Captain's challenge system

[Danish]

From what I've seen the 20s have been using both (during the finals at least)

Surely you can't expect refs to make a decision without VR??????

If they are going to use it in conjunction with the video ref then it seems like just another time waster thrown into our game. If they rolled back the decisions the on field ref is allowed to send upstairs for review (say, ONLY to check grounding and offside) then I'd be more for it.

Even then though I can see such a system being dumped after half a season as captains review decisions only for the video ref to make a howler themselves and f**k them over.

 

[Quidgybo]

How does it work. Can a team stop a linebreak to review a forward pass?

Only decisions that result in a loss of possession and a structured restart - ie. scrum, penalty, line drop out, 20m tap (handover?). So a team can't stop play in progress, it has to already be stopped.

Can also see this going the way it has in cricket. A team will burn the challenge on something stupid early in the half and then later, some howler will be unable to be overturned because the challenge is gone and people will scream bloody murder anyway.

That's where the first big controversy with the challenge system will arise once it's in the spotlight of the NRL. The problem is that the only penalty for a failed challenge is losing the right to challenge, which inevitably will lead to howlers still getting missed - or worse still howlers being recognised but with no way to do anything about it. Ridicule will follow. It'll be a self inflicted wound the game could easily avoid with a different penalty that doesn't cut off the right to challenge. If each failed challenge costs an interchange or two then teams can still challenge after failing but if they keep failing it's going to start having a big impact on their interchange rotation and game plan. So there's still a good incentive not to go overboard.

Except when one hasn't been used and a team is under the pump at the end of a half. Then they basically challenge anything just to get the advantage of a break in play and a chance to get some breath back.

Well if it costs them an interchange or two then they're going have to be real careful that they're not robbing Peter to pay Paul. If they use one near the end of the first half just to relieve some pressure then they might find themselves in trouble with tired forwards mid way thru the second half and not enough interchanges left to complete their rotation.

Or if they use their last interchange late in the second half on a spurious challenge then they might find themselves playing with 12 men after the next injury. I'm actually OK with those scenarios, it'll only happen at an existing break in play anyway and at worst it'll give them another 60 to 90 secs. If the team thinks that's worth more to them than using one of ten interchanges then as far as I'm concerned all's fair in love and war.

We should just adopt superleagues system. Its better

Seriously? We've just had the video refs most controversy free season ever, in no small part because the new system puts the responsibility back on the on field officials to make the 50/50 calls. The video ref only needs to handle the howlers, deferring any 50/50 decisions back to the original call. It's taken all the heat off the video ref and significantly reduced the probability of them getting lineball calls wrong. I'm not saying we're not seeing as many mistakes but fans in general seem more forgiving of mistakes made by an on field ref who has to make the decision in a split second than of mistakes made (or perceived) by a faceless man in a box after watching endless replays.

Leigh.

 

[carlosthedwarf]

Guessing they can't challenge on a forward pass though, so wouldn't stop that ridiculous Roosters try on the weekend

 

[Canard]

Can also see this going the way it has in cricket. A team will burn the challenge on something stupid early in the half and then later, some howler will be unable to be overturned because the challenge is gone and people will scream bloody murder anyway.

I think I read they are going to allow more reviews in the upcoming ashes.

To a point it gets ridiculous, but there is probably a happy medium of the amount of allowable reviews and potential howlers that can be struck.

 

[Feej]

And they wonder why crowds/ratings are down. Slowly killing the game with this sort of crap.

 

[Frustrated Fan]

And they wonder why crowds/ratings are down. Slowly killing the game with this sort of crap.

One could argue that crap refereeing is what is killing the game and driving the ratings down. As a punter I have had enough of losing my money thanks to atrocious refereeing decisions. I for one will not be following NRL again until something is done to provide fairness and integrity in the results.

 

[Parra]

Coaches challenge would be better. Captains challenge is a stupid idea.

The whole NFL officiating system is better. Allow officials to throw a flag on a play, but let the game play out. Then apply the penalty and allow it to be declined or challenged. Lose a challenge and interchange if the coaches challenge is wrong.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

On the 7th tackle issue, just go back to the 5th and let (for example) Cronulla play their last tackle again.

