Seven simple ways to improve RL

[The Who]

I’m sure we all agree that the NRL has stuffed up this sport big time with stupid decisions and rule changes that have contributed to the games becoming a lottery, and almost certainly guaranteed to end in refereeing controversy. So, here’s some simple ways to ensure that the better team wins…
1. Revert back to one referee. It will give Reynolds less to aim for on the fifth tackle
2. Remove the blanket sin-bin for a punch. Give the ref the power to decide the punishment, if any. Give him back the option to use common sense in ALL decisions.
3. Introduce a 5-minute sin bin. In fact, let’s call it the BIN-ENNIS because that’s where this grub needs to be sent.
4. To minimize huge momentum swings, change the kick-off rule so that the team scoring restarts play.
5. Get rid of hard and fast rules about finals being played at select stadium. Use common sense at the time to decide if a home team should play at their suburban ground if the crowd can be accommodated, ie when Manly plays an out-of-Sydney team
6. In finals, scrap golden point until it is absolutely necessary. Make them play for five minutes per half before you revert to golden point. Finals are too important to settle the outcome on a field goal.
7. Never allow the video ref to rule on anything in slow-motion, which distorts reality. All decisions must be judged at true speed.
I’m sure you guys will have plenty of more simple ways to get this game back to the one we all used to love.

 

[Fluffy]

Rule 3 is the big one.

Refs cop it for influencing a game so refuse to put them in the bin for 10 minutes but 5 gives them more options

Having a rugby style short arm (6 again) would also improve things giving the refs more options.

 

[Lord Eagleton]

I dont see sack Todd Greenturd in there?

 

[sheridanstand78]

All great ideas but the number 1 thing is to get rid of the cancer in the game that is Greenturd. Hes poison and hes aligned to his former club. Get rid of him before he is allowed to destroy the game any further.

 

[conanu]

NRL operations are being run by a bloke that has absolutely ZERO!! integrity. He is a reflection of the scum breed of business men that that do not care about anyone other than themselves and their agenda. His type are the scourge of the earth.

 

[rosco]

Id agree with all those changes but would add Captains challenge. Has had two years of trials in 20s. Would take away at least some of the dud decisions made by inept/corrupt refs. I dont care if it takes 30 secs to review a decision as long as they get it right. Time for Manly to take on the NRL. We copped last years GF debacle without complaint. Go to the NRL and ask was Reynolds offside and did the touchie call it. If he did why did the ref ignore it. Take the response to the media.

 

[The Wheel]

Get rid of that grub Greenturd and most of those issues will get resolved

 

[Captain Moondog]

Greenberg is the most annoying person who has or will ever live. Every time I see his head on television I want to punch it (and I'm not a violent man).

 

[MadMarcus]

Why haven't more people mentioned that we should be getting rid of Greenberg?

 

[The Who]

Three more rules to make it up to an even 10:
8. Limit trainers on the field to injuries and major stoppages. These guys are playing as the 14th-man, and makes the game look like an Under 7's contest.
9. Time off for all kicks at goal.
10. Sack Greenturd. I'm surprised no one has mentioned this.

 

[Snake]

I’m sure we all agree that the NRL has stuffed up this sport big time with stupid decisions and rule changes that have contributed to the games becoming a lottery, and almost certainly guaranteed to end in refereeing controversy. So, here’s some simple ways to ensure that the better team wins…
1. Revert back to one referee. It will give Reynolds less to aim for on the fifth tackle
2. Remove the blanket sin-bin for a punch. Give the ref the power to decide the punishment, if any. Give him back the option to use common sense in ALL decisions.
3. Introduce a 5-minute sin bin. In fact, let’s call it the BIN-ENNIS because that’s where this grub needs to be sent.
4. To minimize huge momentum swings, change the kick-off rule so that the team scoring restarts play.
5. Get rid of hard and fast rules about finals being played at select stadium. Use common sense at the time to decide if a home team should play at their suburban ground if the crowd can be accommodated, ie when Manly plays an out-of-Sydney team
6. In finals, scrap golden point until it is absolutely necessary. Make them play for five minutes per half before you revert to golden point. Finals are too important to settle the outcome on a field goal.
7. Never allow the video ref to rule on anything in slow-motion, which distorts reality. All decisions must be judged at true speed.
I’m sure you guys will have plenty of more simple ways to get this game back to the one we all used to love.

I like most of your angles, but in one breath (quite rightly) you are saying rule changes have cruelled the game we came to know and love, but then suggest the scoring team restart play? Momentum has been a part of Rugby League for 100 years, and if it just so happens to be more prevalent now, then so be it. I don't see why we should be trying to stop something that is happening naturally within the laws of the game.

I agree we should have 1 referee and the video referee should decide on grounding and NOTHING else. It should be for all matters in goal and that's it. For example, in the Cowboys match the other night, there was no reason why the referees call of knock on against Robert Lui should be refereed upstairs given the contentiousness of camera angles and what not. If the referee misses foul play, it can be dealt with by the judiciary on Monday. Off side can be determined by the touch judges (they do nothing else anyway). This will speed up the game, it's only entertainment after all, and no one enjoys waiting 5 minutes for the video referee to make a decision; 50% of which are usually wrong or open to subjective opinion anyway (so really what has it solved in the long run? nothing, fans are still peeved).

Definitely scrap the no punch rule (chances of them doing this are slim to none however). Agree with the common sense rule regarding stadium selection for finals matches. Scrap the stupid 7 tackle rule for kicking the ball dead. I haven't noticed any enhanced excitement this season from fullbacks running the ball back on kick returns. What a dumb idea this was.

