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Rugby Australia to target top NRL talent

The Penguin #6.

Juniors
Messages
1,161
I saw something on the weekend that suggests union could have far greater problems on the horizon than worrying about signing League players.
Given southern hemisphere`s union penchant for copying things League on Saturday night when the Storm v. Penrith game became a non-event I flicked over to the union a couple of times ( not for long I promise ) anyway we all know that in League it is fashionable now to hold the tackle player up to delay the PTB and give defences time to reset.
I saw the exact same thing done by the Crusaders with exactly the same technique, 3 players around the attacker, two holding him up and one wrapping the ball up. The result was the same as the stalemate we have in League where the referee usually calls held and the attacker plays the ball.
The difference in union is that once you are tackled and hit the deck the tackled player is obliged to let go of the ball, or place it back. In the above situation because the player wasn`t allowed to get to ground and also unable to release the ball, the ref blew the whistle and penalised the attacking player for ` not releasing ` .
Now if this League tackle technique becomes more common in union, which they have a habit of doing, everytime a tackled player is held up and unable to release the ball there will be a penalty to the defending side and a handover.
Given how often this tackle technique occurs in League now if it starts occurring as often in union it will be absolutely disastrous. Could result in another penalty and stoppage every two or three tackles or everytime a player is held up off the ground and unable to release.
 

_Johnsy

Referee
Messages
28,308
Yeh

the announcement they had won the World Cup for very little media attention on its own
Yep it was massive, made the morning & evening news & disappeared as quickly as it arrived. Unless you trawl union sites to get your fix. You've obviously found some, I'm pleased for you. Before this poaching article hit the news, this was the last one that made it's way outside the union media "bubble". I'm sure you understand what I'm alluding to.

Hits and misses but Super Round worth a second shot​

Georgina Robinson f Rugby Reporter​

April 25, 2022 — 5.00am

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-...ound-worth-a-second-shot-20220424-p5afp7.html
Super Round will return for a second year in 2023 but expect it to be in round two of the competition, before the NRL and AFL seasons kick off. The concept, based on rugby league’s Magic Round, could be an excellent addition to the competition - but there is work to do.

 

Rhino_NQ

Immortal
Messages
33,050
so anyone that isnt origin standard that wants to play for australia will be waiting by their phones?

im sure jack hetherington would enjoy a UK tour or a trip to south america
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
69,520
If they gave me a guarantee WC spot AND a 2028 Olympic Seven spot I'd switch for a couple of years lol.
 
Messages
14,822
Ha yes, the SMH has been calling it the 3rd biggest event on the planet.

Now, I'm no expert but off the top of my head the following events would all generate more money and more viewer's worldwide...Summer Olympics, Winter Olympics, Football World Cup, Football Euros, Cricket World Cup, Cricket 20/20 World Cup, Fiba Basketball World cup ( if only for the Interest from the American and Chinese market )
Plus Australia actually has a chance of winning the FIBA Basketball World Cup ad we're ranked third in the world. I watched the NBL this season and thoroughly enjoyed it. Crowds were strong and passionate. Basketball is in far better health than onionball in this country.
 
Messages
14,822
so anyone that isnt origin standard that wants to play for australia will be waiting by their phones?

im sure jack hetherington would enjoy a UK tour or a trip to south america
Ben Hampton could go from playing Queensland Cup to being the best player for the Wallabies. I'd choose Queensland Cup over Wallabies.
 

gerg

Juniors
Messages
2,486
I saw something on the weekend that suggests union could have far greater problems on the horizon than worrying about signing League players.
Given southern hemisphere`s union penchant for copying things League on Saturday night when the Storm v. Penrith game became a non-event I flicked over to the union a couple of times ( not for long I promise ) anyway we all know that in League it is fashionable now to hold the tackle player up to delay the PTB and give defences time to reset.
I saw the exact same thing done by the Crusaders with exactly the same technique, 3 players around the attacker, two holding him up and one wrapping the ball up. The result was the same as the stalemate we have in League where the referee usually calls held and the attacker plays the ball.
The difference in union is that once you are tackled and hit the deck the tackled player is obliged to let go of the ball, or place it back. In the above situation because the player wasn`t allowed to get to ground and also unable to release the ball, the ref blew the whistle and penalised the attacking player for ` not releasing ` .
Now if this League tackle technique becomes more common in union, which they have a habit of doing, everytime a tackled player is held up and unable to release the ball there will be a penalty to the defending side and a handover.
Given how often this tackle technique occurs in League now if it starts occurring as often in union it will be absolutely disastrous. Could result in another penalty and stoppage every two or three tackles or everytime a player is held up off the ground and unable to release.

It has been a very long time since I played or watched but what you're describing sounds like a maul and the bloke carrying the ball is under no obligation to release it. It's more likely that he was penalised for having his hair 'parted' on the wrong side or his shoe laces didn't match his socks.
 
Messages
3,224
Yawnion obviously hasn't learnt its lesson from 20 years ago.
What does it say about its own pathways & development that it immediately says it will go after the NRL's talent rather then be confident its own systems can " produce" players who can win its world cup.

