NRL to launch crackdown on play the balls

[Clifferd]

literally never seen Sharon Woods play the ball correctly ever. If he wasn’t shit already, he’ll be even worse if refs crack down on it

 

[Valheru]

"Season long crackdown"

This will be like that season when they cracked down on the dropouts having to be on or behind the line. They will do it for a few weeks, penalising a few players but by round 8 it will be prevalent again.

 

[Timmah]

Season long

 

[Slackboy72]

Yeah this is going to bring the crowds back...

 

[T-Boon]

Relocate the play-the-ball to Perth

Stop third party play the balls. Too much confusion.

 

[DC_fan]

Probably last a couple of weeks before the refs go back to the old ways

 

[Twizzle]

so apart from slowing the game down a tad, what exactly will this achieve ?

 

[King hit]

Unless your name is Smith or Thurston

 

[T-Boon]

Discourse is *constantly* bogged down in the supposed scourge of wrestling and slowing down the ruck, because it gives the defence an advantage. The same people lament the quick-roll style play the ball, because it speeds the attack up too much encouraging one-out running.

There's a contradiction here which should be obvious but somehow never gets raised. We can't demand speeding up the ruck to increase exciting attacking play while simultaneously claiming that speeding up the ruck results in boring attacking play. It doesn't make sense.

To me the wrestle and the desperation for a quick play the ball are two sides of the same coin. The coin is "dominating the ruck". That is how you win RL now. Slow them down in the ruck whilst getting fast play the balls yourself. I suspect Craig Bellamy spends almost as much time in his wrestling sessions practicing getting out of or avoiding wrestles and into fast play the balls as actually wrestling itself.

We should be trying to get the game to a point where the ruck is neutral and does not have any influence on the outcome of the game at all. The speed of the play the ball was never intended to have an influence on the game. Obviously in the very early days of the game play the ball speed meant nothing since there was no neutral zone (or was it 1 metre). Under a 5 metre rule the speed of the play the ball also meant pretty much nothing.

My problem with wrestling isn't that it stifles attack it is that wrestling tackles are ugly as hell to watch. It looks like hyenas on an animal carcass. The other problem I have with it is I don't think an area of the game that fans have relatively little interest in, or understanding of, should be so influential towards the outcome of the game. The unintended importance of what is going on in the ruck also means there are a lot of hard to understand ruck penalties. The penalty system we have was designed for game play where the ruck speed was not important. So the refs are getting blamed for outcomes because the decisions are so 50/50.

The 10 metres is the root cause of the problem because that is what makes the speed of the play the ball so important. That is what we need to re think.

 

[T.S Quint]

Awesome!
Are they also going to have a crackdown on the constant forward passes from dummy-half, the holding down in tackles, players being offside on their goal line, players taking goal kicks from a spot that is not in line with where the try was scored, etc....?

No use cracking down on one when you should be doing it for everything. The rules are there. Enforce them!

If you then cry about there being too many penalties in games, then just get rid of some of the f**king rules! Why have rules if you aren't going to enforce them.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

And the crackdown will be forgotten by round 3.

.....Because the same fans who wanted the crack down suddenly realise that it will slow the PTB and they start whinging about how the NRL is too stricked on it.

 

[Perth Red]

Stop the refs being coaches, take the mic off them and let them ref the game! It was interesting watching the NRL refs in RLWC17 and last weekends SL game and how much better they seemed when only one of them in charge on the field. Far more decisive and consistent.

 

[beave]

To me the wrestle and the desperation for a quick play the ball are two sides of the same coin. The coin is "dominating the ruck". That is how you win RL now. Slow them down in the ruck whilst getting fast play the balls yourself. I suspect Craig Bellamy spends almost as much time in his wrestling sessions practicing getting out of or avoiding wrestles and into fast play the balls as actually wrestling itself.

We should be trying to get the game to a point were the ruck is neutral and does not have any influence on the outcome of the game at all. The speed of the play the ball was never intended to have an influence on the game. Obviously in the very early days of the game play the ball speed meant nothing since there was no neutral zone (or was it 1 metre). Under a 5 metre rule the speed of the play the ball also meant pretty much nothing.

My problem with wrestling isn't that it stifles attack it is that wrestling tackles are ugly as hell to watch. It looks like hyenas on an animal carcass. The other problem I have with it is I don't think an area of the game that fans have relatively little interest in, or understanding of, should be so influential towards the outcome of the game. The unintended importance of what is going on in the ruck also means there are a lot of hard to understand ruck penalties. The penalty system we have was designed for game play where the ruck speed was not important. So the refs are getting blamed for outcomes because the decisions are so 50/50.

The 10 metres is the root cause of the problem because that is what makes the speed of the play the ball so important. That is what we need to re think.

You’re the muppet championing for more scores to make it a more ‘interesting spectacle’ that’ll make the fans flock back to the game.

But then you want the 10m rule abolished which will turn it into a Union-esque borefest where the defence smothers the attack constantly.

Do you actually read the utter shit you write?

 

[big hit!]

There's probably bigger problems facing RL atm. Is this really what concerns fans the most?

Actually, yes! Particularly when many were let go and then a ref decides that he hasn't reached his whistle blowing quota for a match and decides to pull one up.

The ruck has been a shambles in recent seasons and players rushing the play-the-ball and just throwing the ball between their legs is one of the major reasons. They normally fall over doing it and the defending team gets penalised. The rule states the ball must be played by foot. f**king penalise merkins if they don't!!

 

[muzby]

so apart from slowing the game down a tad, what exactly will this achieve ?

Hopefully at least one face plant per game from Fifita when he trips over the ball..

 

[RazorRam0n]

great initiative if they follow it through, coaches don't want correct play the balls, fans do.

 

[Perth Red]

Actually, yes! Particularly when many were let go and then a ref decides that he hasn't reached his whistle blowing quota for a match and decides to pull one up.

The ruck has been a shambles in recent seasons and players rushing the play-the-ball and just throwing the ball between their legs is one of the major reasons. They normally fall over doing it and the defending team gets penalised. The rule states the ball must be played by foot. f**king penalise merkins if they don't!!

Does it still say:
get to your feet
put ball on ground
play with foot backwards?

Its not rocket science, even for NRL players!

 

[Billythekid]

Crackdowns are bullshit. Does that imply that they're currently not enforcing the rules and only plan to do so for a short period? What's he god damn point?

This will just lead to more unnecessary penalties which already have far too big of an influence on matches and for what? This is such a minor nitpick compared to some of the other serious issues in the game right now.

 

[muzby]

Does it still say:
get to your feet
put ball on ground
play with foot backwards?

That sounds awfully painful.

Spoiler: Not for the squeamish

 

[Rhino_NQ]

I was expecting Cameron ciraldo