Paul Gallen sparks fierce debate over 'slipping' concern in Suaalii send-off 06:21

Flano, what were your thoughts on Origin Wednesday night in general, Queensland beating New South Wales?

Yeah, I think I agree with what the boys have said. It's been some outstanding banter out the back before we come on and I'm looking forward to Gal and Daryl to get a bit deeper into that. But yeah, it was all over after that seven or eight minutes with the send-off. It has to be in the modern game. I heard some people talking about, was it a send-off? Of course it was a send-off. You can't hit players in the head and the argument that he slipped over, so what?

So what? You cannot hit players in the head. What if I would have argued with you about that? Oh, Gail did. You can't hit players in the head these days. You know, if...

We want people to come to a game and watch our game and, you know, mums and dads to put their boys and girls in this competition. You can't do it. Hang on. Did you not think it was a send-off? No, I've said it was a send-off. I said in the modern game and the way the game's refereed and officiated today, it's a send-off. But I was asked by James Bracey last night, what could we do differently in the future to ensure a game like this is not over after seven minutes?

And I said, maybe we should take into consideration the fact that Rhys Walsh slipped over. So what do you want him to do? Have longer studs in his boots or something? If he has to, he has to. No, no. It doesn't matter, Gail. It doesn't.

What do you mean it doesn't matter? It doesn't matter. There was forceful contact with the head. He's got to go. He said himself, okay, Rich Vos slips at the last second. Slips. He can't control what Rich Vos does. My question to you would be, what did Suwali do wrong? In that situation the other night, it's a send-off. I'll tell you what he did wrong. It's a send-off. I'll tell you what he did wrong. He made contact with the head illegally.

But how's it illegally? He made contact with the head, Gal. Because Reece Walsh slipped over. Oh, turn it up. He was slipping, but it does not matter. He slipped over. He got him in the head. I know he got him in. Gal, the bloke... Listen, just listen to me for a second. No, no, no. I've heard this crap all week. Do me one favour. It's not crap. Let's go. When you've got the pin-up boy in rugby league lying there with his eyes rolling around in the back of his head, kids watching on saying, Mum and Dad, why are Reece Walsh's eyes rolling back in his head? What do you think? Joseph Suoli, he should spend 10 minutes in the sin bin? No.

Please. It's a send-off every day of the week. The other night, no. The other night, no. I'm saying currently the way the game's refereed, it's a send-off. It was a send-off. And he was sent off. But in future, taking into consideration what happened to Reece Walsh, he slipped over. He's here one second. All of a sudden, he's there. When he made contact, he's out of 45. I agree with you. I agree with you. And I think you've answered the question. You said he should have been sent off in the modern game. Yes. But the question was asked of you, what should we do to stop that?

that one side plays with 12 men. Well, you know, what do you do if you put another player back on? Players are still going to be fouled then, you know. We're going to go backwards and go take out their best player. I know you didn't say that. I know you didn't say that. But the rules are the rules. And if a player gets hit in the head and it's forceful contact, you know, before you run out on the field, you're probably going to be sitting in the dressing room. So you've got to play by the rules.

It was an accident. Accidents happen, Paul. Last night, okay, there was a situation. I spoke about this earlier. There was a situation a few weeks ago. I think Melbourne Storm played the Newcastle Knights. Okay, Leo Thompson runs through his rookie. Nothing but ice to the ball. He hits Papineau's and Papineau's hits the ground, gets straight back up. He got suspended and copped a week. Last night in your game, Zach Lomax, the same thing happened. Knocked the bloke out cold on the ground. The bloke was out cold on the ground. Yes. Gets taken straight off.

Yet Zach Lomax is in charge. That was an accident. That was a total accident in which a bloke got knocked out cold. Yet no action's taken. There are accidents in the game. That's my point. But Sua Lee could have done something different. What could he have done? He could have tackled him around the legs. He could have gone over the ball tackle. He could have done a lot of things rather than hit him in the head. So it's not an excuse because you know, you've played the game. You've made more tackles than anyone.

So you know there's lots of different types of tackles you could have made in that situation. In that situation, his job is to go and pressure Reece Walsh. Do you agree? He could have gone over the ball, over his shoulders and done a full body tap. He was going in to hit him hard, mate. He was going in to hit him hard. Yeah, because he did a tackle selection before he got there. He picked his tackle, what type of tackle he was going to do as he went in. And Reece Walsh, the height of Reece Walsh changed and that's where it went wrong.

Yes, yes, Rich Falls changed it. He did not... But, Paul, you have made plenty of tackles and people have come out from marker and changed the position of the ball carrier's head. And you have changed your tackle. It's just no excuse, mate. Well, I just... We're going to agree to disagree, I suppose, because at the end of the day, Rich Falls slipped. So, Wally can't control that. Why is Darrell laughing? I don't know. Because he's got you and me arguing. I agree with you. We're not arguing. Is this what it was like watching you and Gow in your office back in the Sharks days?

No, gal, this is what's going to happen. This was fantastic. I'd probably listen a bit more back then. Look, at the end of the day, Joseph Suoliti is serving four weeks out of the game for a tackle and for an incident in the game that was frowned upon and I think would have concerned a lot of people watching the game. We need to make sure the game is safe. We know that the NRL is taking a dim view and punishing contact with the head. And I applaud Ashley Klein for having the kahunas involved.

in a big game at a crucial moment in the game, seven minutes in, to give a player his marching orders for a tackle that was dangerous. And the biggest spectacle in the game, the game was over there and then. And again... And whose fault's that? It's a send-off. It's Swire Lee's fault. I'm not saying... I'm saying it's a send-off. The other night was a send-off. I'm saying in future, we should look at the situation and evaluate the whole thing. Was there contact with the head? Yes. Was it forceful? Yes. Did Rhys Roll slip over? Yes. Did he contribute to it? Yes. That's my point. So, Paul, I'll give you this one. So...

We've talked about this, defensive patterns and styles. Instead of up and in defence on Reece Walsh there and putting yourself out of position because you know now that if you come up and in and make a tackle to shut someone down and it goes wrong, you hit him in the head, you've made a defensive decision. What if he just stays in shape and then they push him to the sideline and he makes an outside shoulder tackle? It's a throw-in.

But what happens there, Flannery, it was a three-on-two situation. If you sit back and let Rhys Ross dictate you in a three-on-two situation, he's going to strip you every time, every day of the week. That's how good he is. So their job was to go and pressure him. That's his job. Yeah, pressure him, not hit him in the head. Rhys Ross, he didn't mean to hit him in the head.

He did not meet. I think everyone agrees it was an accident. I think everyone agrees with that. It was an accident. But, Gal, you've still got to be punished for what's happened. You've still got to be punished. Which is why he's been sent off, which is why he's got four weeks on the sidelines. And it doesn't matter whether it's state of origin, NRL or junior football. You make contact with the head, you are going to be punished.