Oldham coach Tony Benson (pictured) has claimed that several of his players suffered injuries as a result of ‘chicken wing’ tackles that were applied by Workington Town on Sunday.

The move, in which the non-ball carrying arm of a player is held and twisted behind the back, has attracted plenty of criticism in the last couple of years both here and in Australia.

In last season’s Super League, Leeds forward Jamie Jones-Buchanan was banned for a match after being found guilty of performing such a tackle on St Helens forward James Graham.

Referee Matthew Kidd of Castleford didn’t penalise Workington for the alleged offences during the game, and coach Gary Charlton says he does not condone such tackles.

But Charlton told Getnoticedonline.co.uk that he felt Benson should have spoken to him or joint coach Martin Oglanby about it, rather than speak to the press.

“I know if it was me I would have given him a ring and had a quiet word. I think these are the sort of thing which are best sorted out by the coaches themselves.

“At Workington we don’t condone the so-called ‘chicken wing’ tackles. I have to admit there was an instance on the pitch on Sunday when pressure was applied to an Oldham player’s shoulder but it’s not something we set-out to practice or implement in a game.

“There are things that happen in a game which might look out of place but are not necessarily pre-meditated. When we played at Oldham earlier in the season one of our players was elbowed in the face but we didn’t make a song and dance about it,” said Charlton.

Talking to the Oldham Chronicle Benson alleged that “Jason Boults had his arm twisted back and his body the other way and they were doing it a lot, to Ben Heaton too the same thing.

“Matty Ashe was the same. It was the ‘chicken wing’ tackle, as they call it. It got all three of them. Ben had to play on as there wasn’t anything else we could do.”

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