Rugby League is Dying

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

On the field the game could do with a coach or a rule change to bring in more variety in playing styles away from 'structure' and 'competitions'.. the teams that throw it around more and bring ball skills to the game should be the ones that win. All teams now are a clone of 2007 Melbourne and I consider this to be the ugliest era of football in the 30 years Ive been watching.
The teams with lesser resources such as Gold Coast, Canberra etc should develop their own playing styles. Instead of 5 offloads a game aim for 30. Instead of 4 passes per set of 6 aim for 20. Keep the ball alive.
Once that positive change happens the game will start doing something it hasn't done in many years and that is see and influx of new fans.

One rule ive always wanted to see tried is some rule that offers repeat sets for running the ball...

We have plenty for kicking (forced ingoal, 40/20), otherwise teams need to hope for the opposition to drop it or give away a penalty; hardly promotes positive attack.

Something like "run the ball 50m in a set/across the 20m line for a zero-tackle" (obviously allowing the defence to stand on that line like the tryline). It would skew possession dramatically in favour of the attacking teams and give a clear "winner" from each set even without points going on the board.

Id love to see it trialled in 9s and the lower grades (it might end terribly, lets not jump in the deep end just yet), but something like this would dramatically change the dynamics of the game, i think for the better.

 

[T-Boon]

I like it. Maybe the rule could be that when you cross the halfway line the tackle count restarts and the defensive team can defend the halfway line as though it is the try line?

 

[Bronxnation]

Hmmm I think it would need some tweaking. I don't think it will work just because of the complexity that would be required to make it flow with the game. For example just say a team has a good set. Good kick and pin the tackle the opponents let's say on the 15. They have a fairly good set in defence and the attacking teams 5th and last is on the 40. The wingers and fullback are now back (to get ready to return as they have earned it with a. Good set of defence). This is where I don't like it. It would now be 8-10 on 11-13(depending on weather you count the tacklers and the play the ball. I'm sure most teams would be able to run 10 metres with a 3 man overlap... Then all the hard work the defensive team put in is gone... Just my opinion though

 

[Perth Red]

Just reduce interchange to six and speed up play of ball a bit more.

 

[flamin]

One rule ive always wanted to see tried is some rule that offers repeat sets for running the ball...

We have plenty for kicking (forced ingoal, 40/20), otherwise teams need to hope for the opposition to drop it or give away a penalty; hardly promotes positive attack.

I don't know if the repeat set if passing halfway is the best idea but I agree with the premise. Personally I think it would have been better if we kept each set as 4 tackles and then rewarded good play with an extra tackle (going down the NFL route) e.g. if the attacking team makes 20m on one play. You could even use this to encourage chip kicks - if you kick the ball more than 10m and regather you get an extra tackle.

This encourages attack when teams are further than 10m from the try line.

 

[T-Boon]

Hmmm I think it would need some tweaking. I don't think it will work just because of the complexity that would be required to make it flow with the game. For example just say a team has a good set. Good kick and pin the tackle the opponents let's say on the 15. They have a fairly good set in defence and the attacking teams 5th and last is on the 40. The wingers and fullback are now back (to get ready to return as they have earned it with a. Good set of defence). This is where I don't like it. It would now be 8-10 on 11-13(depending on weather you count the tacklers and the play the ball. I'm sure most teams would be able to run 10 metres with a 3 man overlap... Then all the hard work the defensive team put in is gone... Just my opinion though

I think that scenario would make it interesting though. Would you drop the wingers back or just the fullback? I also think the defending team would defend the set more aggressively early in the set with the objective of not letting the attacking team get too close to the halfway line.

 

[T-Boon]

Just reduce interchange to six and speed up play of ball a bit more.

Reducing the interchange is a good idea, but "speed up the play the ball" how? the whole idea of wrestling ruck play at the moment is you slow the play the ball down by not completing the tackle until that third guy comes in around the legs like a coward while his mates hold him up the top.
They need to clean the ruck up by rewarding one on one tackles e.g. by allowing a third marker when the tackle is one on one and allowing only one marker when there is three in the tackle.

