Annesley's weakly "Why this happened" report - 2024 edition.

[HK_Eagle]

Hard to follow what NRL are saying. The Raiders player was off side. They say this is a six again infringement and not a penalty unless the play breaks down.

So if i understand this as to how it should have played out per the NRL logic, all inside 5 seconds?
Raider seen offside by referee.
Referee calls six again.
Titans player takes a drop kick attempt (Titan kicker probably doesn't know its six again, or they think this is their best chance with time running out).
Titans drop kick attempts misses due to the offside Raider's interference.
The Titans have in effect chosen to kick the ball away, play hasn't broken down and its play on with Raiders in possession.

Why wouldn't every defender in a team facing a field goal attempt now choose to be offside?

‘He was offside’: NRL admits Des’ golden point gripe was right... but rules deny Titans a penalty

‘He was offside’: NRL says Des’ golden point gripe right... but rules deny Titans a penalty

www.foxsports.com.au

To be honest, that was an example of horrible communication between two adults. The question was not clearly presented, and the media guy failed to clarify some key details when Annesley wasn’t getting it. In the end, I think Annesley answered without fully grasping what was being asked…. Just the usual clear as mud quality the NRL and its associated circus swims in.

 

[HK_Eagle]

GA’s explanation with examples of the “disruptor” rule was just as messy… especially the API example. So apparently, if you jump for the ball, while turning your body towards your opponent, that is a no-no (even as a legitimate, eyes-only-on-the-ball, properly timed jump that gets to the drop zone at the right time). That was a ridiculous interpretation. All the other examples I could have lived with, but not that one. They may as well introduce a AFL-style bounce with two players at equal distance apart competing.

 

[Rackets]

Chicken wing, grapple, cannon ball, crusher, hip drop, downtown, escorts, sleeper, have I missed any, and now the disruptor. This is the only "professional" sport that comes up with so many new rules and names. No wonder the officiating is farcical because no one knows what the hell is going on. To make things worse are those stupid 6 agains on the run. Are the referees and NRL refereeing or game managing?

 

[ABTK]

Chicken wing, grapple, cannon ball, crusher, hip drop, downtown, escorts, sleeper, have I missed any, and now the disruptor. This is the only "professional" sport that comes up with so many new rules and names. No wonder the officiating is farcical because no one knows what the hell is going on. To make things worse are those stupid 6 agains on the run. Are the referees and NRL refereeing or game managing?

It's blatant game management, @Rackets . We need to to keep the 'product' exciting and keep the gamblers engaged therefore close games are required. It's a bit like the ridiculous car racing these days - no benefit in building up a nice lead 'cause there will be a pace car organised to bunch the field and keep the event 'exciting'.

 

[eaglebuzz]

Why in the name of ever-loving f**k can't one of the lines people just stand square on to the ref and let them know when the defending team is offside?

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

It's blatant game management, @Rackets . We need to to keep the 'product' exciting and keep the gamblers engaged therefore close games are required. It's a bit like the ridiculous car racing these days - no benefit in building up a nice lead 'cause there will be a pace car organised to bunch the field and keep the event 'exciting'.

^
100% nailed it , all about the broadcasters & the betting agencies now , they run the game and they want to see close , nail biting finishes.

A salary cap hasn’t worked , so that’s largely forgotten now , but game management , now that’s easy to do.

Seriously , almost every single tackle you could nit pick and find a penalty of sorts, but it’s only the ones where the whistle blows that are scrutinised.

The 6 agains , that’s where the action is.

I laugh , the whingers on here complaining how we get a lead and then blow it, when in reality we are all over a team , and the refs change the game.

Penalty , up the field they go , 6 again more possession, a other 6 again and that’s 18 tackles very very few sides can withstand that.

Do this 2 or 3 times and bingo it’s 18-16 just like that.

If one side has had a lot of 6 agains , you can even those up at the end of the game when the side coming from behind is now 26-16, yep nothing like a close finish.

And just like that it’s 26 all with 3 minutes to go.

And all of a sudden it’s a game changing decision which effectively hands the game to one side.

Look at the score lines , it’s hardly ever , “ 52-8” anymore and it’s one reason why you can see the side running 15th beat the side running 2nd. Not all the time of course but there’s usually one upset every round.

Call me a conspiracy theorist if you wish but I reckon this is what the game has become.

It’s not a game , it’s “ entertainment “.

 

[Rackets]

Why don't the NRL and WWE just merge then we'll definitely have games that are honest and true contests, instead of scripted and choreographed matches. 😛

 

[globaleagle]

Oh, and really liked the chicken-egg misdirection at the start of the presser….

