NRL flexible on new rules

[Shoe1]

The refs will be itching to try out the new rules

 

[jbb/james]

The big question is , are the fans flexible . Im pretty flexible with my remote control . I have other interests and streaming is getting better and better.

I dont hang on the NRL . I have little trust in the long term health of the game , and as a spectacle and contest they have ironicly continually bought the game into disrepute,while pointing the fingers at everyone but themselves

Tv money hinges on subscriptions and ratings and there is nothing flexible about that, due to poor management over decades

The nrl are like heroin addicts to broadcasters , and its time to diversify. Its no different to the trade drama australia has got itself into with china. Wake up , and stop patting yourselves on the back for taking the easy road

 

[Kevinward777]

The big question is , are the fans flexible . Im pretty flexible with my remote control . I have other interests and streaming is getting better and better.

I dont hang on the NRL . I have little trust in the long term health of the game , and as a spectacle and contest they have ironicly continually bought the game into disrepute,while pointing the fingers at everyone but themselves

Tv money hinges on subscriptions and ratings and there is nothing flexible about that, due to poor management over decades

The nrl are like heroin addicts to broadcasters , and its time to diversify. Its no different to the trade drama australia has got itself into with china. Wake up , and stop patting yourselves on the back for taking the easy road

If Melbourne or Easts feature in this year's decider I won't even bother watching the game. Unless, of course, Manly happen to be their opponent.

 

[The better Robbo]

The big question is , are the fans flexible . Im pretty flexible with my remote control . I have other interests and streaming is getting better and better.

I dont hang on the NRL . I have little trust in the long term health of the game , and as a spectacle and contest they have ironicly continually bought the game into disrepute,while pointing the fingers at everyone but themselves

Tv money hinges on subscriptions and ratings and there is nothing flexible about that, due to poor management over decades

The nrl are like heroin addicts to broadcasters , and its time to diversify. Its no different to the trade drama australia has got itself into with china. Wake up , and stop patting yourselves on the back for taking the easy road

Exactly. TV ratings will drop when we have too many blow out scores. No one likes watching their team get flogged by 30 points

 

[Smokin Joe]

I just don't know if general defense is going to matter this year.I don't know if any sides are going to be able to contain teams moving up the field consistently.
All it takes is one quick play the ball and the set of 6 is lost,teams just keep marching it up the field with dummy half darts and players just charging on to the ball off the dummy half,quick spreading of the ball just compounds it.If the refs are not completely fair and impartial there may be many massacres this year.
I think that goal line defense is going to be crucial this year.Kicking into the corners and trying to get multiple players into the tackles when the opposition is trying to hit it out and stop them spreading the ball may be crucial too.Trying to hold up players and stop the offload with multiple guys in the tackle without letting the player go to ground( forcing the ref to call held) might be a common tactic as well.
Staying away from your own goal line and getting repeat sets when on the oppositions line might be more important than ever.
It may be the case of adapting a union style approach where teams maximize their defensive line by not commiting players to the breakdown,the league version might be when a team gets a roll on you just commit one or two players to a tackle and everyone else justs flies back to try to form a reset unbroken defensive line to attempt to try to then commit extra players to a tackle and slow it down somehow.
Teams who can quickly spread it wide after a break with fleet footed runners might be stll hard to contain tho...the defensive line is going to have to slide exceptionally fast.
My fear is we are going to have to be extremely dilligent about not giving away repeat sets by getting off the player quickly(this is where Jake concerns me most)

 

[manlyfan76]

Instead of six again they could have done a lot of things that would still give an advantage but not kill the game ie:
One extra tackle not six. ( Six for repeated offences)
March the defence 10m ( or five)
Five in the bin ( 10 for second offenders)
No video replays unless the captain asks ( get two goes each, if not overturned then they are lost like in cricket).

 

[Waz13]

I just don't know if general defense is going to matter this year.I don't know if any sides are going to be able to contain teams moving up the field consistently.
All it takes is one quick play the ball and the set of 6 is lost,teams just keep marching it up the field with dummy half darts and players just charging on to the ball off the dummy half,quick spreading of the ball just compounds it.If the refs are not completely fair and impartial there may be many massacres this year.
I think that goal line defense is going to be crucial this year.Kicking into the corners and trying to get multiple players into the tackles when the opposition is trying to hit it out and stop them spreading the ball may be crucial too.Trying to hold up players and stop the offload with multiple guys in the tackle without letting the player go to ground( forcing the ref to call held) might be a common tactic as well.
Staying away from your own goal line and getting repeat sets when on the oppositions line might be more important than ever.
It may be the case of adapting a union style approach where teams maximize their defensive line by not commiting players to the breakdown,the league version might be when a team gets a roll on you just commit one or two players to a tackle and everyone else justs flies back to try to form a reset unbroken defensive line to attempt to try to then commit extra players to a tackle and slow it down somehow.
Teams who can quickly spread it wide after a break with fleet footed runners might be stll hard to contain tho...the defensive line is going to have to slide exceptionally fast.
My fear is we are going to have to be extremely dilligent about not giving away repeat sets by getting off the player quickly(this is where Jake concerns me most)

Bloody great post and have summed up a lot of my thoughts here. Really interesting point around adapting that Union style approach. I wondered about that as a tactic too, getting people out of the ruck. Certainly the holding players up on their feet in tackles to slow it will be a tactic. Will be interesting to see what Des has up his sleeve, and I think he will have sone inovations. At the end of the day tho it will come down to the bloody refs and their consistency (or lack of) that will decide a lot of games. Are they also using the rule on try’s where ref calls it as he sees it and then the booth have a look prior to the kick? If so gee there’s gonna be sone big blokes blowing out there

 

[Captain Moondog]

Flexible rules... I'm pretty sure they were a Greenberg innovation.
Penalty Broncos.