 

[Warriors Fever]

Some of these ideas are a bit radical but I can think of three factors to open up the game
1. Come down hard on wrestling, make sure the refs ping all of that crap early
2. Be more liberal with the Sin bin, any pessimistic penalty should see a players off
3. The most important change, Only blow full time or half time on a genuine stoppage. I.e 6 tackle handover, knock on, in touch, dead ball etc. The set can be played out if the siren goes.
This means players will play right to the end with and without the ball. Adds a bit more desperation and fatigue which is good for attacking play.

 

[Nerd]

Reducing the interchange is a good idea, but "speed up the play the ball" how? the whole idea of wrestling ruck play at the moment is you slow the play the ball down by not completing the tackle until that third guy comes in around the legs like a coward while his mates hold him up the top.
They need to clean the ruck up by rewarding one on one tackles e.g. by allowing a third marker when the tackle is one on one and allowing only one marker when there is three in the tackle.

A reduction of the interchange to 6 means more tired players which reduces wrestling in the tackle especially late in each half which normally leads to quicker play the balls.

 

[kbw]

How can you ask to crack down on wrestling when given the current lack of consistency would be applied and it would even be worse

 

[madunit]

Union has made 2 big changes in recent times, but they had little impact.

Increase a try value from 3 to 5

Professionalism

Increasing the value of a try but not the goals made little difference. If a try conversion was reduced to 1 and a penalty to 2. And reduce field goals to 2 points, they would start playing expansive.

Turning professional was kind of like RU coming out of the closet. It had been quietly professional for decades and even as far back as federation, there were players being 'rewarded' or 'looked after' for their services.

 

[Willow]

Turning professional was kind of like RU coming out of the closet. It had been quietly professional for decades and even as far back as federation, there were players being 'rewarded' or 'looked after' for their services.

Before then. 'Shamueritism' and the hypocrisy of rugby union was happening before the schism of 1895.

Despite what union would like us to think, professionalism and the arrival of Rugby League didn't happen overnight.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Hmmm I think it would need some tweaking. I don't think it will work just because of the complexity that would be required to make it flow with the game. For example just say a team has a good set. Good kick and pin the tackle the opponents let's say on the 15. They have a fairly good set in defence and the attacking teams 5th and last is on the 40. The wingers and fullback are now back (to get ready to return as they have earned it with a. Good set of defence). This is where I don't like it. It would now be 8-10 on 11-13(depending on weather you count the tacklers and the play the ball. I'm sure most teams would be able to run 10 metres with a 3 man overlap... Then all the hard work the defensive team put in is gone... Just my opinion though

Fair points, but id say a few things to this...

First, I think giving incentives to run on the last is a good thing. Second, (and most importantly) any of these changes would benefit each side equally; your example could apply to any attacking set so it doesnt discriminate against a single team, it just advantages the teams willing to run to ball and take chances in attack.

I don't know if the repeat set if passing halfway is the best idea but I agree with the premise. Personally I think it would have been better if we kept each set as 4 tackles and then rewarded good play with an extra tackle (going down the NFL route) e.g. if the attacking team makes 20m on one play. You could even use this to encourage chip kicks - if you kick the ball more than 10m and regather you get an extra tackle.

This encourages attack when teams are further than 10m from the try line.

The problem we get with "running x metres in a set/tackle" is that it is very imprecise and down to the refs best guess on where they started and where the ball is now (the first suggestion on this i heard was "50m in a set for a 0-tackle", but that has the same problem).

Drawing a line on the field gives everyone certainly, even if the distance a team needs to cover in a set varies.

I specifically like the idea of "cross the line 20m out from the oppositions try-line for a 0-tackle"; if the attack gets the ball on their own line, they need to run 80metres for the repeat (which benefits the defence more than the "repeat after crossing halfway") AND, when the repeat set is achieved, it gives the attacking side a full set of 6 right on in the try line.

More than anything though, i just like the idea of giving every single set a definitive winner and loser. Right now we just have this vague idea of building preassure, but this change would mean that either be "the defence held them out and forced a turnover" or "the attack achieved the repeat set and now have a full set attacking the line"....

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Some of these ideas are a bit radical but I can think of three factors to open up the game
1. Come down hard on wrestling, make sure the refs ping all of that crap early
2. Be more liberal with the Sin bin, any pessimistic penalty should see a players off
3. The most important change, Only blow full time or half time on a genuine stoppage. I.e 6 tackle handover, knock on, in touch, dead ball etc. The set can be played out if the siren goes.
This means players will play right to the end with and without the ball. Adds a bit more desperation and fatigue which is good for attacking play.