 

[Ronnie Dobbs]

The games struggling because there are too many stoppages. Video ref is responsible.

Refs will make mistakes, but back them to get better. TV stations shouldnt be allowed to harp on and show replays over and over.

 

[I Bleed Maroon]

The refs can't get things right when they replay the footage right in front of their faces 100 times now. What makes the NRL think allowing the Captains to challenge decisions is going to change anything?

The problem is that the refs don't know what the f**k they're doing.

 

[bobmar28]

And they wonder why crowds/ratings are down. Slowly killing the game with this sort of crap.

What is important is getting the decision right. If a captains challenge helps to do that I'm all for it.

 

[Canard]

Coaches challenge would be better. Captains challenge is a stupid idea.

The whole NFL officiating system is better. Allow officials to throw a flag on a play, but let the game play out. Then apply the penalty and allow it to be declined or challenged. Lose a challenge and interchange if the coaches challenge is wrong.

We don't have 50 stoppages every quarter however, to make this a practical solution.

Its like years ago when the Yanks were inventing there sports they realised they would need stoppages for ad breaks and designed the games as such.

 

[no name]

On the 7th tackle issue, just go back to the 5th and let (for example) Cronulla play their last tackle again.

While that is the closest thing to 'fair' you could come up with, the Sharks would have been up in arms having to have their last tackle against a set defensive line rather than a retreating one that they had.
Whichever way you look at it, it was a massive f**k up where one team was going to be disadvantaged no matter what action was taken.

 

[no name]

The games struggling because there are too many stoppages. Video ref is responsible.

Refs will make mistakes, but back them to get better. TV stations shouldnt be allowed to harp on and show replays over and over.

Agreed, our game has a culture of pointing out refs mistakes and going to town on them.
Having commentators still involved with clubs (ie Gus) has led to this.

 

[betcats]

Not a fan of this.

 

[franklin2323]

So the captain can challenge decisions not only in the result of a TRY, but also in general play? If so,when can he approach the ref and challenge a decision during general play?

Yeah 9/10 I have seen it used a scrum has been packing. My only concern is it needs to be called for within a certain amount of time. Can be a while after a decision before the captain calls for it

 

[Different kind of Rabbit]

What is important is getting the decision right. If a captains challenge helps to do that I'm all for it.

I agree with the sentiment, however a captains challenge leading to a video review is no guarantee that the decision made will end up being correct. How many absolute howlers have we seen the video ref's make this year...

 

[betcats]

I agree with the sentiment, however a captains challenge leading to a video review is no guarantee that the decision made will end up being correct. How many absolute howlers have we seen the video ref's make this year...

This.

At the end of the day it will still be the video refs making the decision which is why im not sure about it.

 

[Loudstrat]

Oh dear

I've got a feeling this is going to make matters worse for officials.

Agree. We already have a review system and two referees. I agree with Quidgey - enough is enough. What haened to the sporting ethic of accepting the refs call? FFS the Cows were dudded, sure, but they way they carried on like babies who lost their dummy surely is not deserved of more power.

This years VR system - with the Ref's judgement and the ex player assisting worked fine.

And they wonder why crowds/ratings are down. Slowly killing the game with this sort of crap.

I agree. Its slowly moving from sport to legal.

One could argue that crap refereeing is what is killing the game and driving the ratings down. As a punter I have had enough of losing my money thanks to atrocious refereeing decisions. I for one will not be following NRL again until something is done to provide fairness and integrity in the results.

So we alienate idiots who gamble. Win win. f*ck off to some other sport that is corrupt due to the influence of gambling then.

 

[Different kind of Rabbit]

One could argue that crap refereeing is what is killing the game and driving the ratings down. As a punter I have had enough of losing my money thanks to atrocious refereeing decisions. I for one will not be following NRL again until something is done to provide fairness and integrity in the results.

I have no sympathy for the punter. Refereeing is just another variable that you should take into account before placing a bet with your hard earned. This has been the case since sports and gambling came together. The only difference now is that the ability to further scrutinise decisions has made it easier to highlight the bad ones. Just because we couldn't identify them 15 years ago, doesn't mean they didn't happen.