Does the Game have to be so fast?

[manlyfan76]

I understand what you are trying to achieve .. and agree ... but assure you from somebody that played the game in that era .... you won't achieve it with contested scrums and play the balls ... simply would create another mindfield area of refs intrepretations and coaches manipulations ...

... and PSS ... the sight of an attacking play brought to an embarassing halt because of a kick in the shins by a mungo at a play the ball is a pathetic vision to witness ....

Only you are talking about contested scrums Woodie.
Note; I did see a win against the feed on the weekend.
Scrums are terrible. I would not mind going back to the forward pack only being in the scrum, give the backs a chance at a set play.

 

[The Who]

I'd like to question the need for conversions.
To me a try should be worth six points, and no conversions. As an earlier poster pointed out, often the best tries are those scored wide out and result in being worth four points because the conversion is missed.
I find conversions boring. They are a lull after the excitement of a try, and are time-wasters. When a try is scored close to the posts the conversion is a given.
Why not get back into the action after a try.
With an automatic six points for a try it amps up its importance just a little and would mean almost all teams that score more tries than their opposition would win the match.

 

[MissKate]

The refs encourage the wrestling by letting tackles carry on, it beyond a joke.

One instance I noticed last weekend where there were 3 in the tackle, the tackle was quite clearly made, one player even dropped off before the refs called held. It is totally ridiculous.

The new rule brought in regarding one-on-one strips (a rule run by certain storm players before it was decided) has exacerbated this problem

Watch UK super league, the refs are all over the ruck and penalise players who don’t clear the ruck quickly enough. It is a much better game to watch. Oh and they still manage with 1 ref ok

 

[nightster]

The main problem is that it’s no longer “rugby league”....

It’s a product trying to appeal to the masses.. and forgetting what made it great in the first place.

hit the nail on the head .... the game has become a product, the clubs have become brands and the players are businesses

 

[KOMORI]

I'd like to question the need for conversions.
To me a try should be worth six points, and no conversions. As an earlier poster pointed out, often the best tries are those scored wide out and result in being worth four points because the conversion is missed.
I find conversions boring. They are a lull after the excitement of a try, and are time-wasters. When a try is scored close to the posts the conversion is a given.
Why not get back into the action after a try.
With an automatic six points for a try it amps up its importance just a little and would mean almost all teams that score more tries than their opposition would win the match.

Huge no from me... I’ve always felt that goal kicking is an integral skill of rugby league, and should be rewarded as such.

I’d make any ruck penalty a differential penalty (meaning no shot at goal) and also take away the advantage gained by kicking for touch for a ruck penalty. As it stands, this area has become completely open to interpretation and 4/5 tackle ruck penalties are game changers now. If this type of penalty weren’t so openly used by referees to punish one team and not the other, I’d be happy to see it stay as it is, but in any game on a weekend you’ll see this being used as a means to even up a game.

This will never happen.. because it takes away the main weapon that the NRL use to control on field action.

 

[EOL now nesting on the GC]

I sense a lot of 'it was better in my day' in this thread. While I agree mostly with a lot of what has been said I ask myself this question.
If we were all 10 years old growing up watching today's product and only ever knowing todays game then would it be so bad. The future us of tomorrow probably look at 'the golden era' and think wow, how slow and boring.
Let's be honest. Todays game is full of athletes who train hard, play hard and are dead set machines. Yesterdays game was full of tough men who while were the best of their generation had day jobs, smoked and drank like fish.
Some of the things players can do today are astounding. Imagine putting a Tedesco or turbo into a 70's or 80's side. They would either tear the opposition apart or get decapitated in the first 10 min.
The passion for this great game is nurtured when young and then somewhat pulled apart by administration for many years to come.
Given the change in just the last 20 years imagine in 20 more? And I think that's what the majority on here are afraid of.

 

[globaleagle]

I’d make any ruck penalty a differential penalty (meaning no shot at goal) and also take away the advantage gained by kicking for touch for a ruck penalty. As it stands, this area has become completely open to interpretation and 4/5 tackle ruck penalties are game changers now. If this type of penalty weren’t so openly used by referees to punish one team and not the other, I’d be happy to see it stay as it is, but in any game on a weekend you’ll see this being used as a means to even up a game.

This will never happen.. because it takes away the main weapon that the NRL use to control on field action.

Agreed.

Back when the footy balls were basically lumps of lead the penalties didn't seem to cost so much; but with the way they are now, the advantage is just too much.

When I was complaining about a player (choc I think, lol) I was saying if he makes 90 metres in a game, that's good but when he gives away his standard 2 penalties it is: Kick for touch- 30 metres up field. Set of six - 40 metres = 70 metres x 2 = 140 metres worth of meters given away.

While there are some holes in that, I agree with you. Due to being able to kick a ball a lot further, and the 10 metres defensive line means penalties are so dangerous to give away. With the highly subject nature of infractions (which in itself is incredibly stupid) referees are 'massaging' outcomes of games every week, and in a way that doesn't or can't be criticised.

Just giving teams "6 again" is enough of an advantage today.

 

[manlyfan76]

Agreed.

Back when the footy balls were basically lumps of lead the penalties didn't seem to cost so much; but with the way they are now, the advantage is just too much.

