http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/change-to-4020-ruling-has-caused-controversy-throughout-nrl-season/story-fni3fbgz-1227026292503
An NRL rule change that brought the role of ball boys into the spotlight has sparked controversy and confusion throughout the season - and may well have cost Parramatta a shot at the finals.
Chris Sandow last night executed a precise 40/20 kick in the closing stages of an ultimately losing tilt against the Bulldogs. But because the ball boy threw the ball to Vai Toutai - at the players’ request - rather than placing it on the ground, the Eels were denied the quick tap that would have led to a try.
It wasn’t the first time the new rule change has bitten Parramatta this season.
Sandow was infuriated during a Monday night clash on May 12 against the Sharks when the Eels were twice pulled back from taking a quick tap after a successful 40/20 kick.
The same fate befell Panthers playmaker Jamie Soward on July 19 during a loss to the Roosters.
“There’s no point in having it, is there?” Soward said of the new 40/20 rule at the time.
“You’re not allowed to get the ball unless the ballboy has the ball on the ground and the ball boys were doing the best job that could but the reality is that Kevin Naiqama or Jamal Idris sprints down there a lot quicker.
“I’m surprised the NRL haven’t looked at ways for that to move and flow.”
Daly Cherry-Evans fell victim to the new laws as recently as last week. After unleashing a brilliant 40-20 against the Rabbitohs, Manly players sprinted down to take the quick tap only to find the South Sydney ballboys had not placed the ball on the touchline.
And then there was last night’s controversy, which is set to rage for some time yet.
Interestingly, there is no mention of the role of the ball boy in the section 9.8 of the Rugby League Laws of the Game, released in February this year.
The new rule states: “When a kick in general play and from inside a team’s 40 metre zone, finds touch (other than on the full) in the opposition’s 20 metre zone, the resulting tap kick restart will be awarded to the kicking team 20 metres in from touch opposite where the ball crossed the touch line, but no closer than 10 metres from the goal line.”
It is the only mention of 40/20 kicks in the Rugby League Laws of the Game.
Todd Greenberg, the NRL’s Head of Football, announced the change from a scrum to a tap kick restart in January. The new 40/20 restart was one of three major rule changes, a handful of rule interpretation changes and several safety initiatives rolled out.
“In previous years at the NRL we’ve made decisions pretty quickly but this has been five months in the process,” Greenberg said at the time.
“We’ve worked really hard with the competition committee and with some of the most pre-eminent minds in the game to bring together some concepts and ideas in order to make the product itself better.
“We’ve then gone around and pressure tested that with every club and their coaches in order to get feedback and this is the end result. It highlights that we’re looking to be innovative and we’re looking to give fans and members the opportunity to continue to make rugby league the best it can be, both live and on television.
“We’re also very conscious that along the way we have to be very careful not to disturb the fabric of the game. So what we’ve done here is maintain what rugby league is but also keep evolving and innovating.
“That’s one of the absolute advantages of our sport.”
Phil Gould said the 40/20 rule needed to be resolved during last night’s commentary.
“They’ve got to fix up this 40/20 quick tap business because it’s very, very messy at the moment,” Gould said. “The reason they wouldn’t give them the quick tap is because the ball boy never put the ball on the ground.
“The winger ran down and demanded it from the ball boy. The ball boy got panicky and threw it to him and that’s a no-no.
“Our game shouldn’t rely on what an 11-year-old ball boy does on the sideline. Surely we’re beyond that.”
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/change-to-4020-ruling-has-caused-controversy-throughout-nrl-season/story-fni3fbgz-1227026292503
