Solving the diving epidemic...

[Bumble]

I think better to make all players who stay down leave the field for a mandatory SCAT test.

If you take a knock to the head to the point that you claim to be unable to regain your feet then I think it's fair and reasonable that you be examined for concussion in the name of safety.

He amount of people laying down will drop to almost zero instantaneously

The problem with this is when a player is legitimately felled by a high shot - he's now out of the game for a few minutes?

Scenario: Five to go, Cowboys trail by 4 in the finals - they're working it out from their own line and some plodder is instructed to whack Thurston. He hits him square in the jaw...no concussion risk but the hit still drops JT to the ground.

Plodder is replaced on report, continues playing...Cowboys now have to march down the field without their playmaker through no fault of their own.

 

[[FKN-SIK]]

If fans can see it from the stands then surely at least one of the two refscan see it right in front of them. If they actually blew a penalty when it is required then players don't need to stay down nor does the video ref need to get involved

 

[TheVelourFog]

I think I disagree with everyone. If it is an illegal tackle then I would prefer it get picked uip. Don't care if the player stays down or whatever. If there is nothing in it then they just play on.

 

[yobbo84]

No need for anything major, they should just use the rule as it was intended. The rule is that they can only penalise if a player stays down if the incident is worthy of putting the offending player on report. To get around this they just put everyone on report. Use the rule properly and it's all good IMO.

 

[slamminsam246]

Captains challenge = less diving, less incorrect decisions and less pressure on refs. Also sick of hearing "milking! milking!" from refs every set of six. Punish the player and his team for that crap.

 

[BCH]

Run 2 competitions - 1 for the teams who don't dive and the others can go play in the A-league.

 

[Danish]

The problem with this is when a player is legitimately felled by a high shot - he's now out of the game for a few minutes?

Scenario: Five to go, Cowboys trail by 4 in the finals - they're working it out from their own line and some plodder is instructed to whack Thurston. He hits him square in the jaw...no concussion risk but the hit still drops JT to the ground.

Plodder is replaced on report, continues playing...Cowboys now have to march down the field without their playmaker through no fault of their own.

If they are legitimately knocked out and can't regain their feet, it's likely they are concussed. You wouldn't want to risk someone's safety in that regard.

I'd like to think in the situation you mentioned in which a player deliberately takes an opposition player high hard enough that they can't get up that the player would be sent off.... Although I admit it wouldn't happen as refs are useless.

In your scenario as well thurston only has to go off if the ref doesn't penalise the shot, and then Thurston stays down and time has to be halted. If he pings them straight away and Thurston can get up without holding the game up then he stays on.

 

[TheDalek079]

I believe this is one of the biggest issues facing the game.

It makes the game look soft and far worse slows play down dramatically.

How many times did a player stay down for a penalty in the GF, 4 or 5? It almost made me want to cry. It shouldn't be such a stop/start product.

Anyway, the solution is simple: if the on field referee misses the incident then let the match review committee pick it up. The video referee should not be allowed to intervene. Perhaps with lifting tackles as the only exception as it's not really open to diving.

Thoughts? This shit is getting out of control and needs to be stamped out of the game.

Yet, the 2013 Grand Final there was no diving. Well done Easts and Manly for having good ethics!

 

[Glen]

What is even more frustrating is when they use the video selectively. There was one in the GF where someone was hit around the throat and stayed down for the penalty and it wasn't given when 9 out of 10 are given based on the video replay.

Another time the refs called for the video to check on a knock-on. Most of the time they refuse to do this even if they are clearly wrong on the big-screen replay before the scrum has packed.

I think all knock-on type decisions should just be based on the ref's call on the field and we live with the mistakes in the name of keeping the game moving. For high shots I'd like to see this too but if there was a really bad incident (such as a deliberate aggressive elbow to the face) it'd be hard not to take action while the recipient is being stretchered off.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Very easily solved - let the guys on the field do their job. The ones upstairs have proven video evidence makes FA difference in reaching a correct decision anyway. I might be a hard marker but I would think between two referees, one should be able to spot the point of contact.

 

[JJ]

if they stay down, get them off the field, immediately... team can play with 12, or use an interchange...

Morris' one was so pathetic it's not funny - should only be checking for head knocks imo, and then they'd have to go off for a check anyway

 

[Chook Norris]

You'd think the NRL would actually look into this but, knowing them, jack sh*t will be done about it. We're seeing more dives in the game. It's an embarrassing look

 

[Canard]

I think I disagree with everyone. If it is an illegal tackle then I would prefer it get picked uip. Don't care if the player stays down or whatever. If there is nothing in it then they just play on.

Not to mention LU claiming "dive!" for bad head shots, shoulder charges and spear tackles.

 

[Evil_Mush]

I think all knock-on type decisions should just be based on the ref's call on the field and we live with the mistakes in the name of keeping the game moving. For high shots I'd like to see this too but if there was a really bad incident (such as a deliberate aggressive elbow to the face) it'd be hard not to take action while the recipient is being stretchered off.

This reminds me of the George Rose elbow to Aaron Heremaia in the 2011 Grand Final, which if I recall correctly didn't result in any calls, video ref or otherwise.


I'm leaning towards the mandatory "injury" free interchange where someone stays down for say 30 seconds (regardless of what caused it), that way legitimate injuries can be dealt with off-field (including the concussion tests and whatnot) to let the game carryon, and 'milking' would be discouraged otherwise you're off the field until your coach has to sub you back on.

 

[insert.pause]

The same thing happened years ago and the media blew up about it and they got rid of it and the diving went away, after learning the lesson I don't understand why they brought it back.

 

[Card Shark]

Captains challenge = less diving, less incorrect decisions and less pressure on refs.

This.

Video refs only for tries. 1 captains challenge per half, re-instated if proven correct.

A guy might think twice about trying to get a penalty if the challenge is surrended due to an accidental love tap.

 

[POPEYE]

Players are only getting square most of the time for penalties against their side, laying down breeds laying down. Blokes like James Graham wouldn't lay down if the bus crashed on the way to the game.

Players who go down should lose Brownie points if they continue on unabated soon after. A bunker system might frighten some of them into thinking there's a memory bank that records their inconsistencies, referee could be informed to send bad actors to the sideline.

 

[Bumble]

If they are legitimately knocked out and can't regain their feet, it's likely they are concussed. You wouldn't want to risk someone's safety in that regard.

I'd like to think in the situation you mentioned in which a player deliberately takes an opposition player high hard enough that they can't get up that the player would be sent off.... Although I admit it wouldn't happen as refs are useless.

In your scenario as well thurston only has to go off if the ref doesn't penalise the shot, and then Thurston stays down and time has to be halted. If he pings them straight away and Thurston can get up without holding the game up then he stays on.

Well in that case I like it. Rock on

 

[BunniesMan]

Mandatory 20 minutes off for the testing. Simple.

And when you hear a ref say "milking" that should be a penalty against that bloke. Milking is cheating. It should be treated as a professional foul.

 

[TheVelourFog]

Everyone keen to punish the guy thats just been hit with the illegal tackle, and not the perpetrator. So you should be able to get away with whatever you want as long as the ref doesnt see it? Just promotes more grubiness in the tackle, scrums or anywhere their view is obstructed eg in back play. For fear that the game might be labelled "soft", by who exactly?