Field goals

[choc_soldier]

Does anyone on here what year the value of a field goal was reduced to 1 point? I have tried Wikipedia, and all it says is the "early 70's".

Any assistance on this matter will be greatly appreciated!

 

[bartman]

I have a book which says 1974, in England at least, presumably internationally?

From Tony Collins' "Rugby League In Twentieth Century Britain: A Social And Cultural History" p.114:
"Over the next ten years rugby league continued to abandon the last semblances of its rugby union heritage. In 1974 the value of the drop goal was reduced from two points to one, the problems of the scrum were gradually solved by the expedient of allowing, albeit informally, the scrum-half to feed the ball to his own forwards, and in 1983 a handover of the ball to the opposing side, rather than a scrum, was introduced when the attacking side was tackled in possession on the sixth tackle."

Highly recommend the book if you can ever get it cheaply in Oz.

 

[Willow]

Not sure if or when there was universal agreement but it was 1971 in the NSWRL.

1971 saw the introduction of the six tackle rule which replaced the four tackle rule.
1971 also saw the field goal value reduced from two points to one point.
http://www.showroom.com.au/dragons/dragonshistory/history_stgeorge5b.htm

Here's some trivia...

I double checked with Ian Heads book, 'Saints - The Legend Lives On' - it has all the score sheets for St George since 1921.

In 1970, Phil Hawthorne kicked a whopping 25 field goals - huge by today's standards. He also kicked one regular goal (2 points) and scored one try (3 points back then). He had a 1970 season total of 55 points. Therefore the field goals were worth 2 points a pot.

In 1971, Hawthorne kicked only one field goal all year for an extraordinary season total of one - he scored no tries or kicked any other goals. Haven't looked up other teams yet but Phil Hawthorne was possibly the first player ever to have a season total of just one point.

And in case anyone is wondering...
The 1983 season saw the introduction of the four point try which replaced the previous three point try.

 

[bartman]

It's fascinating how the game changes over time. Makes you wonder what rules will be different if we fast forward another 20-30 years.

 

[choc_soldier]

Thanks guys... greatly appreciated!

 

[Skinner]

And in case anyone is wondering...
The 1983 season saw the introduction of the four point try which replaced the previous three point try.

Now that one blew me away.....I would have sworn it was much earlier
than that.

 

[*Paul*]

Rgular season totals
1967 - 125fg - start of limited tackles
1968 - 194
1969 - 164
1970 - 142
1971 down to 17, after 17 were kicked in the 1970 finals series alone.

The most since then is 69 in 1986, in no small part due to South's Neil Baker, who kicked 20.
http://stats.rleague.com/rl/teams/all/overall_ss.html

 

[miănfèinàn]

The most since then is 69 in 1986, in no small part due to Souths? Neil Baker, who kicked 20.

The fewest field goals kicked in any season since 1971 is nine (ten including finals; equivalent to fourteen playing the present number of matches) in 1976.

The numbers increased with the introduction of the differential penalty in 1981, but after peaking in the defensively-oriented seasons of 1986 and 1987 (66 field goals with nine by specialist Benny Elias) it has declined since, although the smallest total since 1981 is twenty in 2000 (equivalent to fourteen field goals in a 1976 schedule).

 

[Parra]

When did Australia adopt the handover? 1983 seems very early for that one.

 

[miănfèinàn]

Another interesting statistic about field goals I have known for years is that since 1971 the most consecutive matches a club has played without kicking a field goal is 112 by Brisbane from Round 1, 1988 to Round 20, 1992 inclusive. These were of course the Broncos’ first 112 matches in the NSWRL.

A more notable and fascinating case is the 102 games scoring no field goals by Cronulla between Round 22, 1983 (when Gavin Miller kicked a field goal against South Sydney in his last match in the blue, black and white for three years) and Round 3, 1988 (when little-known centre David Burnes snapped a one-pointer to beat the Gold Coast Giants in their third NSWRL match). What makes the Sharks’ record of kicking no field goals the more remarkable is that during these 102 games – even if we take into account the fact that Cronulla did not reach the semi-finals in this period – as many as 204 field goals were kicked by other teams – plus a further sixteen in the finals. One of these was kicked by Newtown in their last match in the NSWRFL, whilst of the other teams:

1. South Sydney kicked 46 field goals
2. St. George kicked 29 field goals
3. Balmain kicked 24 field goals
4. North Sydney kicked 21 field goals
5. Canterbury kicked 21 field goals
6. Eastern Suburbs kicked 17 field goals
7. Parramatta kicked 16 field goals
8. Western Suburbs kicked 12 field goals
9. Manly kicked 11 field goals
10. Canberra kicked 9 field goals
11. Penrith kicked 7 field goals
12. Illawarra kicked 5 field goals

In fact, it’s notable how rare it consistently was for Cronulla to kick a field goal between 1971 and 1999. In addition to their 102-game field goal “drought” during a period when they were at their most frequent since 1971, the Sharks also kicked no field goals in (field goal scorers at endpoints bracketed):

1. 70 matches between the 1973 Preliminary Final against Newtown (Tommy Bishop) and Round 4, 1977 against North Sydney (Steve Rogers)
2. 67 matches between Round 22, 1990 against Eastern Suburbs (Michael Speechley) and Round 2, 1994 against Canterbury (Mitch Healey)
3. 60 matches between Round 14, 1979 against Balmain and Round 6, 1982 against North Sydney (Steve Rogers kicked the field goal in both games)

Those four field goal droughts by Cronulla total a sum of three hundred and nine matches! It’s also notable how between 1974 and 1982 all field goals that Cronulla did kick came from Steve Rogers, and that all Cronulla field goals from 1991 to 1999 came from Mitch Healey – a record not approached at any other club, and I have long wondered what about Cronulla so persistent a record of few field goals reflects??