Payne Haas (10) is among those in hip-drop trouble after this tackle on Eel Reagan Campbell-Gillard. -AAP Image
*WHAT IS A HIP-DROP TACKLE?
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A defending player takes a grip on a ball-carrier. As the attacking player attempts to drive forward, the defender swings their hips around the back of the attacker, dropping their hips onto the back of the attacking player's legs with force. The defender is able to stop the attacking player almost instantly.
*WHY IS IT SO DANGEROUS?
There have been some serious injuries as a result of hip-drop tackles over the last few years. This is mainly because the force of a player dropping his weight on the back of an attacker's legs - often when they are in a weakened position because of other defenders in the tackle - can place great strains on joints and muscles. Jackson Hastings sustained a broken leg last year while playing for Wests Tigers. Parramatta winger Haze Dunster also suffered ACL, PCL and MCL ruptures in the same knee in a trial game before the 2022 season.
*WHAT IS THE PUNISHMENT?
This appears to be the most frustrating issue for coaches and fans with no black-and-white ruling in place. Already this season we have seen players being placed on report or sent to the sin-bin. In some cases, the bunker has intervened to send the game back several plays to penalise a defender. There have also been examples of hip-drop tackles going unpunished altogether. The match review committee has the power to charge players, although the length and severity of the sanction is linked to a player's previous record.
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