NRL: Your guide to league's dirty tackles

Jerome Ropati, of the Warriors, is caught in an apparent 'chicken wing' tackle against Manly on Sunday. Photo / Richard Robinson

Melbourne Storm are in the forefront - as usual - as the latest addition to league lawlessness, the 'chinstrap', makes its debut, writes Steve Deane

Time to welcome the "chinstrap" to the lexicon of league lawlessness. As usual, the Melbourne Storm are sitting squarely in the gunsights over the latest piece of jiu-jitsu nastiness - where the tackler hooks the prone ball carrier under the chin and twists his head - to make its way on to the league field.

A scandal that began with Raiders coach David Furner furnishing the NRL with a disk of Storm nasties and the Canberra media with some juicy quotes has sent Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy scrambling for his outraged and indignant face. Actually, that's his normal face, but you get the picture.

"I'm not quite sure if David Furner thinks we are a bunch of hillbillies down here," Bellamy said yesterday.

"If he thinks we actually teach our players to attack the head and neck of other players, when that part of the game is so highly scrutinised ... I know we're not that smart but we ain't that dumb either."

As is his wont, Bellamy has also played the victim card with some aplomb, suggesting Furner was deflecting attention from the Raiders' season-opening loss.

"It's as if, 'we're under pressure, let's talk about the Melbourne players' tackling technique and put the pressure on there'," Bellamy said. "If my players do the wrong thing, we expect to be penalised just like everyone else. And if there is any problem with our game, the referees, or the review committee, well I'm sure we'll hear from them."

Having pioneered the use of wrestling techniques over a decade ago, hearing from the authorities over dodgy tackles is something the Storm are in fact well used to.

Bellamy's protestations of innocence might carry a bit more weight had he not already had to defend his players' use of chicken wings, grapples, prowlers, crushers and rolling pins.

Struggling to keep up? No worries. We've compiled this easy-to-follow guide for you.

Chinstrap

Tackle type: Crusher

Variants: Facial

Idiot's guide: As the ball carrier is struggling to regain his feet, grab him by the chin and wrench his head sideways, holding on for as long as possible without attracting the attention of the referee or David Furner.

First sighted: Storm forward Todd Lowrie's tackle on Raider Brett White during last weekend's first-round match is the first reported sighting. The term chinstrap was allegedly coined, curiously enough, by the Raiders' wrestling coach.

Chicken wing

Tackle type: Arm lock, submission hold

Variants: Ripper

Idiot's guide: Tackler grabs opponent's non-ball-carrying arm and applies pressure to the wrist, elbow or shoulder, immobilising the ball carrier until released.

First sighted: Storm forward Adam Blair was the first to be charged with a chicken wing for a tackle on Michael Ennis in April 2008, although the tactic had already been noted for some time.

Grapple tackle

Tackle type: Grapple

Variants: Prowler, cannon ball

Idiot's guide: Multiple tacklers hit ball carrier, allowing arms to slide up under chin. Ball carrier is held on feet and controlled until players are told by the referee to release.

First sighted: In 2002/03 the Storm revolutionised the game by employing wrestling coach John Donehue, who introduced players to jiu-jitsu techniques. The most commonly used of these is the grapple, a tackling technique that only becomes illegal when applied to the head.

Prowler

Tackle type: Grapple

Variants: Reverse prowler, cannon ball

Idiot's guide: Two or more players trap the ball carrier in a grapple tackle. While the attacker is immobilised an additional tackler inflicts a shoulder hit on an exposed area, usually the back.

First sighted: Chances are it had been around for a while before coming to prominence in the first round of 2008 when Roosters hooker Riley Brown hit a helpless Craig Wing with a tackle that shredded his shoulder. The term prowler was coined by Wayne Bennett, who was not a fan.

Cannonball

Tackle type: Grapple

Variants: Missile, kneecapper, immobiliser

Idiot's guide: A variation on the prowler where the last man in dives at the knees of an immobilised opponent.

First sighted: Issac Luke is the player most associated with the cannonball, but the term was actually coined after a tackle by Chris Sandow on Josh Hoffman in July last year. In reality, the cannonball had been around for ages but had been more commonly called a missile tackle.

Crusher

Tackle type: Spine lock grapple

Idiot's guide: Tackler uses his torso to put pressure on opponent's head, pushing it down onto the chest, causing neck pain, back spasms, breathing difficulties and potential spinal damage.

First sighted: Another horrible piece of skulduggery that appears to have been introduced by the Storm about 2007. The NRL moved quickly to outlaw the practice, with Rabbitohs player Dean Widders the first charged for a "crusher" on Jamie Lyon in August 2007.

Rolling pin

Tackle type: Leg lock

Idiot's guide: The ball carrier is rolled onto his stomach and prevented from getting up by placing a knee on the calf muscle.

First sighted: In 2004 (you guessed it), Storm forward Jeff Lima was investigated for a series of four rolling-pin tackles on Parramatta players. Match commissioner Greg McCallum said at the time the "rolling pin" had come about because of the NRL's crackdown on upper-body wrestling techniques. "Previously it was about controlling the top part of the body and I think it's become obvious that they can't do that any more," McCallum said.