 

[pjayz]

Flexible rules... I'm pretty sure they were a Greenberg innovation.
Penalty Broncos.

"Consistency is overrated."

 

[Captain Moondog]

Consistency is overrated...

Random nonsensical bull**** is always popular with fans and players.....anyway he's crickets problem now.

 

[Brissie Kid]

Best tactic for the defence would be to just keep a straight line across the field with 11, 12 or even 13 players & then just keep chesting the opposition. Don't tackle them. they can't make a break in your line & you don't cop the punishment of having to run back 10m. What would happen?

 

[wombatgc]

Yep, and the game (soccer/football) has changed a lot over that time, largely as the result of coaching innovations - new formations and tactics - that work within the existing rules. The NRL approach is just change for the sake of change. I mean, who the **** was crying out for the two-point field goal? They may have good intentions, but they're killing the game and the "product" at the same time.

It’s my understanding that Wayne Pearce is behind a lot of these changes. He needs the boot.

 

[AlxFromNthNarra]

I don't like the rule where finding touch now is play-the-ball, not a scrum.

Will there still be the 30-sec downtime like the scrums presented, or will it be like Union where you can basically pass the ball in rather than setup for a line-out? I hope it is not the latter as that presents a whole raft of problems, and will alter the strategy around field-position.

The whole tactical play of pushing the ball into touch is to consolidate field position and more importantly, give some of the players a breather. The scrum creates opportunities for set-plays and decisions on who is in the scrum/backline off the feed. I liked that dynamic.

If this rule prevents conventional field-position play, then I don't like it - and if they adopt a Union-style where the defensive team can pick up a long kick for touch and re-start the play before the defensive line is set, then it effectively shuts down kicks for touch as a way of settling down the tempo and giving players a bit of a break. This is not good for player welfare as stretches of play have already been 20+ mins in trial games.

I get that they want the game to be 'faster' and more open - but that pace of the game combined with loose 6-again interpretations worry me. Gassing teams out week upon week will take its toll.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

I don't like the rule where finding touch now is play-the-ball, not a scrum.

Will there still be the 30-sec downtime like the scrums presented, or will it be like Union where you can basically pass the ball in rather than setup for a line-out? I hope it is not the latter as that presents a whole raft of problems, and will alter the strategy around field-position.

The whole tactical play of pushing the ball into touch is to consolidate field position and more importantly, give some of the players a breather. The scrum creates opportunities for set-plays and decisions on who is in the scrum/backline off the feed. I liked that dynamic.

If this rule prevents conventional field-position play, then I don't like it - and if they adopt a Union-style where the defensive team can pick up a long kick for touch and re-start the play before the defensive line is set, then it effectively shuts down kicks for touch as a way of settling down the tempo and giving players a bit of a break. This is not good for player welfare as stretches of play have already been 20+ mins in trial games.

I get that they want the game to be 'faster' and more open - but that pace of the game combined with loose 6-again interpretations worry me. Gassing teams out week upon week will take its toll.

Sadly I think how you’ve written it is exactly what happens , so the only time a kick for touch will be any benefit with a 40/20 which are kind hens teeth.

There will now be zero advantage in kicking it over the line as I assume their winger runs back , taps the ball and runs up as far as he can.

 

[Brissie Kid]

Another problem is referees seem incapable of reading the state of a game. Why when the game is at 14-0 or 20-0 are they still hammering the losing team for 50/50 finicky calls or when the defence tries to get off the 10m line quickly to slow the opposition momentum?

 

[StuBoot]

Sadly I think how you’ve written it is exactly what happens , so the only time a kick for touch will be any benefit with a 40/20 which are kind hens teeth.

There will now be zero advantage in kicking it over the line as I assume their winger runs back , taps the ball and runs up as far as he can.

Surely it'll be like the set restart from the 20m line in that ALL the players on your team must be behind the play the ball but then again this is the NRL we're talking about here.

 

[Ranga]

Surely it'll be like the set restart from the 20m line in that ALL the players on your team must be behind the play the ball but then again this is the NRL we're talking about here.

I think that is right, otherwise (I would have thought) all the attacking players in front of the ball will be offside and unable to participate in any attacking move. Kind of like how any player ahead of the play the ball cannot get involved in the next play.

 

[mickqld]

All along for the last decade the nrl's emphasis with rule changes has been to speed up the game by penalising teams. It is now the culture in referees to look to penalise teams. It's the most fu**ed up logic in a professional sport you could have. It's also why so many are turned off a game thats gone from gladiators and survival of the fittest to nba you score we score garbage.