Scrums: Let's Make 'Em Useful Again...

[LineBall]

Making the scrum a contest again is impossible at this point.
It would destroy the game.
Imagine if a team kicked the ball out 1m away from their opponents line, they have a decent chance to again take possession after deliberately kicking the ball out.

The contest works in union cause everything is a contest, and possession is not as vital as field position. It creates chances to score in a game where it is very very hard to score tries.
Making scrums a contest provides more opportunities to score, but we have plenty legitimate methods already.

The contest rewards those who make errors and will open up a whole range of dour tactics.

IMO it would change the game a lot too, but not in a negative way. The examples you gave of players kicking for touch would force wingers to drop back earlier in the tackle count, and may lead to the attacking team to throw the ball around more. Having competitive scrums would help reduce the predictability that people dislike in the modern game.

 

[DC_fan]

IMO it would change the game a lot too, but not in a negative way. The examples you gave of players kicking for touch would force wingers to drop back earlier in the tackle count, and may lead to the attacking team to throw the ball around more. Having competitive scrums would help reduce the predictability that people dislike in the modern game.

It is a romantic myth that scrums were competitive in the past. Their has always been cheating in scrums. From second row feeds to hookers having loose arm.

 

[Parra]

It is a romantic myth that scrums were competitive in the past. Their has always been cheating in scrums. From second row feeds to hookers having loose arm.

You have just confirmed how competitive they were.


Rodney's post above sums up the situation well. Competitive scrums are gone from league and will not be coming back. Unnecessary and unwelcome.

 

[LineBall]

It is a romantic myth that scrums were competitive in the past. Their has always been cheating in scrums. From second row feeds to hookers having loose arm.

I agree that teams have always tried to gain an advantage at the scrum, either within the laws of the game or not. That's why I thought the ref feeding the scrum would be an easy way to bring some competitiveness back.

 

[I Bleed Maroon]

There is only one moment that I can remember where a scrum featured heavily in a game, when Uesala or however it's spelt dived on the loose ball when the Tigers fed it through like shit in that final where Anasta slotted the field goal. That was a legit great moment but it came from a simple mistake, not some regular contested ball that the scrum provides by design.

 

[Parra]

There is only one moment that I can remember where a scrum featured heavily in a game, when Uesala or however it's spelt dived on the loose ball when the Tigers fed it through like shit in that final where Anasta slotted the field goal. That was a legit great moment but it came from a simple mistake, not some regular contested ball that the scrum provides by design.

Were you born in 1996?

 

[LineBall]

There is only one moment that I can remember where a scrum featured heavily in a game, when Uesala or however it's spelt dived on the loose ball when the Tigers fed it through like shit in that final where Anasta slotted the field goal. That was a legit great moment but it came from a simple mistake, not some regular contested ball that the scrum provides by design.

Well it depends how old you are. If you can only remember games from the mid 80's or later, scrums haven't been competitive anyway. If you can watch some games on YouTube from the early 80's and earlier, you can see quite a few wins against the feed (86 grand final for one) which gives the viewer more of a sense of anticipation towards the scrum rather than the sense of inevitability. They didn't used to muck around packing them either.

 

[Jaegerex]

For those doubting the usefulness or place of scrums in the current game, watch the Fiji v Samoa game.

 

[pHyR3]

tigers had two scrum pushes last year, think we won one against the feed.

not quite sure how that's even legal but whatevre.

 

[thorson1987]

tigers had two scrum pushes last year, think we won one against the feed.

not quite sure how that's even legal but whatevre.

Really?

Pushing has never been illegal ffs. You can still push in scrums, hookers can still strike for the ball.

Scrums can still be competitive.

The problem is feeding into the 2nd row

 

[LineBall]

Really?

Pushing has never been illegal ffs. You can still push in scrums, hookers can still strike for the ball.

Scrums can still be competitive.

The problem is feeding into the 2nd row

Exactly. That's why I was putting forward the idea of having the ref feed the scrum. Once it goes in the middle, the issues with binding correctly, breaking early and forwards not packing in the scrum get taken care of. It makes it a contest again.

 

[thorson1987]

Exactly. That's why I was putting forward the idea of having the ref feed the scrum. Once it goes in the middle, the issues with binding correctly, breaking early and forwards not packing in the scrum get taken care of. It makes it a contest again.

Or, just get the halfbacks to feed it in the middle.

 

[LineBall]

Or, just get the halfbacks to feed it in the middle.

Yep. Having the ref do it takes away one possible infringement though.

 

[Dutchy]

Yep. Having the ref do it takes away one possible infringement though.

If it doesn't go in the middle, penalise them. It's so bloody easy to police.

 

[LineBall]

If it doesn't go in the middle, penalise them. It's so bloody easy to police.

Yeah you'd think so. A lot of people are against scrums though because they would often result in a penalty. Just trying to think of a way to reduce the chances of that.

 

[ram raid]

Yeah you'd think so. A lot of people are against scrums though because they would often result in a penalty. Just trying to think of a way to reduce the chances of that.

That's why I'm against it. I don't want to a great portion of the game taken up by scrums.

 

[southwalesrabbitoh]

Get rid of scrums, instead in my opinion, give teams the option of a 7 v 7 play when in the opponents half, a play-the-ball inside own half. A 7 v 7 play is when 6 players have to stand on the touch line, the ball starts on the floor, just inside the 10m line from touch, the blind side winger also has to start inside the 10m area.

The ball has to be passed in-field with the first pass, can do whatever they like after that, teams obviously start 10m apart. The players on the touch-line would be able to start running in-field as soon as the front forward has touched the ball. So for example with Melbourne, I guess that C Smith would pass the ball from the floor, C Cronk would be at first-receiver, with M Fonua, Chambers, Tonumaipea and Slater out there, if passing from right to left. S Wungah would start inside the 10m area, just behind C Smith.