Is defence too Dominant in 2007?

[Dutchy]

I enjoy the defensive forward dominated games over the fluent running back games.

Its real Footy!!!!!

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

You could've picked better games as examples. City V Country is always going to struggle with a lack of time for cohesion, not to mention so many quality players missing through injury or being exempt.

Broncos and Souths was always going to be a mistake free safety first contest. Broncos don't have the confidence to play expansive, and Souths were always looking to grind out the win on the back of Broncos mistakes that never came.

I think the obstruction rule crackdown has resulted in scores being kept closer than they would've been last year. There's been a lot of tries disallowed this year that would've been given last year.

For a fair comparison wait until after the round when you've seen the Storm V Tigers and Cowboys V Titans games. Those games have the potential to be explosive free flowing games of league. Let's hope they deliver.

 

[OVP]

What about 2002, 2003 and 2004 ? If you think defence is too dominant now, then jesus h christ where have you been ? Did you people miss the fear when playing against the Roosters ? EVERY club SHAT themselves when they played the Roosters. Dont look now, we'll be FEARED AGAIN VERY SOON

 

[OVP]

It always works itself out Eddie, just part of the flow of things at the moment I reckon.

We had that high scoring basketball stuff towards for a few years in the early 2000s - I remeber a comment from Gould after the 2001 GF won 30 - 24 by Newcastle that we'd just seen a massive shift in RL.

The next year the Roosters came out and out-tackled everyone with fantastic, bruising defence which was great to watch IMO.

Couple of years later teams are looking for a new edge and the Tigers find one with quick play the balls and quick hands to get the ball to the edges...

Refs crack down on the play the balls and we see a more conservative style of footy for a year or two.

It'll break. It always does. In some ways I think the changes from year to year (or more accurately over the course of 2 or 3 years) are pretty interesting in themselves. A lot ultimately comes down to referee interpretaion - the clubs are always looking for an edge, pushing the boundaries where they can, arguing for tighter control on one aspect of the game when one team gets too far ahead of the rest. Look at the sh*tfight over the Roosters gang stuff in 2002/2003, the play-the-ball crackdown after 2005.

It is all a big game. This dour stuff goes on much longer and clubs will again be arguing persuasively for quicker play the balls etc and the game will change - for a couple of years.

This guy obviously knows his rugby league. A brilliant post mate .

The Roosters over 3 years were good, but the Tigers all-out Tim Sheens attack even outdid the Roosters defence of the years before. Its actually been fascinating to watch how it all panned out ... and yet Saints couldnt get a win, even thought they had a much better Roster than the Roosters or Dogs. Youre right mate though, its just bizarre how it all turns out ...

 

[Notell]

Good post Eddie. Agree entirely. Athletes opposed to footballers; money as opposed to loyalty; corporate dollars as opposed to looking after fans...selfishness and greed as opposed to playing for the love of the game... they are some of the reasons for the absolute bore-fest of overrated, third-rate tripe we have been witnessing, and most believe the paid-for media hype that what we are seeing is quality. If you want to see spoiled athletes run around, go to an athletics meeting - if you want to see footballers run around, get a video-tape of a game pre Super League.

 

[RL1908]

Athletes opposed to footballers;.....if you want to see footballers run around, get a video-tape of a game pre Super League.

There are two causes - the 10m rule & full-time training.

After 13 seasons of the 10m rule the benefits it was meant to produce (and for a time did) have finally been eroded by coaches who refuse to let their teams take risks, and prefer:

1. Dummy-half runs / one pass off the ruck runs.

2. Wear down the opposition with athletes, not footballers - and win via momentum & fitness.

3. Use the space created by the 10m rule to develop blocking/obstruction plays that were impossible under the 5m rule.

UK Super League this year is a better spectacle than NRL, but they will soon follow the same path.

Until the attacking teams are forced to pass the ball to move forward, RL is going to go backwards as a spectacle.

The only immediate solution I can think of is to allow the two markers at the play-the-ball to not have to be square. That may restrict the dummy-half & one off the ruck running - forcing the attack to be more creative to move the ball forward.

Anyone watching those Canberra v Penrith Grand Finals can see today's RL is not the ideal.

 

[Dr Crane]

One year people piss and moan about there not being enough defence while we have occasional 52-32 scores.


The next year people piss and moan about there being too much defence while we have occasional 8-4 scores.



Never satisfied.

 

[Utey]

Last night games were just utter sh*t.

 

[Disco]

i'd prefer a 8-4 game to a 32-10 game

 

[Johns Magic]

The quality of playmakers is going downhill.

