Does the Game have to be so fast?

[EaglesDontTweet]

The NRL is totally focused on game speed.

Two of the first three penalties in the last State of Origin were against opposing Manly players for slowing the play the ball.

The wrestle exists because of game speed.

The fitness and strength of the modern professional league player is impressive but you ask many who have drifted away from the game (and the detractors) and they all say it's just five tackles, kick, repeat.

Increased pace means increased pressure.

The NRL have already said they can't return to one ref because the pace of the game has got too quick.

I grew up watching big Artie standing up and flicking offloads. Johnny Gibbs chipping over. The old balls were heavy and a challenge in the wet. It was a great tough game back then without all the athleticism.

An analogy might be it's now like a tennis game where they've replaced the wooden rackets and everyone just plays power shots from the baseline.

Reduce the interchange, tire a few out, slow the game down, take pressure off the refs, see some of the little blokes break from the the structured plays and shine.

Is it possible to slow it down and if so, would it be so bad?

 

[KOMORI]

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.

 

[Ron E. Gibbs]

Based on refereeing performances this year, it only needs to be fast when we don't have the ball. As soon as we do, it's okay for the other team to slow us down…

 

[Peter C]

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.

The fact that we have a field goalathon if it goes to golden point, has become a farce, and why do we have golden point?, because television demands it, that's why, I say fark television

 

[Mal Cochrane]

first tryscorer wins, no field goals or penalty goals

For each set of 6, a 2nd penalty for the same infringement (offside, slowing down the ruck etc) in extra time earns 10 in the bin for the person causing 2nd infringement - effectively sits out the rest of the game.

Maybe not...just an idea that presented itself into my head.

 

[Waz13]

first tryscorer wins, no field goals or penalty goals

For each set of 6, a 2nd penalty for the same infringement (offside, slowing down the ruck etc) in extra time earns 10 in the bin for the person causing 2nd infringement - effectively sits out the rest of the game.

Maybe not...just an idea that presented itself into my head.

Or just have a draw after 80mins! How was the last 7mins of the easts v cows game any different to having golden point. I have and always will hate the golden point concept. It’s a field goal a thon in a sport where unlike union, the best players can’t kick a drop goal to save them selves. It’s embarrassing to watch a lot of the time.

 

[jbb/james]

The game is just not the same under the 10m rule.
Its just a false economy
Changed the game overnight. Your obligated to take the fast metres.

 

[mave]

No, it doesnt need to be so fast. Go down to any local A grade and check it out. Normal RL.

I have been saying for ages now that the ruck needs to be artificially slowed by the refs. "X" amount of seconds from the "held" call to when the attacking team can play the ball.
2 seconds, 3 seconds, 4 seconds.....whatever,

This will basically eliminate the wrestle overnight as the defending team has time to reform a defensive line, without needing to try and slow the ruck.

It will encourage the lost art of legs tackling.
As a game we currently actively discourage/penalise legs tackling as the attacker almost always gets a quick ruck speed from a legs tackle.

And no more touch footy where players get touched, fall on their stomach, and get supersonic ruck speed.

 

[manlyfan76]

How about we just allow markers to strike for the ball. That will ensure that the play the ball is slow and deliberate

 

[pjayz]

How dare you question the social influencers of our game. We are told what we like, we like a fast game, we like no scrums, we like lots and lots of tries, we want great athletes and we don’t care so much for the things that made the game great from the outset.

We like having the tv logo emblazoned on the screen when watching the game (like we can’t remember the channel we are watching). We like to be told about The Block or The Voice a thousand times while watching the game. We like having incoherent ‘legends’ speak about the game like Tallis and Hodges, Fittler and co. We love close up camera coverage during live play so that we lose perspective of the field and how far and fast the players are running.

Now stop thinking for yourself and think what you are told to think.

 

[Woodsie]

We laud the skillful .... yet continually introduce rules to suit the talentless athlete ......

... and as long as we are coming up with left field ideas .... a try scored from a play the ball inside the attacking 10m = 2 points ... a try scored from a play the ball inside the attacking 20m = 3 points ... a try scored from a play the ball between the defensive 30m and the attacking 20m = 4 points ... and a try scored from over 70m out = 5 points ...

 

[Tragic Eagle]

The source of the money has the control. The game just a pig eating out of a trouff. The integrity of our good game is gone. It has been sold. Our administrators tell us the game is in the best shape it has ever been in. Bollocks! The rules of the game need clarification, simplification and amendment and the salary cap is a complete waste of time and should be abolished. It does not provide a level playing field whilst there is a free for all with TPA's and if its other purpose is to stop clubs going broke why bother when you want to expand or relocate clubs just rely upon financial attrition. Really these rules are about manipulation and control and are not helping the game itself. I am really tired of hearing ex footballers as commentators because quite frankly most of them are not good at it. They may have been champion footballers but most of them are hopeless commentators. Please invite the odd legend as special quests occasionally but please get the microphones out of their hands.

 

[TokyoEagle]

How about we just allow markers to strike for the ball. That will ensure that the play the ball is slow and deliberate

This. Bring back the contest for the ball in the ruck. That would cut out most of the crap that goes on now. Also penalise players for not playing on the mark, or what happened on Saturday, passing off the ground. None of this take two steps backwards. Not sure when these ceased to be infringements of the rules.

