Rugby league now a very different game

[NYEagle]

Wow after seeing 30-0 put on by the Roosters and then 0-30 put on them I think rugby league is a very very different game to what it has ever been.
I think it makes the 40-0 put on Manly not as shocking as it would have been in the past. In the past that would have indicated a dead team, but in this day and age momentum is everything and any team can get a roll on with the ball as we we saw with the 24-0 to Manly at the end.
Why suddenly is this happening?. I put it down to the banning of the should charge and all the rules around head contact and lifting. Players are so careful in tackles now and there is a lot more movement of the ball. The big hits and the gang tackles are gone, players are moving off the mark 5 metres every play or trying to milk a penalty so defences are getting leaky and defensive lines moving incredibly fast. Two of three sets of possession, a penalty, or knock on and things turn completely around.
Something I have also noticed is that <I>attack<I\> seems to tap out teams too. How often have there been 20 or 30 points scored by one team rolling all over the other and then the opposite happens right after.
Never seen such a whacky season, love to hear your theories on this.
NYEagle

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

I agree there is some kind of trend but Cows v Chooks was just an aberration. Chooks are like Souths, they look like world beaters when possession and penalties are going their way but look vulnerable (2014 model Chooks that is) when it's the other way round.

The odd thing is that in knock-out finals the team that finds itself a long way behind almost never comes back, or not that I can recall. I thought Cows ripped off with a couple of calls and unlucky not to pinch an amazing win. Pretty funny actually.

 

[StuBoot]

10 metre rule and interchange is the main factor in my opinion.

Big boppers with 4-5 hit-ups and kick is the norm ( completions, completions, completions is the mantra ) until a team is well behind then they play footy.

 

[MadMarcus]

So many decisions are discretionary these days that it gives refs the chance to swing the momentum in games. The NRL prefer close games, so the team who is getting beaten usually gets a leg up.

 

[Snake]

I think it was more a case of the Roosters simply putting the cue in the rack at 30 nil and thinking about next week. A team like the Cowboys with those big forwards and JT running off the back of it, is not a team you can fall asleep against. I actually think the Roosters did remarkably well to still win the game. Any other side would have found the shift in momentum when it got back to 30 all too much to take, but the Roosters forwards got stuck into the defence and charged into the Cowboys to halt the momentum.

 

[Denno]

So many decisions are discretionary these days that it gives refs the chance to swing the momentum in games. The NRL prefer close games, so the team who is getting beaten usually gets a leg up.

Hear HERE...!

 

[COMMANDER]

The reason this type of result is happening is the the NRL decided at the start of the finals that the quick play the ball is king; flying in the face of how the game was ref'd in the first 26 rounds.

They are penalising teams early in the first half for anything that slows the play the ball down.

Defences don't have time to retire a full ten metres and be effective when quick play the balls are the flavour of the moment.

 

[Brissie Kid]

The quick play the ball is king and referees give all the penalties to the team with the ball. The game is dead as far as i am concerned. It's not league.

Most times if a defence tries to ever fight back to regain momentum by strong heavy tackles or trying to slow down the ruck the referees will penalise them. Game over then.

It makes the losing team so tired they get flogged and then the media and fans write the players off as hopeless and gutless. Which is rubbish as you could play the same two teams again a week later and the other team will win 40-0 instead.

The only decent competitive semi final we had was Panthers and Roosters. Why? Because it had the so called two worst referees of the eight. Their decisions were haphazard and no momentum was built up. But under Hayne and Cummins especially the momentum comes.

Last week Souths got a penalty 30m out from their own line on their first set. It was from Hayne for a Souths player standing up to play the ball and then dropping back to ground near the marker. The markr did nothing but stand his ground. Manly never got a shot at the Souths line after that until the game was gone.

It makes watching league very very difficult. If Manly stopped playing NRL tomorrow I wouldn't watch the sport at all. It is rubbish.

Dogs or Manly will win tonight by 25+. I just can't tell you which one it will be. if Dogs get all the momentum early & Manly can't hold them to a close score after 30 minutes then its game over. If manly are close at half time or leading we will win (unless like the Cows the referee decision cruels it).