Was just thinking about the new referees 'regime' or whatever the hell is going on over there and how this will be their first time picking experimental rules for the All Stars game. It dredged up an idea I had a while back that I thought I'd present for further comment:
The scrum is useless. We all know this. And the only justification that can be heard for keeping it is that it allows for a play in which the forwards are taken out of the equation.
If that's true then I think we can do a lot better.
I propose that instead of packing down for a scrum all the forwards line up on the sideline. As soon as the ball is tapped and passed from 10 or 20 in (ala kick for touch on penalty) the forwards are allowed to rejoin the play.
Ta dah. A rugby league lineout.
The defending forwards are sent scrambling back into the line with a 10/20 metre handicap. The backs can spread it wide to attack the thin defense of the oppositions backs and use all that extra space to step and jink and whatever they want. The forwards get worn out more from all the cardio, the pocket referee gets to make sure they don't jump the gun on the sideline, the attacking forwards get a leisurely stroll back onto the field, and no one in rugby league has to defend the use of scrums in the modern game ever again.
And as a bonus, if we're lucky, we annoy Union fans by calling it a 'lineout'.
I think this is a simple rule change that could work during the All Stars yearly 'rule experiment thingy' and is a lot more elegant than the 'powerplay' or whatever they had going last year.
The scrum is useless. We all know this. And the only justification that can be heard for keeping it is that it allows for a play in which the forwards are taken out of the equation.
If that's true then I think we can do a lot better.
I propose that instead of packing down for a scrum all the forwards line up on the sideline. As soon as the ball is tapped and passed from 10 or 20 in (ala kick for touch on penalty) the forwards are allowed to rejoin the play.
Ta dah. A rugby league lineout.
The defending forwards are sent scrambling back into the line with a 10/20 metre handicap. The backs can spread it wide to attack the thin defense of the oppositions backs and use all that extra space to step and jink and whatever they want. The forwards get worn out more from all the cardio, the pocket referee gets to make sure they don't jump the gun on the sideline, the attacking forwards get a leisurely stroll back onto the field, and no one in rugby league has to defend the use of scrums in the modern game ever again.
And as a bonus, if we're lucky, we annoy Union fans by calling it a 'lineout'.
I think this is a simple rule change that could work during the All Stars yearly 'rule experiment thingy' and is a lot more elegant than the 'powerplay' or whatever they had going last year.