Finally, I hole heartedly agree that golden point finals are absurd. The old 10 minutes each way was fantastic back in the day, and made for some extraordinary finishes. It will force teams to play for a try initially.

 

[Pablo]

Stop trying to run the game as a <G> rated kids show.
It's a brutal game played by blokes willing to get the crap bashed out of them and give back as good as they get.
Greenturd and Smith need to see it for what it is and stop trying to package and promote it as a happy meal.

All I know is that all the league fans I know over the age of 30 are barely interested in the game these days having previously been dedicated fanatics for most of their lives. Super league caused the cracks, but I gotta say the way the game has been run the last 5 years has done the most damage.

 

[Killer03]

Stop trying to run the game as a <G> rated kids show.

Pablo that is 100% on the money for me. We have moved to sanitise the game so that it can be played by every child in Australia and that every mummy and daddy wants our children to play it.

I have 2 children, I don't particularly want my son to play league (well at least not the league I loved) but I still want to watch it. The brutality and physicality is what makes it so special. When you see grid iron players seeing how we play rugby league they just stand there with their jaws open

Not everything needs to be wrapped up in a 'happy meal' as you said.

 

[StuBoot]

Stop trying to run the game as a <G> rated kids show.

Pablo that is 100% on the money for me. We have moved to sanitise the game so that it can be played by every child in Australia and that every mummy and daddy wants our children to play it.

I have 2 children, I don't particularly want my son to play league (well at least not the league I loved) but I still want to watch it. The brutality and physicality is what makes it so special. When you see grid iron players seeing how we play rugby league they just stand there with their jaws open

Not everything needs to be wrapped up in a 'happy meal' as you said.

Yep, these days every kid gets a trophy...just for playing FFS.
We're breeding future generations that will be playing touch, oztag and AFL.
The battle of brains v courage v brawn is just about dead, guys like Tooves & Preston Campbell will be finished and NRL will be more like NFL - is that what they want?

This endless chase that this sport or that sport needs to be the No 1 sport in the country is ridiculous.

We all need to remind the mums, dads and kids that the NRL is an elite sport played by professionals who play the game differently to young Johnny on the weekend and one day Johnny may get to that level too.
The AFL and soccer are in the same boat.
But he won't get to that level by being a wallflower.

Their argument is that kids will emulate what they see on the TV so we'd better stop this or that is stupid - most kids are trying to be a DCE, Thurston or Benji not a Gallen, Myles or Burgess.

 

[HoldenV8]

Can't argue with #1. Two referees was one of the worst things they did to the NRL. Two different refs, two different interpretations. What has been the result? Confusion reigns, NSW Cup standard refs being out of their depth and more stuff-ups than you can point a stick at. For over 90 years this game made do with one referee on the field. You know what they say.....if it ain't broke don't fix it.

I wonder, will the NRL ever admit that they made a mistake and that the two referee system has been a failure? Personally I can't see it.

#4 was actually introduced in the Super League competition in 1997.....and it worked pretty well from what I remember. The theory was to not allow one side to gain too much momentum against a lesser team and to provide tighter, more exciting games. Now it didn't always work, but on the whole it was pretty successful. It was only the lower ranked teams such as Adelaide, Perth and the Hunter Mariners (anyone remember them?) that often gave up a lot of points.

100% agree with #7. Gus Gould is correct, watching things like suspected foul play always looks worse in slow motion. Its ok for trying to get a try call correct, but not for things like high tackles.

And my own idea for improving RL. For starters I would find a new FTA broadcast host. The self-titled "home of rugby league" is embarrassing. Its 2014 yet Nein can't show more than one game per round live, they won't show games in HD and their commentary team.....
* I can put up with Rabs' mistakes because at least he's passionate about the game and its players.
* Gus knows his $hit and so long as he and Rabs don't go off on tangents its ok.
* Sterlo is ok to a point.
* I know Joey is 'one of us' being part-time on Tooves staff, but he's like Elliot Goblet....his voice is one tone all the way through. It drives me insane (note that I actually like Goblet, the man is funny).
* Fittler and Finch.....NEXT!!! Security, please show these two clowns to the exit.
* Lockyer is ok I guess, but Wally's constant cheering for anything Donkeys or Qld gets a bit much. But what do you expect, that's why he covers the Qld games.
* Raaaayyyyyy and Tim Gilbert......BRING BACK VOSSY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Killer03]

Also remove the microphones for the refs. This is again a problem these days of the refs trying to be polite and politically correct to the players. Personally I think the refs need to be able to say 'Mick (ennis) f*** off over there and one more word and you're off'. Not this 'yes Michael I understand your point....' that is just PC crap.

@StuBoot this whole rubbish we have of giving every child a trophy.....it's embarrassing, when did we stop(as a society) promoting excellence? Nothing wrong with saying Jamie Lyon wins the best player this year. I'm waiting for the Dally M's in 20 years time, 'The winner is everyone....can we get all NRL players up here please!'. I'm all for promoting participation....absolutely, get the kids moving. But if you promote mediocrity...that's what you get!

 

[conanu]

Stop trying to run the game as a <G> rated kids show.
It's a brutal game played by blokes willing to get the crap bashed out of them and give back as good as they get.
Greenturd and Smith need to see it for what it is and stop trying to package and promote it as a happy meal.

All I know is that all the league fans I know over the age of 30 are barely interested in the game these days having previously been dedicated fanatics for most of their lives. Super league caused the cracks, but I gotta say the way the game has been run the last 5 years has done the most damage.

Packaged like a happy meal. Quote of the year!!!