THIS is the moment that made footy fans gasp last night.

Just two weeks after Alex McKinnon’s tragic injury, we thought something terrible was about to happen again.

There were three minutes remaining in the first half of the NRL match between South Sydney and St George Illawarra at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

MORE: Was the McKinnon tackle just a tragic accident?

Rabbitohs fullback Greg Inglis powered into a pair of defenders. Being Greg Inglis, he refused to go down easily.

So, Dragons forward Joel Thompson decided to help out his mates. He joined the tackle as the third man in, put a hand between Inglis’s legs and lifted.

For one surreal, terrifying moment, it looked like the fullback was going to be tipped on his head.

Thankfully, it didn’t happen that way. Inglis pushed out his forearms as a buffer against the fall, and made it to the ground safely.

MORE: Bunnies bounce back at the SCG

He wasn’t happy about the tackle though, and made an angry appeal to referees Gavin Badger and Alan Shortall. They decided not to penalise Thompson.

You can see how it all unfolded in the sequence of images below, or in the video above. Then you can tell us whether you think this tackling technique should be allowed in the NRL.

What do you think? Talk to us on Twitter, but keep your comments polite please: @SamClench | @newscomauHQ