News: Play to rules or else: Harrigan

[ManlyBacker]

<p>REFEREES co-coach Bill Harrigan has no plans to back off from his "Back to Basics" program despite pre-season criticism that it is ruining the spectacle that fans have come to expect.</p>


<a href="http://www.silvertails.net/news/5380-play-to-rules-or-else-harrigan.html">Read the full article</a>

 

[captainskin]

Oh dear, there is a few more penalties Watmough will give away in the play-the-ball.

 

[Captain Moondog]

Playing to the rules is'nt the only problem for teams, its trying to figure out each individual refs. interpretation of the rules. With the two ref. system this has become even more of a problem.

 

[Captain of the Gate]

I went to refs training and interviewed Raper and Harrigan last week, by sounds of it Harigan wants it run it will be a high penalty count in the first few rounds. I expect they will hammer the players early then back off after a few rounds like most years. Hopefully play the ball is a little cleaner than some of what happened last year, but its hardly the most imporant thing in history. Basically the rule interpretation will be as long as the player makes a genuine effort to get their foot to the ball its all good. What genuine is determined as by individual refs could be tough.
There is a change to the 2 refs this year, one is dominant and one is passive ruck red, but if the ball is turned over they switch and passive becomes dominant and visa versa.
Also change to the scrum interpretation, if players bind and stop the clock, they have stand up on the spot if the opposition is wasting time but cannot move from the spot or unbind, bascially 2nd row and lock dont have to keep their heads down.
Let me say I'm also super thrilled about having to listen to all this junk again at the NRL media briefing on Thursday... sigh

 

[Captain Moondog]

In recent times we have had rule changes every year. Don't think a lot of them are really necessary, just change for the sake of change. A lot of the fans and I'm sure some of the players find it confusing. It'd be nice to have one season start without basically cosmetic changes being made.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

We really struggled when the two refs came in, probably (IMO) the team that took the longest to adapt...let's hope that's NOT the case this year.

 

[MrsCCE]

I hate Bill Harrigan.....now where is that concrete truck

 

[Jono]

We really struggled when the two refs came in, probably (IMO) the team that took the longest to adapt...let's hope that's NOT the case this year.

That's because the other teams were able to get practice in the trials while we were in the UK.

 

[Jatz Crackers]

I garnered two things from that article.

1) The Tigers penalty count this year should be higher than any other team and thats all Sheens fault.
2) I feel conforted in the knowledge that Harrigans massive ego is still there and working as efficiently as a referee counting to six