Support for Rose on shoulder charge - Sky News Australia

Manly front-rower George Rose has proposed a compromise on the NRL's controversial shoulder charge ban.

A tongue-in-cheek Rose suggested officials could introduce an 'applause metre' and, if the crowd loved the hit, the refs should call 'play on'.

More than 40,000 fans had their say on rugby league's outlawed shoulder charge during Saturday night's annual All Stars clash at Suncorp Stadium.

The roar that greeted big Indigenous All Stars prop Rose's 37th-minute hit on rival Josh Morris was a message to the game's administrators from the paying public that they love the big collisions.

Rose, who launched a Twitter campaign when the shoulder charge was first outlawed late last year, said he didn't think there was anything wrong with the hit which struck Morris in the chest.

However he did immediately realise it was now illegal.

'I said a few things on Twitter and I knew straight away it was against the rules,' said the 116kg Manly giant.

'It was probably one of the few ones I've ever got onto. I've usually copped shoulder charges and got cleaned up.

'That was one that worked and it had to be illegal unfortunately.

'I don't think it was a dangerous one.

'As long as the crowd love it, as long as they were happy, I'm happy.'

NRL All Stars coach Wayne Bennett said the reaction to Rose's hit was evidence the game has erred by banning the tackle.

'It was the most exciting part of the night - you tell me what got a bigger roar than that,' said Bennett.

'Morris jumped up, he was fine, he didn't hit him in the head.

'There was a penalty but nobody wanted to see the penalty - they all loved the play.

'We are in the entertainment business. If the crowds keep roaring then they (officials) will change their minds, they can be pretty flexible.'

For Bennett, the shoulder charge is not that complicated.

'There's no place for hitting in the head or neck,' said the Newcastle super coach.

'It's pretty simple. If you do that, you're going to do some time.

'The problem was the penalties weren't strong enough.

'With the lifting tackle, if you do one of those, you're looking between three and six weeks, maybe eight weeks.

'They have to do that with a shoulder charge when they make contact with the head or neck to send a message.'

Medical evidence was the overwhelming factor in why the NRL banned the crowd-pleasing tackle.

But Bennett and NRL All Stars captain Benji Marshall and Indigenous coach Laurie Daley and his skipper Johnathan Thurston were all in agreement that the tackle should be fine so long as there was no contact with the head or neck.

'I thought it was a good hit. Play on I thought, but they're the rules,' said Thurston.

'I don't think there is many people that like it but the rule is there for a reason to protect the boys so, while it was a good hit, you can't do it.'