 

[rosco]

A few ideas.
Reduce the interchange to 6. Will lead to more space for the creative players later in games.
5 points for a try and 1 for a conversion. Will reduce the possibility of draws (and would have given us the win on Saturday!) Why should a team try that ends with a try in the corner be maybe worth 2 points less than a barge over from dummy half under the posts.
No more than three in a tackle unless preventing a try. Will stop Scam being the fourth man in and then the defenders taking an age to peel off.
Then make a one on one tackle the same as when someone is called for submitting in the tackle. I get annoyed at someone making a great tackle around the legs and then being penalised and sometimes sent to the bin for holding on for a couple of seconds and then a team makes a 4 man tackle and takes over 5 secs to get off with no penalty. Need to reward one on one tackles..

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

The fact that we have a field goalathon if it goes to golden point, has become a farce, and why do we have golden point?, because television demands it, that's why, I say fark television

After sitting through the torture of the cricket World Cup final I’m even more firmly against Golden Point now, only solace I can get from it is how much it must have hurt Broncos fans in 2015

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Someone will probably be able to help me a bit more here, but the talk of reduced interchange was brought up a few weeks back, and the RLPA came back with numerous reasons why that would be unfair on the halves, can’t quite remember what they were now but have of them were a joke, think one was along the lines of fatigue meaning they would be tackled high more often by defenders

 

[Woodsie]

This. Bring back the contest for the ball in the ruck. That would cut out most of the crap that goes on now. Also penalise players for not playing on the mark, or what happened on Saturday, passing off the ground. None of this take two steps backwards. Not sure when these ceased to be infringements of the rules.

Sorry old mate ... but disagree .... contested scrums and play the balls were the greatest blight on the game ever ... the game was a non stop penalty-a-thon every scrum was re-set 3 times and invariably resulted in a penalty to either team for any of 10 different "interpretations" ... and kicks at the ball in play the balls was also a penalty lottery depending on did he kick before the ball touched the ground etc etc ..... a nightmare ...

If you want to see just how incompetent OR able to manipulate a game refs are ... just introduce more areas for them to adjudicate on grey areas ....

 

[TokyoEagle]

Sorry old mate ... but disagree .... contested scrums and play the balls were the greatest blight on the game ever ... the game was a non stop penalty-a-thon every scrum was re-set 3 times and invariably resulted in a penalty to either team for any of 10 different "interpretations" ... and kicks at the ball in play the balls was also a penalty lottery depending on did he kick before the ball touched the ground etc etc ..... a nightmare ...

If you want to see just how incompetent OR able to manipulate a game refs are ... just introduce more areas for them to adjudicate on grey areas ....

We have a penalty-A-thon as is. Everytime an attacking player drops the ball it is, more often than not, deemed a penalty to the attacking team. Get it wrong while striking for the ball at the play the ball and you get penalised. The option of being able to do it would keep the attacking team on notice and hopefully slow down the play the ball.

As others have mentioned, if we can get an effective legs tackle back in the game it may also take away the need for the second and third man coming in to wrap up the ball.

 

[globaleagle]

If you want to see just how incompetent OR able to manipulate a game refs are ... just introduce more areas for them to adjudicate on grey areas ....

I'm not sure of all the rules (obv) but if you could clear up 700 of them that'd be great. I often wonder if the mass appeal of soccer is because it seems to have 4 rules. Notwithstanding it's not as physical, you only need a round ball and a camel, etc etc.

Other rules seem to go by the wayside. Pass the ball after you're held still is technically a penalty isn't it? But now they just ask for a do over.

Players get pinged for offside in general play but some sneak ahead at kick offs. Kicks for touch are taken way over where the penalty is paid but it's ok. Walk off the mark sometimes (Inglis) ok, sometimes not.

And I mean who even knew about that rule where you just have to touch a ball heading towards the touchline for it to be deemed out on the full? Almost every other aspect of the game is if you touch it and it goes forward...it's a knock on.

Just when can you start to run up in defence? When the player plays the ball with his foot? When the dummy half touches it, or after he passes it? Players seem to be able to run faster than Bolt moving up in defence but if first marker gets around and grabs the dummy half's arm, he is ruled offside more often then not.

I wonder, with the staggering amount of subjectivity in the game, people may be on to something about contrived results (at times). Though it's possibly more to do with too much for the refs to do combined with their own bias. "Smith no do wrong, Manly no do right"

"The Gods must be crazy."


EDIT: FUN FACT: The Crystal Cinema, Windsor, Brisbane showed"The Gods must be Crazy" for 124 weeks straight! In the 1980's. I know... I went there and watched it a couple of times. 🙂

 

[Woodsie]

We have a penalty-A-thon as is. Everytime an attacking player drops the ball it is, more often than not, deemed a penalty to the attacking team. Get it wrong while striking for the ball at the play the ball and you get penalised. The option of being able to do it would keep the attacking team on notice and hopefully slow down the play the ball.

As others have mentioned, if we can get an effective legs tackle back in the game it may also take away the need for the second and third man coming in to wrap up the ball.

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 ....