NRLW players hit with hip-drop crackdown: Game changer?

Hip drops have become more infrequent in the NRL after clubs were sent repeated warning from head office.

LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick

NRLW players have been put on notice, with head office promising to launch an off-season campaign to eradicate hip-drop tackles once and for all.

The NRL has vowed to do everything in its power to stamp out hip-drop tackles in the women's competition after a staggering 14 players were charged this season and a number of stars suffered shocking injuries as a result of the illegal act.

It was a massive issue in the NRL earlier in the year that prompted head office to send videos to all clubs showing them what constitutes a hip-drop tackle and the best ways to avoid it.

It's led to a sharp reduction in charges, with players doing their best to land on the turf instead of putting their whole body weight on the ball-carrier's legs.

While there's a been a significant improvement in the NRL, the same can't be said for the NRLW, where 14 players have been charged and another five have been hit with concerning act notices in just nine rounds.

That included a three-game ban for North Queensland's Makenzie Weale, who produced the worst hip drop that Dragons coach Jamie Soward said he had ever seen.

Worryingly, there have been nine charges in the past four weeks, with Roosters star Pani Hopoate set to miss the finals after she was hit with a grade three dangerous contact charge for a shocking tackle on Jasmine Peters.

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