IN the weekend’s Super League matches we saw two outstanding examples of brilliant tackles, but of quite different types.
In the game between Leeds and Warrington on Friday night, Leeds winger Ash Handley broke downfield and looked almost certain to score, but Wolves star Matty Ashton came from the opposite wing to pull off a magnificent, try-saving cover tackle in the classic manner, when the sight of a brilliant tackle can be as thrilling as the scoring of a brilliant try.
Then on Saturday we had Catalans’ Arthur Mourgue tackling Lewis Dodd when he looked certain to score and was over the line, but Mourgue somehow stopped him from touching the ball down.
It was an absolutely crucial and brilliant piece of work that was perhaps crucial in determining the final outcome of the match.
We also saw a thrilling cover tackle in the NRL at the weekend in the all-Queensland clash between Brisbane and North Queensland, when Selwyn Cobbo set off for the line from his own half of the field and the Cowboys halfback Tom Dearden came across the field to tackle him into touch by the corner post.
The referee originally awarded the try, but it was then turned down by the bunker.
This season we have seen a succession of brilliant tackles right from the first game of the season, when Tariq Sims pulled off a bellringer against George Williams, through the World Club Challenge, when Jai Field pulled off an astonishing cover tackle on Taylan May.
Someone is surely putting together a compilation of all these brilliant tackles, perhaps to be shown on Sky Sports.
It would go down extremely well with me.
