Annesley backs Garrick tackle call as NRL considers rule change

The NRL will consider changing the mid-air tackle rule after Friday night’s incident involving Sea Eagles fullback Rueben Garrick and Warriors fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.

NRL head of football Graham Annesley supported the decision of match officials to take no action against Nicoll-Klokstad for his 72nd minute tackle on Garrick after charging down an attempted field goal by Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans.

The ball bounced upwards and Garrick was collected by Nicoll-Klokstad as he leapt to catch it but according to the mid-air tackle rule there was no breach as it is only illegal to tackle a player in the air while he is fielding a kick on the full.

However, NRL referee's boss Jared Maxwell and officiating coach David Fairleigh had differing views about whether the incident was potentially dangerous and Annesley said the NRL would review the rule in order to minimise the risk of injury.

“I took a view that there was no breach of the rule in this case… this is a subjective matter which the referee and the bunker took a view on and decided that there was no degree of lack of care exerted by Nicoll-Klokstad,” Annesley said during his weekly football briefing.

“Under the existing rules, it’s a matter for the referees to determine whether any other rules had been breached or not.

“’Was there any lack of care taken by Nicoll-Klokstad? I don’t think there was, but that’s my subjective view.

“Injury alone is not a determination of whether the rule has been breached or not, players get injured in our game in all sorts of situations.”

While the rule will be reviewed at the end of the season, Annesley said NRL needed to “ensure that there are no unintentional consequences if the rule changes.”

Showing an example of Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak being tackled while scoring a mid-air try in the corner, Annesley said a rule could have significant implications on acrobatic style tries.

“We can change the rule but we have to change the it in a way that’s not going to inhibit these fantastic tries that we see or punish players that stop these," he said.

“One of the reasons that the rule only applies to kicks on the full is because we have to ensure that there are no unintentional consequences if the rule changes."

Meanwhile, Annesley said the other major incident in Round 25 - a 56th minute Knights try which was scored off an eighth tackle set - could be put down to a “human fallible error.”

The Knights were awarded a seven-tackle set and match officials could be heard counting each tackle but they missed one when Kalyn Ponga was stopped before the Rabbitohs tryline.

The count then incorrectly resumed from the next tackle on Tyson Gamble, which should have been the fifth tackle, and prop Daniel Saifiti scored off a kick by Phoenix Crossland on the eighth tackle.

“There’s no excuses for it. It’s a straight miss by the referee for not calling tackle on Ponga and resuming the tackle count on Ponga,” Annesley said.

“There will be errors made in every game just as there are by the players that play the game.

“Of course there’s little consolation other than the fact that the game’s being accountable.”