See the career-ending hit that should’ve made the NRL crack down on hip drop tackles 14 years ago

The controversial hip-drop tackle has become one of the hottest talking points in the NRL, but the dangerous act should have been cracked down on 14 years ago when it ended the career of Taniela Tuiaki.

The Wests Tigers winger was at the peak of his powers in 2009 when he suffered a devastating injury due to a hip-drop while playing Paramatta in round 24.

At the time Tuiaki had been voted the most difficult man to tackle in the entire NRL and had scored 21 tries in 22 games, landing him the Dally M Winger of the Year award that season.

He underwent three operations in an attempt to make a comeback to footy, but the fractures to his tibia, fibula and additional ligament damage proved career-ending.

‘I was scoring tries every week and was right up there for the leading try-scorer. I just missed out because of my injury,’ he revealed in 2011.

The controversial hip-drop tackle has become one of the hottest talking points in the NRL , but the dangerous act should have been cracked down on 14 years ago when it ended the career of Taniela Tuiaki

At the time Tuiaki had been voted the most difficult man to tackle in the entire NRL and had scored 21 tries in 22 games, landing him the Dally M Winger of the Year award that season

‘I was Dally M winger of the year. I missed out on the Kiwi Four Nations in 2008 because of injury.

‘It was probably my best season to end my career.

‘I’ve now got to think about what I’m going to do away from footy.’

Tackles like the one that ruined Tuiaki’s leg were first dealt with by the NRL in July 2020 when the governing body sent a memo to clubs over concerns about dangerous tackles creeping into the game.

That hasn’t stopped players from being charged amid several high-profile cases this season, with several players sin-binned and suspended.

Footy legend Matthew Johns says the NRL is right to be cracking down on the dangerous tackles.

‘I do believe in certain situations, like we saw it with young [Bulldogs star] Jacob Preston, that it was incidental, however, he got sent to the sin bin, he got put on the bin and he wasn’t suspended,’ Johns told SEN 1170 The Round Up on Monday.

‘For me, that’s a small price to pay to get rid of these career-threatening injuries.’ 

Hip-drops first appeared on the radar in July 2020 when the NRL sent a memo to clubs over dangerous tackles creeping into the game (Jackson Hastings is pictured having his leg broken in a hip-drop tackle in 2022)

Footy legend Matthew Johns says the NRL is right to be cracking down on the dangerous act

Johns hopes players can trust the Rugby League Players Association to help remove the act from the sport.

‘If I’m in the RLPA I drive around to all the clubs and I say to them, ‘If anyone is found guilty of a hip-drop and suspended, then you’re out of the player association.’

‘Because the players association is all about player welfare.’

In 2015 Tuiaki revealed the injury remained so painful he struggled to walk on some days as he slammed the NRL for failing to support him once he left the game.

In 2015 Tuiaki revealed the injury remained so painful he struggled to walk on some days as he slammed the NRL for failing to support him once he left the game

‘Players like me, nobody gives a s**t,’ he told the Daily Telegraph.

‘We can’t bring anyone through the turnstiles anymore. Can’t make any money for the game.

‘So what do I matter? I’m just a broken-down black kid from New Zealand.’