NRL plans to drop draws

[El Duque]

'What are the chances of these scenarios you're coming up with?

Of the 5 draws last year which game had a howling breeze that would seem to virtually guarantee a team of a win?

 

[Willow]

I'm a betting man.
With the golden point plan, the opportunity exists for a gameto be decided by the toss of a coin.... even in a slight breeze. I can hear the whinging now.

 

[ozbash]

moff raises a good point about cricketers playing outfor a draw.
it happens in league as well.
if your team is down 17-18 with a minute to go and in front of the oppositions posts on the 5th, 25 metres out,, your best playmakers are either in the bin or totally knackered,what does your standoff do when he gets the ball from the play-the-ball ?

he,s got to have a go,,, doesnt he ? a draw is better than a loss.

 

[Willow]

I don't think its the same. In RL, they start taking pot shots at field goal. I don'tsee teams playing for a draw.
In Test Cricket, they don't have a golden point although they do have the option of extending play if the umpires deem that a result is possible. Thisbeing because a result can be found in equal conditions.

In Sheffield Shield or Pura Cup or whatever theycall it now, they have first innnings and overall points... Perhapsit can be explored having firsthalf points in RL....just thinking aloud.

I think we shouldbe kept in mind that extra time was put in place for grand finals or semi-finals. This was because these are the last games of the year and have no bearing on the competition ladder.
The competition proper is designed to for points getting and trying to get as far up the ladder as possible. In a way, draw is a result because it provides one competition point.

 

[Willow]

Ozbash: teams do play for draws in RL if they are one point behind and with only seconds remaining...they do take a shot at goal... quite right.

 

[Hass]

It would be fair to say I haven't been visiting the forum much of late, however the idea of doing away with the Draw has sprung me into action.

I Love Draws.

When your side is down by six points with a minute to go you know you can't win the game.. but, but - but then you realise that you can still draw it. If you snatch that draw I'll be buggered if you can tell me how it is a flat feeling!

What about the interesting tactics at play when you are 2 behind on the scoreboard with a couple of minutes to go and you are awarded a penalty in kickable range - Do you take the two points and settle for one competition point or do you chance your arm, throw caution to the wind and say 'bugger it' -we're going to try and win it before you boot the ball into touch and take a tap 10 metres out from the line.

What about the last ditch efforts to break a deadlock? Instead of knowing that you've got extra time up your sleeve to win a match you have to try and win it there and then. Those last few minutes can be frenetic.

What about that uncanny feeling you get when you are almost satisfied because at 6 points ahead you know you can't lose, but are also in complete fear because you are scared of losing that valuable one competition point? And what about the despair that follows when the game is snatched away from you and instead of a win you are left with a draw? If we weren't supposed to experience despair then we should just ensure thatnobody loses and we instead hand outGood Try ribbons to everyone because everyone should get to win.

What about the feeling of being able to turn to a supporter of the opposing side and shake his hand saying "I thought a draw was fair today". It can be one of the most satisfying feelings in the world- being able to enjoya wonderful game of footy without having to win.

What about those times when you are an impartial supporter and can't decide who to barrack for? Instead of pledging allegiance to one team you take the hard route and barrack for a draw at fulltime- sometimes it can feel like you are supporting a third team all of your own. The vindication in barracking for it when it comes up is amazing.

And that brings me to tipping competitions. Sometimes you just get that feeling in your gut that a match is going to be a draw and for some silly reason you cross both boxes on your tipping sheet. It gets even better at the end of the season when in an attempt to catch up to the leader you start tipping two draws every round.

What about the permeatations to the ladder that are achieved by having some teams on odd numbers and other teams on even numbers? The variation it creates makes for a thrilling run home. It brings in the possibility of being behind a team by a whole competition point before the match and ahead by a whole point at the end. It would be a shame to see this leapfrogging discarded.

And what about the feeling you get when a match goes into extra time in the finals. You just know that it's something special. "Oh, that's right, the match can't finish in a draw- we're going to extra time! Yep, it really is finals time". With 8 teams playing in matches filled with uncertainty about where a win and loss will leave you Finals are already starting to feel like an extension of the regular season. Finals football should feel like finals football.

