Not to complain but......

[Ulysseus]

Has anyone else noticed that since the referees now take a player going into a tackle as having played at the ball should he contact it, whether he is playing at it or not, that a few teams are making a fist of it by throwing it into the other teams on purpose.

I've seen a few people do it a few times this year, but it was not as prevalent in todays game when Marshall threw it at the other blokes head and they got another set out of it, this is a slight bit worrying as teams may adapt the "well this gap has closed I'll just lug it into the opposition as they tackle me and we are a good chance of having it go towards out own goal line".

There was no way that bloke played at it today, obviously it did the tigers no good in the long run but does anyone else have any ideas or views relating to its occurrence throughout the year.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

It's a completely ridiculous change of interpretation. Obscenely ridiculous. The amazing bit is all of the commentators claim to love it.

You simply have to judge those on a case by case basis. It's hard, but it's the best way.

 

[Dr Crane]

awful change of rule.

 

[Eels Dude]

I didn't realise there had been a change of a rule in regrds to this. If that's the case this rule is an absolute joke. What next... You're only allowed to tackle players below the waist?

 

[RL1908]

If a player is carrying/running with the ball, and someone tries to tackle him, then the tackler is "playing at the ball" whether he touches it or not - that's the whole idea of the game!

Even in tackling the player and/or wrapping the ball up, he is "playing at the ball".

Having said that, I don't agree it should be "six again" just because the opposition momentarily came in contact with the ball - whether deliberate or not.

A chargedown is another example of this.

Why do we keep on wanting to punish the defence FOR DOING THEIR JOB!?

All of this is yet another example of why the rule book needs a re-write to reflect that the game is now a game of 6 tackle uncontested play-the-ball sets.

A team in possession should NEVER get a restarted tackle count -full stop.

 

[typicalfan]

I would take this rule over the stripping and obstruction rule anyday. The change of interpretation is to make the refs job easier and has been around all year.

 

[simmo1]

I think in the incident you are talking about, Marshall threw it into the Manly player and then another Manly player who was in an offside position dived on the ball. There is no way Marshall was playing for that.

 

[Parra]

If a player is carrying/running with the ball, and someone tries to tackle him, then the tackler is "playing at the ball" whether he touches it or not - that's the whole idea of the game!

Even in tackling the player and/or wrapping the ball up, he is "playing at the ball".

Having said that, I don't agree it should be "six again" just because the opposition momentarily came in contact with the ball - whether deliberate or not.

A chargedown is another example of this.

Why do we keep on wanting to punish the defence FOR DOING THEIR JOB!?

All of this is yet another example of why the rule book needs a re-write to reflect that the game is now a game of 6 tackle uncontested play-the-ball sets.

A team in possession should NEVER get a restarted tackle count -full stop.

That is spot on.

 

[Ulysseus]

I think in the incident you are talking about, Marshall threw it into the Manly player and then another Manly player who was in an offside position dived on the ball. There is no way Marshall was playing for that.

Mate he threw it out forward into the Manly players head, had he ducked that would have went on to be a forward pass picked up by no player, and maybe picked up by the officials................. then again they are capable of missing anything.

 

[Ulysseus]

That is spot on.

I also kind of agree.
particularly when it is in front of the sticks and the opposition is trying to get a field goal, you are f**ked if you do and you are f**ked if you don't, it seems the only way to "win" in that situation is to:

a) Charge it down, somehow frakishly get the ball back, pretty tall order considering the attacking team can position people behind the player taking the kick that can be in waiting for a chargedown

b) Run up and menace / intimidate / take a body shot BUT don't touch the ball and hope to f**k the player taking the shot misses

c0 Run up and grip the ball in both hands as it leaves the person taking the shots boot......................... have not seen that before :roll:

I think Golden Try is the way to go, some might call that Saints vs Titans game an "exciting climax" many more who watch the game regularly would call it "9 minutes of pure sh*t and several botched plays resulting in someone getting an easy shot at goal after their original was charged down and finally getting the win"

 

[Dr Crane]

i still can't believe that we can make corner posts irrelevant out of the blue in the middle of the season, but the charge down rule is still a reward to the attacking team for making a sh*t kick.

 

[simmo1]

Mate he threw it out forward into the Manly players head, had he ducked that would have went on to be a forward pass picked up by no player, and maybe picked up by the officials................. then again they are capable of missing anything.

So Marshall made the offside player pick up the ball?

 

[Ronnie Dobbs]

If a player is carrying/running with the ball, and someone tries to tackle him, then the tackler is "playing at the ball" whether he touches it or not - that's the whole idea of the game!

Even in tackling the player and/or wrapping the ball up, he is "playing at the ball".

Having said that, I don't agree it should be "six again" just because the opposition momentarily came in contact with the ball - whether deliberate or not.

A chargedown is another example of this.

Why do we keep on wanting to punish the defence FOR DOING THEIR JOB!?

All of this is yet another example of why the rule book needs a re-write to reflect that the game is now a game of 6 tackle uncontested play-the-ball sets.

A team in possession should NEVER get a restarted tackle count -full stop.

As usual Sean, this is correct. Either bring back a contest for the ball or abolish the restrt of the count.