Rumours and Stuff

[T-Boon]

Brock Lamb does not bring “awesome skills on the offensive side of the ball”. He is mediocre at best. The best attacking halves, Moses, Keary, Munster etc all tackle well enough for first grade and are light years in front of Brock Lamb in attack. Why do we want to change the rules so bog average players can play more first grade?

He did in the juniors (at least great passing skills/vision). He was a bad tackler who came into a team that was dreadful and one of the worst wrestling teams ever.
If the passers (hooker and halfback) did not have to waste time working on their tackling/wrestling their passing skills would both have to be awesome and would be able to be awesome (the opposite of what the current NSW half brings to the game). A different bunch of guys would come through the ranks in my opinion. Smaller guys, slim guys who pass, kick and run way better than anything we have in the NRL now. Guys that as things are end up playing touch footy because they got beat out of the game aged 14 or never took it up to begin with.

 

[Twizzle]

 

[Obscene Assassin]

I reckon the NRL should do what Cricket did with T20 and introduce an alternative version of league that has the same concept about scoring tries but instead of having to tackle the offensive team, the defense can just touch or maybe tag them... oh wait a sec...

Or may be we could introduce a game with more space by taking off players completely? Maybe 4 per team?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Lol. Unlimited interchange? Or just go for the NFL style of offensive and defensive teams.
And do you know what teams would end up doing? They’d nominate their Junior Paulo style prop as the guy to go off every defensive set. And if they said it has to be a half they would just make him where number 7. Dumb idea

What's wrong with removing Paulo in defence? I'd like to see him make more carries while he's on the field.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Or may be we could introduce a game with more space by taking off players completely? Maybe 4 per team?

I love the Nines concept. I reckon it makes for better footy.

 

[Noise]

What's wrong with removing Paulo in defence? I'd like to see him make more carries while he's on the field.

The whole discussion was about allowing the smaller attacking players more chances to excel in first grade, by interchanging the half on defence. Which is f**king stupid. Now you want to allow the biggest players like Paulo to have the extra rest thus having even more of an advantage over smaller halves? That’s even more ridiculous.

 

[Noise]

He did in the juniors (at least great passing skills/vision). He was a bad tackler who came into a team that was dreadful and one of the worst wrestling teams ever.
If the passers (hooker and halfback) did not have to waste time working on their tackling/wrestling their passing skills would both have to be awesome and would be able to be awesome (the opposite of what the current NSW half brings to the game). A different bunch of guys would come through the ranks in my opinion. Smaller guys, slim guys who pass, kick and run way better than anything we have in the NRL now. Guys that as things are end up playing touch footy because they got beat out of the game aged 14 or never took it up to begin with.

You said yourself you don’t like watching defence. Seems like you just want to watch touch footy or oztag. That’s fine. I enjoy playing and watching touch footy too. But rugby league is what it is because of strong defence

 

[Noise]

In all honesty, I don't want to watch tackling at all.

Rugby league really isn’t the game for you.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

The whole discussion was about allowing the smaller attacking players more chances to excel in first grade, by interchanging the half on defence. Which is f**king stupid. Now you want to allow the biggest players like Paulo to have the extra rest thus having even more of an advantage over smaller halves? That’s even more ridiculous.

He would have no smaller halves to run at if they were all allowed to sub off in defence. The NFL doesn't force its attacking stars to play defence. It's time the NRL follows suit.

 

[T-Boon]

The whole discussion was about allowing the smaller attacking players more chances to excel in first grade, by interchanging the half on defence. Which is f**king stupid.

Its not essential that they be smaller (though I think they will tend to be), what is essential is that they are way better at the skills that pay the bills and tackling is not one of them.

If Moses could get through a game without ever being involved in a tackle, I would be A-Okay with it. Same with Mahoney. In fact I cringe at every tackle that little competitor makes (especially a year out from the sad Pritchard story). I just want Mahoney and Moses doing the things that put bums on seats. Mahoney's brief should be perfect passing and occasional dart from dummy half for the next 8 years please, no concussions. Let some meat head second rower make the grabs and wrestles.

 

[T-Boon]

Rugby league really isn’t the game for you.

Rugby League circa 2019 certainly isn't - but I love those old Fox games.
Defense is crap now. They just park the bus. Nobody rushes up to make a play, everyone just stays disciplined in a line. Attacking teams even try to bait the defense into trying to do something now (on the try line) and they don't because they are too disciplined at parking the bus. That all might be good coaching but so is parking the bus in soccer, it is crap sport.

 

[Obscene Assassin]

I love the Nines concept. I reckon it makes for better footy.

Different type of game for mine and I enjoy it. Much like I enjoy reserve grade, 20s and junior grades because it's a different style of footy from first grade. It's a shame that the NRL have worsened the upcoming 9's with less games and a weird draw system.

 

[Bazal]

Different type of game for mine and I enjoy it. Much like I enjoy reserve grade, 20s and junior grades because it's a different style of footy from first grade. It's a shame that the NRL have worsened the upcoming 9's with less games and a weird draw system.

9s is like T20 cricket.

 

[T-Boon]

Nines is good but I was disheartened by that International nines in October. It almost looked like watching NRL. They still just take the hit ups.

With nines the markers should not have to be square. They should be allowed to defend anywhere behind the advantage line.

 

[Noise]

Rugby League circa 2019 certainly isn't - but I love those old Fox games.
Defense is crap now. They just park the bus. Nobody rushes up to make a play, everyone just stays disciplined in a line. Attacking teams even try to bait the defense into trying to do something now (on the try line) and they don't because they are too disciplined at parking the bus. That all might be good coaching but so is parking the bus in soccer, it is crap sport.

So you want to sub out the halves on defence, who will no doubt be replaced by much better defending players therefore making it even harder to score?

 

[Bazal]

So you want to sub out the halves on defence, who will no doubt be replaced by better much better defending players therefore making it even harder to score?

Makes perfect sense when you put it that way...

 

[T-Boon]

So you want to sub out the halves on defence, who will no doubt be replaced by better much better defending players therefore making it even harder to score?

Yes. I'd like it to be almost impossible to score tries the way these coaches coach attack now. I'd like teams to have to really take exciting risks like chip kicks or brilliant passing etc to be able to score tries.
Remember Tim Smith in his rookie year (2007?) kicking for his wingers on the second tackle inside his own 30m zone. That use to happen a bit. Or how Parra created opportunities in 09 by being reckless with offloads.
I feel like coaches don't even coach attack anymore.

 

[T-Boon]

Tim Smith was obviously a bit of a loose cannon in the end but he is the perfect example of how I would like NRL halves to be. There should be someone on every team with at least his skill level and vision and willingness to make plays anywhere on the field.

He wasn't a great ball runner and he was a terrible defender (but I am obviously on record as not counting that as a skill I care about in my prototype halfback). But the memory of his passing and attacking kicking skills brings a tear to my eyes.

Then there is Cleary.

 

[Obscene Assassin]

9s is like T20 cricket.

And like T20 if you don't like it you aren't forced to watch. I also don't think 9s will affect the full form of the game like the 7s doesn't affect the full form of rugby union.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Nines is good but I was disheartened by that International nines in October. It almost looked like watching NRL. They still just take the hit ups.

With nines the markers should not have to be square. They should be allowed to defend anywhere behind the advantage line.

Yep. Square markers are a relic of the old impromptu two man scrum after every tackle. Requiring them to be square just invites teams to play for penalties.