The Bomb or Up and Under

[gutterfax]

I was wondering if anyone here could tell me where they think the Rugby League Bomb, atacking Bomb, or Up'n'under as it's known in the UK, comes from.
I believe it is adapted from unions garryowen kick, but others think it came from NRL/gridiron?
Serious question, where does it originate from?

 

[user_nat]

Couldn't it have originated from someone thinking "Hmm, if I kick the ball up high it will become harder for the opposition to catch and give my team more time to get near it."

Doesn't really strike me as the kind of idea that needs to be borrowed from elsewhere. I'm not saying it wasn't borrowed from elsewhere, I have no idea.

 

[PaddyBoy]

I was wondering if anyone here could tell me where they think the Rugby League Bomb, atacking Bomb, or Up'n'under as it's known in the UK, comes from.
I believe it is adapted from unions garryowen kick, but others think it came from NRL/gridiron?
Serious question, where does it originate from?

I was reading that chat before, the up and under was from union, but the attacking one into the in goal started in the 70s not sure where.

 

[Red Bear]

Former Wigan 5/8 Sir Isaac Newtown thought it'd be a good idea

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Jack Gibson for the 100th time.

Up and under in Union is nothing like the bomb in League.

For a start, when was the last time you seen an attacking bomb in Union where they are trying to score a try? :crazy: :roll:

 

[Green Machine]

I was wondering if anyone here could tell me where they think the Rugby League Bomb, atacking Bomb, or Up'n'under as it's known in the UK, comes from.
I believe it is adapted from unions garryowen kick, but others think it came from NRL/gridiron?
Serious question, where does it originate from?

The bomb in Rugby League never became popular until about 1974. Jack Gibson started coaching in the mid 60’s. When he was at Easts, he used John Peard to great effect with the bomb in 1974-75. In the early 70’s, Jack did a lot of study into the NFL. Rex Mossop used to call the bombs a Gary Owen, but I think Jack got the idea from his visits to the US. The bomb became hated in Rugby League, especially after 1985 Grand Final and they changed the rule that if a player caught the ball in the in-goal area, the ball was restarted with a tap,

 

[super_coach]

Easts 5/8th John Peard was the one player who first used it as a attacking weapon in the NRL. Other players before him tried but Peard was the best and yes it was under the late great Jack Gibson, like so many other tactics were discovered

 

[Green Machine]

Jack had another kicking option with a penalty kick. For a wide out attempt, Jack would get kicker to aim for the ball to land in the in-goal and for the players to chase through and contest the ball.

 

[RL1908]

Couldn't it have originated from someone thinking "Hmm, if I kick the ball up high it will become harder for the opposition to catch and give my team more time to get near it."

Doesn't really strike me as the kind of idea that needs to be borrowed from elsewhere. I'm not saying it wasn't borrowed from elsewhere, I have no idea.

Yep - "hang time" concept is not rocket science. The tactic of kicking the ball high towards the fullback, giving the forwards time to descend upon the poor man waiting to catch it, was in rugby by the late 1880s.

John Peard's 'bomb' in RL was continuation of same principle, but, now that RL was under limited tackle rule, it was often with hope of pinning the opposition in their own in-goal for a repeat set (via drop out). In RU bombing into the in-goal was/is of little value unless the waiting defender drops the ball.

In Dally Messenger's time (which was really a "one tackle" rule era) they were doing (what we would call) bombs, short stab kicks behind the opposition, and even a "foot pass" akin to Sean Long here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhGEldMGoSM&feature=player_detailpage

 

[_snafu_]

As has been mentioned, an attacking 'bomb' is useless in RU if it is caught anywhere from the 20m (or whatever it is) because the catching player needs on to call mark and the play stops.

 

[gUt]

The bomb became hated in Rugby League, especially after 1985 Grand Final and they changed the rule that if a player caught the ball in the in-goal area, the ball was restarted with a tap,

Warren Ryan still talks about how he exploited this rule and gave opposition fullback a glimpse of hell.

 

[_snafu_]

Poor Glenn Burgess.

 

[themacemaceman]

Pretty sure it was later than 85 that they changed the bomb rule that if you defuse it you get a tap instead of a dropout. We came up with that rule ourselves down the local park in cessnock well before the league brought it in. I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't introduced until the 90's.

 

[innsaneink]

Although he had played with distinction for Eastern Suburbs and St George, it was at Parramatta in 1976 that John Peard became 'the Bomber'. His use of pin-point accurate high kicks, pursued by a posse of support players, revolutionised the game and helped the Eels to successive grand finals.

http://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/league_of_legends/100_years_of_the_game/slideshow_10_2.html

some great RL images there

 

[Loudstrat]

Pretty sure the Garry Owen was a ploy by Union wingers when they had made ground but found themselves surrounded by defence and unable to link to a team mate, so they put a speculator midfield.

Peard was the first RL master of it. I dunno how prevalent it was at Easts, because that 75 side was a phenomenal attacking side. At Parra in 76, it was our main attacking weapon because we had a dour, rugged side, and we made our first GF with it.

From memory, Ray Price was the first attacking player to make an art of catching bombs. From memory he scored 4 tries against Souths from catching bombs. Maybe Terry Fearnley deserves some credit in the bomb story too.

 

[LineBall]

Pretty sure it was later than 85 that they changed the bomb rule that if you defuse it you get a tap instead of a dropout. We came up with that rule ourselves down the local park in cessnock well before the league brought it in. I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't introduced until the 90's.

Nope. It was definitely in the 80's and if I remember correctly it was about 85 or 86 when it was changed.

 

[Perth Red]

The late great Eddie Waring was calling "Up n Unders" way back in the 60's. There's some old B&W BBC footage with him announcing "and its an Upppp and Under!" in that famous northern accent of his.

 

[Slackboy72]

Jack had another kicking option with a penalty kick. For a wide out attempt, Jack would get kicker to aim for the ball to land in the in-goal and for the players to chase through and contest the ball.

Funnily enough that's actually against the rules now.
Only saw it done once by Parramatta.

EDIT:
Section 6 part 11

Pretending to kick at goal
It shall be misconduct for a player to pretend to kick at goal from a penalty kick and then deliberately kick it elsewhere.
Such misconduct shall incur a penalty.
Having informed the Referee of his intention to kick at goal from an awarded penalty kick the kicker shall not do otherwise

 

[Slackboy72]

Nope. It was definitely in the 80's and if I remember correctly it was about 85 or 86 when it was changed.

It was because of the 85 grand final where the fullback was continually attacked in the air that catching it in the in-goal became a tap. Later we adopted the union rule (quite rightly) that tackling a player in the air was dangerous and hence a penalty.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Jack Gibson for the 100th time.

Up and under in Union is nothing like the bomb in League.

For a start, when was the last time you seen an attacking bomb in Union where they are trying to score a try? :crazy: :roll:

It was common place in the 90s in union.