Meanwhile the NRL is continuing to bury their heads in the sand pretending there is no issue.
Former Broncos adviser Chris Haseman sounds warning over martial arts moves
Chris Garry and Peter Badel
The Sunday Mail (Qld)
April 29, 201212:00AM
GET A GRIP: Chris Haseman demonstrating some of the dangerous moves employed by players in today's NRL matches. Picture: Annette Dew Source: The Sunday Mail (Qld)
RUGBY league's first wrestling coach Chris Haseman has called on referees boss Bill Harrigan to rid the NRL of martial-arts moves that he claims are endangering player safety, accusing the code's officials of "burying their heads in the sand".
As leading figures such as Wayne Bennett and Gorden Tallis hit out at the wrestling scourge gripping league, Haseman lifted the lid on wrestling tactics in the NRL and a variety of moves defenders are employing that could seriously injure a ball carrier.
A former Ultimate Fighting Championship contestant, Haseman is the godfather of wrestling in league, starting work with the Brisbane Broncos in 1998 under former coach Wayne Bennett.
Haseman defended pure wrestling training for NRL teams but said the sudden increase in jiu-jitsu moves in tackles was the real danger, as the rising popularity of the UFC meant players now had greater knowledge of choke holds and limb locks.
It has been nearly five years since the NRL first held a summit to address the rise of grappling in the game, yet the litany of moves employed to slow play-the-balls has doubled.
Haseman said Harrigan needed to send his referees to wrestling workshops with himself and other martial artists to understand the moves and how they are administered in a tackle.
Jiu-jitsu is so technical, Haseman said, that referees can't tell what is going on unless they talk to a veteran martial artist.
"NRL officials bury their heads in the sand," he said. "They know I'd be happy to coach them but they never show any interest."
In his inner-Brisbane gym, Haseman, a jiu-jitsu black belt, demonstrated several moves used by NRL teams each week.
As he plunged his knee into the ankle of fellow trainer Adam, Haseman said: "NRL commentators call this move a rolling pin, but it's actually an achilles crush and it's excruciatingly painful".
Adam seemed to agree as he writhed in pain despite Haseman not applying his full weight to the achilles.
"If NRL players wanted to, they could do certain submissions that would wreck an opponent's limbs," he said. "And they'd be so subtle, the referee would think it was an accident.
"It's not the wrestling that's the problem. It's the jiu-jitsu, which focuses on joint manipulation.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl ... 6341660109
