Phil Gould's veiled swipe at Jason Demetriou in hip-drop controversy

Canterbury Bulldogs football manager Phil Gould has taken a shot at South Sydney coach Jason Demetriou, after he questioned what reason NRL players across the league would have for executing a hip-drop tackle in a game. Demetriou's comments came after Bulldogs rookie Jacob Preston was sin-binned for a hip drop on the Rabbitohs' Izaac Thompson.

Preston was sent off at a crucial juncture for the Bulldogs, who were fighting hard to come back from a 26-12 half-time deficit. The Rabbitohs ran in three quick tries while the Bulldogs were one man short, all but nullifying their attempt to steal victory.

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It was revealed on Saturday that Preston would face no charge from the match review committee, with his tackle not judged worthy of a fine on review. The news came after Demetriou spoke strongly against players from any club using the technique, claiming it wasn't a technique taught to or used by players in training, questioning why it kept happening during games.

Gould, who had earlier taken to Twitter to give fans details about Josh Addo-Carr's ankle injury, re-posted the comments from Demetriou with an additional caption. "People in glass houses," wrote the Bulldogs heavyweight.

It wasn't immediately clear what exactly Gould was referring to. Demetriou claimed in his press conference following the 50-16 victory that there had been at least four hip-drop tackles laid on Rabbitohs players.

"We keep saying that it is not a problem in the game, but Izack Thompson, Junior Tatola today," he said. "If that tackle happens on the training field, I can guarantee you your teammates aren't happy about it.

"Your own teammates are filthy if you do that to your fellow teammates. I don't know why if we are not doing it at training, why are we bringing it on the field?"

NRL controversy erupts over hip-drop tackles

The decision not to further punish Preston comes after Cronulla lock Dale Finucane last week received a three-week ban for a hip-drop tackle while last season, Brisbane prop Patrick Carrigan incurred a four-game suspension.

The NRL first issued the edict to remove the tackle from the game in 2020, fearing injuries to players when a defender swings their weight onto the back of the legs of an attacking player. However, there have been concerns punished tackles are often merely accidents in slippery conditions.

Demetriou credited the NRL for their efforts to remove the tackle from the game. He said that any effort from the league had to be matched by the actions of players on the field, otherwise the risk of injury was too high.

"The game is doing a great job trying to do what they can," he said after the match. "It is up to the clubs to show some onus because it is going to affect your team somewhere.

"You are going to lose a high-quality player to a hip drop, which is a tackle that can be avoided in my opinion. We don't practise it. There is no way that would happen at training, I can't stress that point enough - it does not happen at training.

"Coaches and teammates would not let that happen, so I don't know why we are accepting that it is OK on the field."

With AAP

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