What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

South Sydney Save The Game

Canard

Immortal
Messages
34,147
Its hard to take a story like this seriously when it says this:

"In that role, Barker reviewed every tackle in the NRL last year and compiled a video package highlighting tackles that pushed the boundaries in their control of the head or neck"

I find it more than hard to believe over 100,000 tackles were viewed and assessed. That is just not possible. DT story with the required level of BS included.

Imagine sitting through every game played by the 2019 Dragons, Cowboys and Titans.

You'd top yourself after Round 2.
 

simmo05

Bench
Messages
3,784
I don't think shortening the 8 reduces wrestling. Teams will just enjoy getting set, having a nice breather & the game gets slower. Teams will take all the time they can.

Souths want faster play as you've described as it suits Murray & Cook to a tee. That's ok, I don't think we'll see a return to touch footy drive & dump as wrestling will still happen- but if the nonsense around the neck was all barred I'd be fine with that. Players will still hold up, roll them over, waltz them, turn them etc but just stop trying to twist their arms & head off please.

The game could/should reward legs tackles more. As you've said, what was once a copybook tackle now gets punished (see Leilua around the bootlaces in the GF, resulting in a quick play the ball, Leilua couldn't get back & the Roosters winning try). Refs could be given a new call to go with "dominant" & "surrender", something like "legs" or "textbook" to give a well executed legs tackle the chance to settle the line- not as long as dominant or surrender, but the chance to get back to marker at least.
I think it will eventually go the way of afl. Any contact above the shoulder, regardless of severity, will be a penalty
 

dogslife

Coach
Messages
18,559
HairyWeeklyAfricanporcupine-size_restricted.gif
 
Messages
14,479
Souths have a killer running 9 and a very good back line ... they must be doing this out of their own heart.

The 2018 crack down had the slow / set play teams of the time Storm, Roosters, Rabbits & Sharks all out of the top 4 at round 12. The crackdown ends and the "cream" rose to the top. Looks like South don't think they can compete at that game this year.

Wrong.

Souths were 3rd at end of Rd 12.

Slow start under Seibold with early losses and slowly built over 9 weeks to be Top 4 at Rd 12 until season's end.
 
Last edited:

Valheru

Coach
Messages
17,506
Wrong.

Souths were 3rd at end of Rd 12.

Slow start under Seibold with early loses and slowly built over 9 weeks to be Top 4 at Rd 12 until season's end.

I would add to that the roosters had half a new spine and were trialling a game plan that just didn't work for them in the first 8 weeks of that season.

Robbo even said we would change the way we play after the dragons flogged us on ANZAC day.

It is a convenient myth for fans of other clubs though.
 

yobbo84

First Grade
Messages
9,615
I don't really care if they ref a slow or fast game. It's the fact they relax the rules between Round 25 and the finals that annoys me. Almost as much as my team's failure to adapt 2 years running even though you knew it was coming.
 

BadnMean

Juniors
Messages
1,122
Pretty sure Roosters were in the top 4 and even on top of the comp at times from about Round 3 or 4 onward & stayed there until the end, rebuilding style or not.
 

Valheru

Coach
Messages
17,506
Pretty sure Roosters were in the top 4 and even on top of the comp at times from about Round 3 or 4 onward & stayed there until the end, rebuilding style or not.

In 2018?

We were 8th after round 8 then robbo declared we would change our style and they won 6 of their next 7.
 

no name

Coach
Messages
19,081
Yeah you can.
Similar to how the refs manage to do a "held, move now, release" type instruction... Just like surrender & dominant indicate to players they can do x or y...

"textbook" or "legs" followed by a "one second" or "to marker" instruction- you've got ones second to get there, basically the length of the instruction takes to say. Then the ref calls "play it"- if the tackler got themselves to marker, well done. If not the ref informs them they are out of the play like they do normally/often for players who aren't square or are 3rd man around the ruck etc.

I think that's workable- if we are really looking for a solution to rewarding legs tackles. If not, move along, I'm not crying out for it as the missing piece in the rules puzzle. It's just a way to do it fairly simply.
The only way I reckon a legs tackle can be rewarded is allowing a ‘flop’ to come over to control the man with the ball until the legs tackler gets to market.
You can’t fight to win the ruck and then be told to wait to play the ball.
 

TheRam

Coach
Messages
13,457
Lucky they did this after Burgess retired.


Guaranteed they footage they showed of Souths was of Burgess and the footage they showed of every other NRL team was of their most effective players so as to taint the officials minds on the field. Genius.
 

TheRam

Coach
Messages
13,457
I really hope the wheels fall off south Sydney and they get shat on all season long. I hate the wrestling no doubt, but I hate this speshal treatment souths get more.


They are the team for me that will be a big disappointment this season. I think they will suffer immensely without Sam on the field week in week out. He was their main man to look to to go forward when things got hairy. Who is going to pick that slack up? There is no one in that team that has that type of game and or presence.

LM is a player that works off a powerful forwards game. He is not the type of player that will consistently roll his sleeves up and make things happen. Watch for him to take a nap here and there while everybody is waiting for something to happen. When Tom Burgess has his obligatory injuries and or suspension they will be even more thing on the ground for go forward. Unless they can unearth a forward or two that will absolutely surprise us all, they will struggle. Also don't forget how injury prone their play maker and new captain is.

But getting back to the forwards, they have a few decent ones and a coach that generally knows how to prepare a team well, but I feel this season will be a bridge too far. My verdict 7-8th or just miss out all together.
 
Messages
545
It is simple really, go back to the rules in 2005.

That allowed teams like the Tigers and Cowboys to play fast pace (almost touch football tactics). The game was way better and you saw so many tries scored that started in their own half.

Get rid of the dominant and surrender tackle and speed the game up and penalise the crap out of teams that try to slow down the ruck.

The results of the above make the game far better as a spectacle.
 

betcats

Referee
Messages
23,441
They are the team for me that will be a big disappointment this season. I think they will suffer immensely without Sam on the field week in week out. He was their main man to look to to go forward when things got hairy. Who is going to pick that slack up? There is no one in that team that has that type of game and or presence.

LM is a player that works off a powerful forwards game. He is not the type of player that will consistently roll his sleeves up and make things happen. Watch for him to take a nap here and there while everybody is waiting for something to happen. When Tom Burgess has his obligatory injuries and or suspension they will be even more thing on the ground for go forward. Unless they can unearth a forward or two that will absolutely surprise us all, they will struggle. Also don't forget how injury prone their play maker and new captain is.

But getting back to the forwards, they have a few decent ones and a coach that generally knows how to prepare a team well, but I feel this season will be a bridge too far. My verdict 7-8th or just miss out all together.

I hope you are right. I see potential when I look at them but the forwards don’t look very good I agree. And I agree with what you have said about Latrel, big time talent but he is in and out of games a lot, that doesn’t really work at fullback.
 
Top