Ohhh, im not sure i agree, but it would DEFINITELY be interesting to see trialled...

 

[Dragonwest]

You don't need rule / interchange changes, just police the ruck correctly. It can only really happen in the preseason, set the bar and actually stick to it. Ref's must CONTINUE to penalise:

1. flops
2. bringing attackers to ground after held is called. Ref's call held soon as moment is lost and their no attempt to offload. Stop any advantage in holding the attacker upright with the third man in. Tacklers will revert back to shoulder tackles trying to put player on their back. Back up with reward for dominant tackle.
3. Once a players is down and/or held it called any additional 2 or 3 attempts i.e locks, knees in, hands on ball penalise straight away. (Watch games from the 80/90's)

That will speed the play the ball up and then it give the attack no excuses in correct play the balls; police using foot/standing straight/playon the mark.

 

[Lambretta]

I'm pretty sure that's what Collins is saying.

Regardless of the whys or wherefores, it is a fact that Rugby League gets treated like a second class citizen by sections of the sport media. And it goes much deeper than just saying they don't like the game. It's more akin to a class distinction, a notion which is outdated on numerous levels.

in the UK, the media is London dominated and that means Rugby League never gets a look in. It's not reported on except in two regions and in both of those regions football is King in the big Cities where the papers, and their journalists reside

I have a mate from Liverpool - he referred to Rugby League as "that f**king sport the Wooly backs play" - ie sheep shaggers

But in spite of London and Manchester trying to kill the sport, it keeps on keeping on.

It's just too good a sport to die. Football is akin to theatre sports and Union is class driven. Rugby League is a true egalitarian sport and if we preserve the game as hard men playing fairly bloody hard, then there is no reason for the game to do anything than go from strength to strength.

 

[Warriors Fever]

Ohhh, im not sure i agree, but it would DEFINITELY be interesting to see trialled...

It's not a huge thing but it does bug me when the attack feign injury and slow play the balls to tick the clock down, if they figured the opposition would get the ball back. They would run hard and be sure to pin the ball down in the opposing end.
Also when a team's trailing, defenders are purposely slow to get off, I've seen a few times (this bugs me more), if the attacking team had a full set up theirs sleeves it would take this out.

 

[Willow]

in the UK, the media is London dominated and that means Rugby League never gets a look in. It's not reported on except in two regions and in both of those regions football is King in the big Cities where the papers, and their journalists reside

I have a mate from Liverpool - he referred to Rugby League as "that f**king sport the Wooly backs play" - ie sheep shaggers

But in spite of London and Manchester trying to kill the sport, it keeps on keeping on.

It's just too good a sport to die. Football is akin to theatre sports and Union is class driven. Rugby League is a true egalitarian sport and if we preserve the game as hard men playing fairly bloody hard, then there is no reason for the game to do anything than go from strength to strength.

I agree with all of that.

Your mate in Liverpool has a view that highlights the absurd class distinction. Britain has largely moved on from the old class attitudes but it is still lingering.

Australia is only marginally better imo. Despite the view that Australia is an egalitarian society, there still exists an attitude that someone is less important because they 'don't speak right' - and the inevitable put down due to their education, location or socio-economic status.

 

[DarceyLawler]

The rugby union old boy network in the UK and Australia are an implacable foe.

 

[T-Boon]

I agree with all of that.

Your mate in Liverpool has a view that highlights the absurd class distinction. Britain has largely moved on from the old class attitudes but it is still lingering.

Australia is only marginally better imo. Despite the view that Australia is an egalitarian society, there still exists an attitude that someone is less important because they 'don't speak right' - and the inevitable put down due to their education, location or socio-economic status.

Interesting points Willow.
On your last paragraph would it be that difficult to shift that culture within Rugby League of talking dumb? For example Mitchell Pearce is a well educated man. Oddly he spoke a lot better when he was at school and just entering the grade set up than he does now. Either being around Rugby League players made him sound downright uneducated or worse slightly brain damaged. Same with James Maloney who is an embarrassment to the game when ever he speaks. Mothers would be horrified to hear it.