Apparently, when a team defends for longer, they are more ill-disciplined because they are tired 🤦‍♂️😖

Wow! So, I guess they were defending longer in the first place because it… just happened? 🤔

But, GA, our problem with it, is that Manly were 16 points up - so they weren't tired, yet got hit with 3 penalties and 2 restarts within 5 mins of hitting 16 points.

So GA has said the exact opposite of what happened and what was being questioned. fmd

Sounds like a confused old man.

Would love to know this 'independent' body he talks about. could be legit, sounds like he just made it up on the spot, or it's someone asking todd greenblurgh's daughter about it!


thanks to those who suffered through it.

 

[Scorpio]

Chicken wing, grapple, cannon ball, crusher, hip drop, downtown, escorts, sleeper, have I missed any, and now the disruptor. This is the only "professional" sport that comes up with so many new rules and names. No wonder the officiating is farcical because no one knows what the hell is going on. To make things worse are those stupid 6 agains on the run. Are the referees and NRL refereeing or game managing?

I think the main problem is that by its nature as a professional sport, coaches and clubs will exploit every single rule that exists to gain a competitive advantage. Especially as the players are getting bigger, faster, fitter, stronger, but the field sizes stay the same.

If the administrators did nothing to counter some of these things that find their way into the game, then the NRL would end up with a product that no one would pay money to see.

 

[globaleagle]

Now, wait for it… Spent 5-10 minutes at the start of the presser to go through some of the stats that are reviewed every week by NRL and refs. Discussed the 6A in the context of the lopsided Raiders-Tits game. Acknowledged that it was lopsided, but then pointed to another stat, which showed how many 10m infringements were missed for each team. (10 missed for Raiders and 28 for Tits). Even emphasised that these are FACTUAL, and done by an independent body. Obviously did this to excuse the lopsided count and suggest the Tits we’re ill-disciplined and actually lucky not to be penalised more than they were.

Can somebody explain to me why an independent body can measure 10m infringements (as factual), but our gazillion-dollar bunker can’t??? 🤔

It seems the tone he wants to set is that "teams are lucky because there were 38 extra times they could have been ruled offside so pipe down."

But what this actually means is that the officials made an extra 38 mistakes!

what a product destroying crap show.

 

[Tragic Eagle]

IMO the standard of refereeing on the field and in the bunker is inconsistent and at times very very ordinary. The six again is a stupid stupid rule that now makes' it easy for a referee to affect the momentum in a game. I'm not suggesting it is done on purpose but back to back 6 agains often leads to points for the recipient and the other team ends up gassed. Annesley's explanations which are aimed at generally protecting the decisions (other than those that just can't be defended) is frustrating and highlights the problem lies in the rules and interpretation of same. The rules and the interpretation of the rules has caused the game to become a show rather than a rugby league contest. Money and gambling has a history of ruining sports. The focus is not on the fabric of the game but on making money. How can they ban alcohol and cigarette companies from being sponsors and then built the game on money raised by gambling. It is hypocrisy at its highest.

 

[BOZO]

All the Refs and Coaches Mediocre Excuses after a game are as weak as piss

 

[rmd]

Thank heavens Casey missed all the extra offsides as it would have just been ridiculous to watch.

Officials miss offside play constantly, as many times it’s marginal and really only reviewed if a try is scored.

When we had two refs, they used to manage offside play better, or maybe players were more disciplined, as they knew they were being watched closely. However, I prefer the one ref, and just like the players, they will make mistakes.

 

[The Who]

I prefer watching a match where the referee turns a blind eye to all bar the most obvious and serious illegalities, such as happened in the two Vegas matches. Personally, I don't care if the play-the-balls are not technically correct, as long as there is no knock-on then get on with the action.
I'll cut the refs slack. But I can't stand The Bunker and how it is so selective.
I'd like to see the NRL trial matches at the end of the season with no Bunker; matches that have no bearing on the final eight. I'll bet that fans enjoy the contest more when the ref and lines-people are fully in charge.

 

[cc eagle]

GA tells us that the bunker cannot rule on 10m infringements due to the unreliability of telling where 10m is when the PTB is not on a marked line. This was in acknowledging that the Raider kid, whom charged down Foz’s attempted field goal, was offside. Acknowledged that the ref missed it, but that the bunker couldn’t intervene due to the unreliability issue mentioned above.

Now, wait for it… Spent 5-10 minutes at the start of the presser to go through some of the stats that are reviewed every week by NRL and refs. Discussed the 6A in the context of the lopsided Raiders-Tits game. Acknowledged that it was lopsided, but then pointed to another stat, which showed how many 10m infringements were missed for each team. (10 missed for Raiders and 28 for Tits). Even emphasised that these are FACTUAL, and done by an independent body. Obviously did this to excuse the lopsided count and suggest the Tits we’re ill-disciplined and actually lucky not to be penalised more than they were.

