NYEagle
Bencher
Has anyone else noticed this, but this year we are seeing many more dour tackling efforts than ever before. To me, this seems to be happening because teams do not want to take risks with the football anymore. Consider this, if you string a bunch of passes together, or pop a chip over the top, you risk not only losing the ball and giving the other team field position, but secondly having to do all the running forward in attack, then all running backwards in defence therefore tiring out your team more and making it more leaky in defence. What you see now, unlike before, is teams settling into dour contests with limited creativity and broken field play, instead opting to play out a set for a kick or a penalty. The team doesn't have to run as far, therefore are fresh for the defensive set.
I was never worried Manly would bleed a try late, because thy were in their own half the whole time and didn't have to run and chase very far.
So it came down to penalties and field goal attempts.
What has happened in rugby league where it has turned out that penalties have become the attacking weapon?.
All we talk about now is completed sets, tackles made, and penalty counts. Line breaks are almost a forgotten stat as there are so few.
It's a worry and takes a lot away from the spectacle, but how to fix it?. Should we fix it?.
NYEagle
I was never worried Manly would bleed a try late, because thy were in their own half the whole time and didn't have to run and chase very far.
So it came down to penalties and field goal attempts.
What has happened in rugby league where it has turned out that penalties have become the attacking weapon?.
All we talk about now is completed sets, tackles made, and penalty counts. Line breaks are almost a forgotten stat as there are so few.
It's a worry and takes a lot away from the spectacle, but how to fix it?. Should we fix it?.
NYEagle