 

[Raiding Dazz]

Dummy half runs can be exciting if you got the right players running from there, example; Farah,Buderus,Smith,Withers and Payne make great runs at times and start line breaks.

 

[gallagher]

Its not that defence has been that great this year, its just been crap attack.

 

[super_coach]

I have said before teams are been coached not to loose rather than to win. City country game didnt expect much and thats what I got. Souths Bronks match, I was expecting a tough but free flowing game,I got an 80minute arm wrestle,with very little skill shown.

The bloke with the pea in his mouth has a lot to do with how a game ends up. Last night both sides were getting plenty of players into the tackle and they would peel away one at time slowing the play the ball down to a darwdle. The ten was skinny.so that also dosnt help.

Iam not an advocate for super quick play the balls,where you end up with a sevens style game,but you certainly need quicker ones than we have now. Skill has to be encouraged and rewarded.

 

[russ13]

Perhaps Warren Ryan's idea of limiting dummy-half runs (& one-out plays) to 2 per set is a start.

Something has got to change. Perhaps bring back the 4 tackle rule where you don't commit a cardinal sin by kicking on the first tackle.

Last night there was a 20 metre scrum in the Rabbits half & it was their feed. Karmichael Hunt packed in the second-row & no one was in his position. There was nothing but empty space behind the defending Broncos' back-line - 70 or 80 metres.

However, we all knew there would be no kick.

 

[Dr Crane]

Dummy half runs can be exciting if you got the right players running from there, example; Farah,Buderus,Smith,Withers and Payne make great runs at times and start line breaks.

Dummy half runs to create plays and push the defence are great.

Dummy half runs for the sake of making metres are sh*t.

 

[mongoose]

That game last night was dour because both teams were hopeless in attack. I can't remember watching a game where both teams offered so little with the ball. Obviously both teams were trying not to lose rather than win.

 

[Y2Eel]

Is it just me or do most of the teams in this years comp, suck? Because it seems like they do?

No Just Penrith..

 

[Y2Eel]

Perhaps Warren Ryan's idea of limiting dummy-half runs (& one-out plays) to 2 per set is a start.

Something has got to change. Perhaps bring back the 4 tackle rule where you don't commit a cardinal sin by kicking on the first tackle.

Last night there was a 20 metre scrum in the Rabbits half & it was their feed. Karmichael Hunt packed in the second-row & no one was in his position. There was nothing but empty space behind the defending Broncos' back-line - 70 or 80 metres.

However, we all knew there would be no kick.

Refs cant even keep track of the tackle count let alone keepin track of 1 out passes and dummy half runs..

 

[Tommy Smith]

Why are people surprised that the quality of the comp is ordinary these days? Even before the Titans entered the comp there were signs that the exodus of quality players to England (not just 30+ yr olds) and the tight salary cap was hurting the overally quality of the game. And now with a 16th team the depth in quality has been stretched even more.

It's not that the game is slower, or defense is too dominant...its simply a case of the quality of the competition being at an all-time low. There hasnt been one classic match-up all season yet.

Ultimately people should stop listening to the fools who keep telling them that "we have tonnes of great kids coming through" who can fill the void of the extra team and the loss of the likes of:

Jason Cayless ------------Chris McKenna--------Jamal Lolesi------Henry Fa'afili
Brent Webb ---------------Glenn Morrison--------John Skandalis----Paul Rauhihi
Clint Greenshields--------David Solomona--------Matt Sing---------Vinnie Anderson
Ali Lauatiti-----------------Casey macGuire-------Hutch Maiava------Michael Sullivan
Timana Tahu--------------Adam mogg-------------Motu Tony-------Phil Bailey
Clinton Schifcofske--------Stacey Jones----------Micahel Vella------Pat Richards
Lote Tuqiri-----------------Jason Croker-----------Scott Donald------Bryan Fletcher
Ryan Cross---------------Alex Chan-------------Kevin McGuiness---Iafeta Paleaaesina
Francis Meli-------------Aaron Gorrell------------Aaron Moule------David Vaealiki
Ben Harris----------------mark McClinden--------Matt Gidley-------
Lesley Vainakolo--------Scott Hill-----------------Willie Talau------

 

[russ13]

Refs cant even keep track of the tackle count let alone keepin track of 1 out passes and dummy half runs..

I know it is less than ideal but for the sake of future of the game something has to be done. How is the game going to expand into non-heartland areas if games are going to be played like they were last night.

When I returned to my local after the game last night several others who had also been at the game commented that it was crap.

Surprisingly those that watched it on TV said it wasn't to bad.