Can somebody explain to me why an independent body can measure 10m infringements (as factual), but our gazillion-dollar bunker can’t??? 🤔

Maybe the independent body freeze frame every play the ball, then super impose the imaginary line (same as the VAR in soccer for offsides, which costs $Ms that's why its only in EPL ) then zoom in to see which players toe nail is over the line, now that would be FACTUAL, but I'm sure that doesn't happen, it would be good for the NRL/ Annesley to show us on his screen 10 or more examples of the so called infringements the refs/linesmen didn't pick up, I'm guess plenty would be centres/wingers on the opposite side of the play with no bearing on the game, or players a few cms in front of the ref, technically though offside, and of course showing them would prove glaring errors made by the refs possible leading to trys.

 

[HK_Eagle]

But, GA, our problem with it, is that Manly were 16 points up - so they weren't tired, yet got hit with 3 penalties and 2 restarts within 5 mins of hitting 16 points.

So GA has said the exact opposite of what happened and what was being questioned. fmd

Sounds like a confused old man.

Would love to know this 'independent' body he talks about. could be legit, sounds like he just made it up on the spot, or it's someone asking todd greenblurgh's daughter about it!


thanks to those who suffered through it.

It is under-the-skin infuriating that so-called journos cannot ask these types of intelligent questions to challenge this garbage. It’s like they all sit there with a hangover while the NRL hands out hot coffee, and greasy bacon and eggs off camera to keep them happy and onside.

 

[Eagle 1]

^
100% nailed it , all about the broadcasters & the betting agencies now , they run the game and they want to see close , nail biting finishes.

A salary cap hasn’t worked , so that’s largely forgotten now , but game management , now that’s easy to do.

Seriously , almost every single tackle you could nit pick and find a penalty of sorts, but it’s only the ones where the whistle blows that are scrutinised.

The 6 agains , that’s where the action is.

I laugh , the whingers on here complaining how we get a lead and then blow it, when in reality we are all over a team , and the refs change the game.

Penalty , up the field they go , 6 again more possession, a other 6 again and that’s 18 tackles very very few sides can withstand that.

Do this 2 or 3 times and bingo it’s 18-16 just like that.

If one side has had a lot of 6 agains , you can even those up at the end of the game when the side coming from behind is now 26-16, yep nothing like a close finish.

And just like that it’s 26 all with 3 minutes to go.

And all of a sudden it’s a game changing decision which effectively hands the game to one side.

Look at the score lines , it’s hardly ever , “ 52-8” anymore and it’s one reason why you can see the side running 15th beat the side running 2nd. Not all the time of course but there’s usually one upset every round.

Call me a conspiracy theorist if you wish but I reckon this is what the game has become.

It’s not a game , it’s “ entertainment “.

I'm not sure what our game is anymore tbh, new rules on contesting bombs and the obstruction penalties will soon be changed, as what we got now is to open to basically Oscar winning performances from the defending side. Yeah, it's a problem alright.

 

[Once Was Brissie Kid]

The sooner a MMA-style thinking organisation is formed and sets up a new NRL comp and Origin the better.
Get rid all of the stoopid NRL rules and interpretations that are driving the players and fans crazy.
Just have one-team clubs like NFL and don't align it with the ARLC, state leagues or juniors.
Then make sure each player who joins has in their contract a waiver they acknowledge the risks of playing the game.
Pay a % of the comp's income to the ARLC and juniors and retired first grade players.

 

[Waz13]

I prefer watching a match where the referee turns a blind eye to all bar the most obvious and serious illegalities, such as happened in the two Vegas matches. Personally, I don't care if the play-the-balls are not technically correct, as long as there is no knock-on then get on with the action.
I'll cut the refs slack. But I can't stand The Bunker and how it is so selective.
I'd like to see the NRL trial matches at the end of the season with no Bunker; matches that have no bearing on the final eight. I'll bet that fans enjoy the contest more when the ref and lines-people are fully in charge.

Bunker only to rule on put downs in the in goal. Nothing else. All other calls are live n die by the onfield refs call. I think this was Gus view as well.

 

[The Who]

Anusely said two things in particular during today's press conference I picked up on; The first, an admission:
"That was very difficult for the naked eye to pick up..."
Exactly, so why do we micro-manage things now?
Secondly, a rib-tickler: "We have never allowed The Bunker to interfere with the free-flow of the game..."
Liar, liar pants on fire! So how come a game of RL now lasts 18% longer than it used to?