You see, opposing this change isn't something negative, but rather a lament for the loss of so many positive things.

If the NRL does introduce this system I wouldn't be suprised to see us revert back to draws sometime in the future. How did that song go again...

"Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone"...

 

[Hass]

And to those who just skimmed over my above post citing it as being "too long", make sure you don't shortchange yourself, go back and read it all- Then, what's even more important - Think about it!

Cheers.

 

[Hass]

So in essence, we get a result, but look what we lose.

Actually, now that I think about- whoever said that a draw wasn't a result?

Cheers.

 

[Willow]

Not me mate...#64: "In a way, draw is a result because it provides one competition point."

 

[Willow]

Hass: I have read your post and as far I'm concerned you're spot on. I think you'll find much of it has been said already. Goodonya for bringing it all together.

I agree with the principal behind the statement: 'you don't you what you've got till you lose it'

 

[st ted]

If I may I think I will hitch a ride in the big yellow taxi.
Hass has got it right 100%.
Golden point ?.Succumbing to a non existent sense of urgency.
A draw is a fair result if scores are equal after the allotted time.Make no mistake, it is a result, as it enhances a teams comp points by one point.
Sometimes, when playing an opponent, a draw is a satisfactory result, if one doesn't best the other, so be it.
What is wrongwith acknowledging the equality of the contest?

 

[CanadianSteve]

"Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone"...

-from the song Big Yellow Taxi by <u>Canadian</u> Joni Mitchell

 

[Willow]

Steve: the other one, 'you don't you what you've got till you lose it', I believe is from a John Lennon song.

 

[Cronulla_Mania]

Hass, gday mate. Interesting points and food for thought. I take your point, finals footy, extra-time, is pretty special. I don't think we are arguing against the benefits of extra-time, just the fact that its going to be used in every game. I don't know about others, but i see it this way. If there is something that I like, im more inclined to want to see more of it. I apply the same idea to extra-time. And for those who think it will be over-exposed, i think your taking it a bit far. Assuming there is a draw once every 3 weeks (generous), than out of 182 games in a regular season, you will see 8-9 games go in extra time. 4.9% of games. I dont see a problem with over exposure.

So is overexposure to extra-time the problem?? I don't think its much of an issue, when you widdle it down to percentages.

"What is wrongwith acknowledging the equality of the contest?"

Id say its a pretty rare day when 2 teams play equally well. How many contests can you say that you saw last year where 2 teams played equally as good as each other?? Not many (IMO), so i think a result is warranted, where one team is determined as being better than the other

Moffo

 

[Willow]

"And for those who think it will be over-exposed..."
Correct me if I'm wrong butno one is saying that extra time will lead to over exposure.

 

[Willow]

But if you're right Moffo, then maybe you've come up with another reason as to why we shouldn't have extra time.

Look, I just read back through the whole thread and its been a good debate.
But the arguments in favour of extra time in the regular season appear to be getting heavily out-weighed by those arguments against extra time.

If I was use this thread as a guide to what decision will be ultimately made, I'd have to say that the golden point concept is dead in the water.

 

[El Duque]

Why don't you at least give it a go before bagging the shit out of it?

If it turns out to be no good then start bagging it.

 

[Willow]

Hasnt it already been said that it deserves a trial?
Since when was criticism a problem?

 

[Cronulla_Mania]

Hass in his lastpost mentioned the special feeling around OT games. The inference i made was that the feeling would be lost if the OT rule was used more. Hence the concernfor overexposure.

Sorry, but i really dont think that some of the arguments stand up to well, especially seeing that we have never seen the proposed change in practice yet. Its good to highlight concerns, but i think some people are writing it off without a trial. There is a difference.

And mate, in your 2nd last post you said "I'd have to say that the golden point concept is dead in the water". And you say your willing to give it a trial?? lol, come on mate, you can't have it both ways.

Moffo

 

[El Duque]

"Hasnt it already been said that it deserves a trial?"

Then why are you saying this thread has it pretty much dead in the water?

Doesn't sound like this thread has convinced you to give it a trial if you've come to that conclusion.