can sign him too". But Andrew insisted the lesser-known Fifita had a place in the NRL, hopefully with the Sharks.
"I was given the opportunity and look where I am now," he said.
"If he gets some more games in he can be an Origin player, and Australian player, whatever he wants to be. I know he can do it.
"You can see what the Sharks did for me and I think they can do the same with David. He just needs to learn the game a bit and he'll be the same place I'm in in three years time."
Fifita's Canterbury contract could make him a target for opposition forwards, but the Griffith product is taking it all in his stride.
"Hopefully I end up having a good season so I can finish on a high," he said.
"I really want to go out with a bang and I'll try my hardest to do that. For the last week and a half I've been training my arse off to be fitter and bigger and stronger.
"If I go out and play my own game and have fun, I'll do the job I did with the Sharks. It will be the same thing I did in 2014 as what I did in 2013."
Fifita remains sidelined over the weekend while serving a two-match ban for a shoulder charge on Gold Coast winger David Mead in their opening round loss. The NRL's hardline stance on the shoulder charge is part of a raft of sweeping changes introduced with player welfare in mind. Others include outlawing of the "cannonball" tackle and new concussion protocols.
The NSW and Australian prop isn't the only big name sidelined. Sonny Bill Williams is also serving time for a shoulder charge, prompting a Twitter exchange in which Fifita wrote: "@SonnyBWilliams it’s ok bra I know how you feel. I fought NRL was a contact sport.
Fifita stood by those sentiments, believing he shouldn't have been suspended for what he described as a "love tap".
"Footy is changing, it's happening in AFL games too. It's just going to be touch footy soon," Fifita said.
"Give us 10 years and we'll be playing touch footy. Or it will be like Oz Tag for you.
"I think some of the rule changes will be bad for us.
"I had a five foot eight or nine [172cm-175cm] person running into me and I'm six four [193cm]. Me being a bit tired at the end of the game I'm going to have to watch it. The little guys are going to be running at my shoulders.You look at the video, a lot of guys are shoulder height to me anyway.
"It is stuffing with the game, this whole new tackling rule and this whole stopping the game rule. I think they should bring back the shoulder charge and if you hit the head, cop the flak.
"If it's fair, that's just football. That's the game we actually grew up with."
Fifita's absence gave his brother, David, the chance to make his NRL debut against Canterbury. Andrew said the moment was a proud one for the family but spoke of his disappointment at not being able to share it on the field.
"It's been stressful knowing I should have been playing," he said.
"One little silly love tap got me in strife. At the end of the day I've got to serve my punishment and I can't wait for next weekend.
"I got to present his jersey to him and it's one of the best things. Saying goodbye to him, I thought I was going to cry. I would love to have been there for his debut with him, it's what he was waiting for as well.
"But he made his debut and showed the club he can handle NRL level. I think he's put his name on the map. But the day I debut with him, that's gonna hit my heart."
David is off contract at the end of the season and hoping to press his claims for an extension. Andrew, who became the highest-paid prop in history after signing with Canterbury, joked "they can sign him too". But Andrew insisted the lesser-known Fifita had a place in the NRL, hopefully with the Sharks.
"I was given the opportunity and look where I am now," he said.
"If he gets some more games in he can be an Origin player, and Australian player, whatever he wants to be. I know he can do it.
"You can see what the Sharks did for me and I think they can do the same with David. He just needs to learn the game a bit and he'll be the same place I'm in in three years time."
Fifita's Canterbury contract could make him a target for opposition forwards, but the Griffith product is taking it all in his stride.
"Hopefully I end up having a good season so I can finish on a high," he said.
"I really want to go out with a bang and I'll try my hardest to do that. For the last week and a half I've been training my arse off to be fitter and bigger and stronger.
"If I go out and play my own game and have fun, I'll do the job I did with the Sharks. It will be the same thing I did in 2014 as what I did in 2013."