They may get a few players , but they play this apparent global attention grabbing event every 4 years & established NRL talent have not been interested in the slightest in it. Even allowing for it being at home
I'd doubt 2027 will be much different.

Yawnion needs to stop embarrassing itself in this country & accept even with a home world cup it cannot compete with the NRL
 

The Penguin #6.

Juniors
Messages
1,161
It has been a very long time since I played or watched but what you're describing sounds like a maul and the bloke carrying the ball is under no obligation to release it. It's more likely that he was penalised for having his hair 'parted' on the wrong side or his shoe laces didn't match his socks.
Definitely wasn`t a maul, was just a standard hit up where he was met by three defenders and unable to get to ground or off-load, whereas in League when that occurs the ref calls held and PTB, in the union game I saw the ref called penalty, " failing to release ".
However, as you say, whether that could form into a maul I don`t know enough about union to comment. I did think that mauls only form off the back of scrums or lineouts, not from a regular hit-up like I saw.
Either way it struck me if this ` lift and hold ` that we have so much in League know invades union, it could be another point of stoppage and penalties and handover. And a big one.
 

gerg

Juniors
Messages
2,486
Definitely wasn`t a maul, was just a standard hit up where he was met by three defenders and unable to get to ground or off-load, whereas in League when that occurs the ref calls held and PTB, in the union game I saw the ref called penalty, " failing to release ".
However, as you say, whether that could form into a maul I don`t know enough about union to comment. I did think that mauls only form off the back of scrums or lineouts, not from a regular hit-up like I saw.
Either way it struck me if this ` lift and hold ` that we have so much in League know invades union, it could be another point of stoppage and penalties and handover. And a big one.
The person with the ball doesn't have to release it unless he is on the ground - a ruck. Unless the rules have changed? Meh, some of those ref's will blow 50 penalties a game. I loved playing it back in the 80s but it's been pretty shit for a long time now.
 

The Penguin #6.

Juniors
Messages
1,161
The person with the ball doesn't have to release it unless he is on the ground - a ruck. Unless the rules have changed? Meh, some of those ref's will blow 50 penalties a game. I loved playing it back in the 80s but it's been pretty shit for a long time now.
Thanks for the reply. What actually occurred was very similar with League; player rapped up standing, unable to move and unable to off-load, this went on for about 5 seconds and then the ref blew a penalty and called ` failing to release `.
With League of course this situation is halted by the ref calling ` held, PTB `.
If this form of tackling takes off in union, without the interruption of the PTB like League, what happens. From what I saw they penalised the player for not getting to ground and releasing the ball. All the incentive/advantage is with the defending side to hold up the tackled player.
This has potential disaster written all over it for me.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
69,520
They’d be better off trying to get fans to go to games! Smacks of bringing ringers in because you’re own players are shite and you’ve no chance of winning without bringing talented players from elsewhere. Bit of a damning indictment of the quality of union player in australia!
 

gerg

Juniors
Messages
2,486
Thanks for the reply. What actually occurred was very similar with League; player rapped up standing, unable to move and unable to off-load, this went on for about 5 seconds and then the ref blew a penalty and called ` failing to release `.
With League of course this situation is halted by the ref calling ` held, PTB `.
If this form of tackling takes off in union, without the interruption of the PTB like League, what happens. From what I saw they penalised the player for not getting to ground and releasing the ball. All the incentive/advantage is with the defending side to hold up the tackled player.
This has potential disaster written all over it for me.

Maybe it is a new interpretation in an attempt to speed up the game - which I find strange, because a lot of their fans love the 'set piece' (ie. Scrum, line out). Well at least their northern hemisphere fans. So previously the rule was, if the defending team isolated the ball runner, held him up and (defenders) were not being forced back it would be a scrum with the feed to the defenders team... basically a turnover. So maybe they've changed the rule to have less set pieces. But previously on some occasions penalties could be taken as scrums ... so teams like Argentina who historically had a great scrum would go for that set piece and just completely dominate some other sides.

Enough of this though.
 

Fangs

Coach
Messages
13,768
ARU miss out on another big talent.

 

The Penguin #6.

Juniors
Messages
1,161
Maybe it is a new interpretation in an attempt to speed up the game - which I find strange, because a lot of their fans love the 'set piece' (ie. Scrum, line out). Well at least their northern hemisphere fans. So previously the rule was, if the defending team isolated the ball runner, held him up and (defenders) were not being forced back it would be a scrum with the feed to the defenders team... basically a turnover. So maybe they've changed the rule to have less set pieces. But previously on some occasions penalties could be taken as scrums ... so teams like Argentina who historically had a great scrum would go for that set piece and just completely dominate some other sides.

Enough of this though.
And that makes perfect sense. Less scrums. Probably another rule change done though w/out the NH. The End.
 

Diesel

Referee
Messages
23,750
Pete McDurag will be chomping at the bit with a licence to write Union stories & include NRL in his stories til 2027
 
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