When I was complaining about a player (choc I think, lol) I was saying if he makes 90 metres in a game, that's good but when he gives away his standard 2 penalties it is: Kick for touch- 30 metres up field. Set of six - 40 metres = 70 metres x 2 = 140 metres worth of meters given away.

While there are some holes in that, I agree with you. Due to being able to kick a ball a lot further, and the 10 metres defensive line means penalties are so dangerous to give away. With the highly subject nature of infractions (which in itself is incredibly stupid) referees are 'massaging' outcomes of games every week, and in a way that doesn't or can't be criticised.

Just giving teams "6 again" is enough of an advantage today.

Agree but id add it it is first tackle when the infringement occurs then a seven tackle set.

 

[47MVEagle]

A commentator in one of the games last weekend suggested positions should be enforced in scrums i.e. it should be your forwards only packing down while your backs are...well, in the backline...to prevent backs having to hit it up against forwards from a scrum win.

I think that could be a good thing, seeing defending wingers packing in as props in scrums is a bit of a joke.

 

[globaleagle]

A commentator in one of the games last weekend suggested positions should be enforced in scrums i.e. it should be your forwards only packing down while your backs are...well, in the backline...to prevent backs having to hit it up against forwards from a scrum win.

I think that could be a good thing, seeing defending wingers packing in as props in scrums is a bit of a joke.

Fair enough... but what happens when one of the forwards does the old union thing of staying down so everyone gets a rest?

Meh, I suppose they can do that now.

Carry on, sorry.

 

[MuzztheEagle]

Agreed.

Back when the footy balls were basically lumps of lead the penalties didn't seem to cost so much; but with the way they are now, the advantage is just too much.

When I was complaining about a player (choc I think, lol) I was saying if he makes 90 metres in a game, that's good but when he gives away his standard 2 penalties it is: Kick for touch- 30 metres up field. Set of six - 40 metres = 70 metres x 2 = 140 metres worth of meters given away.

While there are some holes in that, I agree with you. Due to being able to kick a ball a lot further, and the 10 metres defensive line means penalties are so dangerous to give away. With the highly subject nature of infractions (which in itself is incredibly stupid) referees are 'massaging' outcomes of games every week, and in a way that doesn't or can't be criticised.

Just giving teams "6 again" is enough of an advantage today.

While you're on the subject of balls 😉
Is this this something that should be looked at? Sure lighter balls give us some great one handed winger tries and flick passes (that we get to watch never ending slow motion replays of ). But it is also brought in far more offloads and a need to defend them with upper body "tackles" which has encouraged the wrestle.Then there is the changes in positional kicking and defusing bombs with so much hang time they give the opposition every opportunity to hammer the receiver.
Not saying that I think it needs to be done but it's probably worth discussing.

 

[Woodsie]

While you're on the subject of balls 😉
Is this this something that should be looked at? Sure lighter balls give us some great one handed winger tries and flick passes (that we get to watch never ending slow motion replays of ). But it is also brought in far more offloads and a need to defend them with upper body "tackles" which has encouraged the wrestle.Then there is the changes in positional kicking and defusing bombs with so much hang time they give the opposition every opportunity to hammer the receiver.
Not saying that I think it needs to be done but it's probably worth discussing.

It wasn't so much the weight of the old leather balls that were an issue ... but more the smooth surface ... when wet they became both slippery and heavy .... this of course was not aided by old mungo props like @KOMORI and Graeme that lather theselves in vaseline jelly before a game and got the ball covered in the stuff ....

Players hands are bigger today so the weight of the ball would not be a problem for them with a one handed carry .... I woud assume that even if you did make the ball heavier you would still make it from non slip dimpled modern material ..... then there is the issue of a good falcon becoming a near death experience ...

 

[The Who]

A commentator in one of the games last weekend suggested positions should be enforced in scrums i.e. it should be your forwards only packing down while your backs are...well, in the backline...to prevent backs having to hit it up against forwards from a scrum win.

I think that could be a good thing, seeing defending wingers packing in as props in scrums is a bit of a joke.

This definitely should happen, but when is a coach going to capitalise on a scrum win with a play that actually gets the ball to the winger! Players can do this by drawing the opposition and passing to the outside player until it reaches the winger who, if it is performed correctly, should have some room to move.
Or
by kicking the ball over the heads of the defenders and chasing it?
Either way, a scrum win is the best opportunity to use the adroitness of your backs. Mind you, the bulk of today's backs limits their speed and agility. Can you imagine Suli or Tafua cracking our blistering backlines of the past? Go back to 2011 and our three-quarters were Lyon and Matai; wingers were Wolfman and Wangman; and our fullback was Snake.
The increase in the number of Polynesian players has meant backline play is now more brute strength than artistry.

 

[KOMORI]

It wasn't so much the weight of the old leather balls that were an issue ... but more the smooth surface ... when wet they became both slippery and heavy .... this of course was not aided by old mungo props like @KOMORI and Graeme that lather theselves in vaseline jelly before a game and got the ball covered in the stuff ....

Players hands are bigger today so the weight of the ball would not be a problem for them with a one handed carry .... I woud assume that even if you did make the ball heavier you would still make it from non slip dimpled modern material ..... then there is the issue of a good falcon becoming a near death experience ...

Just a bit of Vaseline for the eyebrows mate, to make those first few scrum headbutts a pleasure!!

Worst thing with Vaseline is washing it off in the showers afterwards

 

[Class of 96]

Oh for the times of yore.