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diving..

veggiepatch1959

First Grade
Messages
9,841
One of my biggest gripes is the famous "late in the game" time wasting cramp.

In the Panthers/Warriors match yesterday, Lewis Brown had one of these with a few minutes to go when the Warriors were looking a little threatening territorially.

Impossible to police but at least time off can be called. The trouble is that momentum is lost for the team playing catch up.
 

muzby

Village Idiot
Staff member
Messages
45,969
there was another incident with sandow a couple of years back where he copped a light tap just under the chin, he went to dive but suddenly saw he was in space, so took off..

when he got tackled, he stayed down holding the top of his head..

thankfully the ref just told him to get up and play the ball..
 

paulmac

Juniors
Messages
776
The video ref should be for tries only.The game is getting like rugby with all the stoppages, we need to quicken the game up.
 

madunit

Super Moderator
Staff member
Messages
62,358
You've only got to look at the games from the 80's and early 90's

there was no diving, and on the few instances that it happened, it seemed to be the touchies job to report on it. If they didn't then it'd be play on and the match review committee would look into it if a request came from a club to do so.

So many issues in the game have an easy fix. This is another.

Another idea i have is more drastic but would stamp it out.

A player injured (or feigning injury for a penalty) is automatically substituted and cannot return to the game. They will all be treated as seriously injured. Takes the doubt away from the ref.
 

Pierced Soul

First Grade
Messages
9,202
the argument for not just playing on is "player welfare". personally i think its a wank but with this constant threat of litigation etc its just another way to sanitise the game.

i think a big reason we're seeing more of it is because the video refs and referees like to give penalties at every opportunity, teams now are being coached to win at all costs, and there's no longer at attitude of players to try and hide when they've been hurt.

other generations of players got up when they got whacked so as not to show weakness. these days players dont care as long as they get a penalty. look at renowned "tough guy" greg bird who throws his head back every time a finger brushes his neck. he doesnt care as long as he gets the penalty (which thankfully doesnt happen that often)


A player injured (or feigning injury for a penalty) is automatically substituted and cannot return to the game. They will all be treated as seriously injured. Takes the doubt away from the ref.

this does but it also penalises a team and player with a legitimate injury which they may be able to recover from.
 

POPEYE

Coach
Messages
11,397
Think you'll find most players dive because they want their team to get an advantage through a penalty, allowing for the fact that there are too many pedantic penalties and if players think they're being hard done by they will try and get one back.

Not many players want to see the perpetrator on report, they just want the advantage. The referee should stop play while the victim regains his feet or is removed, automatically put the incident on report and play on . . . NO penalty except in blatant cases of thuggery. Let the review apportion blame.

If players know there is nothing to gain during the game they won't lie down unless they can't get up. A thief will never steal a wallet if he knows it to be empty
 

eozsmiles

Bench
Messages
3,392
I don't get into the idea that a penalty is given depending on the ability of a player's nervous system to withstand the blow.

Penalties should be given when a rule is broken, not just when a player is hurt.
 

Pierced Soul

First Grade
Messages
9,202
player welfare is the utmost purpose behind most of the games laws.

true, but its gone to a ridiculous extreme. when you have trainers encouraging players to stay down ala Inglis, not because of a genuine concern but to get the video ref to look at it we're just creating more loopholes for people to exploit.

can you remember a few years ago they let the video ref rule on strips? everytime the ball came out players would refuse to pack scrums until the video ref looked at it. that was brought in to get the "right" decision but it became ridiculous.

as an aside, chambers got molested by burgess and was clearly in pain and unable to p[lay the ball but the video ref didnt bother check it. maybe the storm's trainers should have insisted the ref stop play to check things
 

Mick111

Juniors
Messages
17
I hate diving, and any player that does it should be embarrassed!

That being said, i think its a problem being driven by the NRL. The current review process means that when a player is (possibly) injured the tackle will face greater scrutiny and be subject to a stronger enforcement of the rules then every other tackle. This is inviting a player to stay down when they know there has been any infringemnet, regarless of how small.

If a player fouls and its not picked up by the ref on the field there is a system in place to penalise aftre the game. We should not be givng the power to players to increase the the chances of other players being penalised during the game!

My argument above can also be applied to the video ref during a try. It's fundamently wrong to subject a possible try to a higher level of scrutiny then every other tackle. A video review results in a ruling that applies the letter of the law, this would be fine but thats not how every other play is interpreted. Rugby leage has never been a game that is referreed to the letter of the law, if it was it would be rugby union
 

Sea_Eagles_Rock

First Grade
Messages
5,216
While I agree with some of the suggestions, I think we need to be mindful that we don't want to introduce a howler in a big game where a player is taken out. There does need to be some discretion.

Some of the minor penalties in our game could be removed by a reset of the tackle count rather than stopping play and waiting for a explanation to both captains and a kick to the sideline.
 

POPEYE

Coach
Messages
11,397
Only someone like me who thinks the gf series is a poor production could look forward to what is bound to happen. It will be a f**king miracle if the finals aren't ruined by someone other than the players. Penalties are the Achille's heal of Rugby League
 

madunit

Super Moderator
Staff member
Messages
62,358
Heel.

Refs will make major f**k ups, like they did to the Cowboys last year.
 

DC_fan

Coach
Messages
11,980
Players can take "Dives" in all sorts of ways.

With the Inglis incident last night where his leg was being bent backwards, placing pressure on his knee. Did you notice that when the Bulldogs player released his hold on Ingliss leg, Inglis himself was still pulling his leg back. It was like Inglis hadn't realised that the Bulldogs player had released the grip on his leg and he continued with the charade that he was being hurt.

The dogs player should never have started bending Ingliss leg back in the first place. But at the same time Inglis should not be making it look worse then what it was.
 

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