Rules

[LeagueXIII]

Watching the Cronulla game tonight, with a minute or so to go the Sharks needed possession for a last crack at the Broncos, the only way for them to get it was through a mistake or one on one strip.
The rules need to allow for opportunities to regain possession when teams need the ball rather than locking it up and killing the game off, allowing striking in the ruck or stripping the ball in your own quarter would allow this to not happen and give desperate sides a chance to regain possession. Any other ideas?

 

[Stranger]

Why?

Its fair the way it is.

 

[The Tank]

That's just silly - if the Sharks were good enough they'd have scored when they had possession.

 

[RABK]

While it's deadset boring and bordering on bad sportsmanship when teams take 15 seconds to play the ball, throw the ball around with no real intent other then to waste time, kick for touch etc during the dying stages of a close game every single team does it and rightly so. In the end it's a damn hard and valuable two points no matter how you get them.

 

[LeagueXIII]

Why? Because it makes the game unpredictable. Is that a bad thing?

 

[Razor]

Striking must be re-introduced. Outlawing striking at the play-the-ball was one of the worst decisions in the games history.

 

[Nuke]

Striking must be re-introduced. Outlawing striking at the play-the-ball was one of the worst decisions in the games history.

I agree with Razor whole-heartedly. I was gonna suggest this rule be brought back, but I was beaten to it!

 

[Bring Back the Spliff]

With the mistake rate in that game the way it was - 1 minute was enough time for each team to turn the ball over another three times each. At least.

Not a fan of re-introducing striking at the ruck - it's scrappy and ugly and opens the door for many penalties because of it...and the LAST thing we need - is more penalties!

One on one strips though - the rule should be changed to not count players that merely lay a hand on the ball-carrier - and drop off...as part of the total tacklers in the tackle. It should just be how many players have got hold of you at the time that counts. Far too many contentious penalties given out of this, curently.

Hell - If you don't treat the ball with enough respect, and can't stop someone taking it off you when still 1-on-1 - then quite frankly - tough!

 

[RufusRex]

if covell passed to an unmarked man late in the 1st half then they would have been the ones slowing down the play the ball ...

You win a game in 80 minutes not 5 ....

 

[parra pete]

I couldn't believe the first try scored by the Warriors was allowed. It was passed INTO Steve Price's shoulder and propelled forward by about 5 metres over the try line and awarded.
It must be a correct ruling as the try was referred by the referee and okayed by the Video ref. Seemed very strange to me.
You are never too old to learn, are you. I have followed Rugby League for over 50 years, and have supported Parramatta since 1958. It is the FIRST time I have seen anything like it.

 

[LeagueXIII]

Since the rule makers have taken the challenge for the ball out of the game it has become a little one dimensional we need to bring uncertainty and various tactics back into the game. Start with striking for the ball in the ruck and any stripping allowed.

 

[griff]

Agree, they definitely need to bring back striking for the ball.

Not so much that it happened that much, but what the contest for possession at the ruck did was make teams more careful about playing the ball properly. This slowed the play the ball down just slightly, giving the defence more time to get set and therefore more expansive clever play is required to break down the defence, not simply quick play the balls and one out rubbish.

 

[Iafeta]

The only rule I can think of is if a player starts faking an injury on the ground, the clock is immediately stopped, and if said player gets up "miraculously" and starts heading back into position they are penalised.

 

[Iafeta]

if covell passed to an unmarked man late in the 1st half then they would have been the ones slowing down the play the ball ...

You win a game in 80 minutes not 5 ....

Yep, Luke Covell cost the Sharks the game undoubtedly. :lol: What a merkin he was.

 

[Mr_Ugly]

Bring back contected play the balls. There are just as many (if not more) penalties at the play-the-ball now than there were when the play-the-ball was contested.

Getting rid of that rule was pointless, and only made the game more predictable.

 

[LeagueXIII]

As griff said more creative play is required, where are all the clever five-eigths gone, how smart is it to stick a big bloke one-off a scrum and have him charge forward, no brains needed at all, look back to the 90's, 80's etc and there were plenty of clever creative five-eighths.