The ARLC must tackle wrestling in NRL

[southwalesrabbitoh]

As I said, they're taking teams back 12m most of the time at present. And nothing is ever perfect, also teams, the best ones, and the best players play with their heads up and can manufacture good tries, just take a look at the D.Boyd try in Origin III this year, his first one I think, with the second phase play.

 

[Mr Fourex]

7m? another poster had 12m?

the markings on a rugby league field are in 10m intervals and guide refs to set the defence.

i guarantee, you'll never get a consistent defensive line if refs need to get back 7 or 12m.

Agree.......7 or 12m .....wtf?

Pretty soon it'll be like the NFL and we'll have the tape measure out. No thanks!

Stick with the 10m for mine

The wrestle argument is one of many in the ruck area today that is degrading the game. It's also contributing along with the speed of the game to how sloppy the play the ball area has become. If the ref's were to simply call held......get off him .....wait a couple of seconds and then penalise anyone not making the effort AND do it consistently, then players would soon get the message of just how much wrestle they can put into a tackle.

I would also like to see referees spending some time with teams in the off season in an attempt to bring back some clarity to the ruck area.

Things like;

• Playing the ball with your foot
• Walking off the mark
• Tacklers hanging onto the player playing the ball
• The man playing the ball interfering with the markers

Emphasising on some of these points will clean up what has become essentially some kind of free for all in the ruck. It will also give teams the extra seconds needed to set themselves in defence.

IMO ......the game is fast enough and in fact in some areas it's too fast which leads to sloppy, unstructured ruck areas.

If anything ..slowing the game down, just a tad.... wouldn't be such a bad thing

 

[siv]

The trick is how to keep the tackle at 5-6 sec when momentum has stopped and there is a slow motion put to the group and players pealing off

Simple matter of calling held once momentum stops and tackle completed and pealty once the referee feels 6 sec has passed will speed up the game

 

[BunniesMan]

OR...how about we just get the refs to blow the whistle quicker? I guarantee the wrestles would stop by the 20 minute mark of every game if they were pulled up for it. They'd snap out of it quick smart.

 

[kbw]

ITs a combination of things. The defense gets more time when they are dominant in a tackle thats fair.
The wrestle as people have said is part of the game and part of trying to dominate in the ruck. What I have a problem with is when a player starts wrestling with the head and neck and don't get penalised for it because they are the Australian Capt.
That is a little tongue in cheek, but its pretty consistent and the NRL seems to be happy for it to happen.

The other thing is if you are going to have a video ref let them rule on strips.

 

[Cerne Abbas Giant]

The wrestle as people have said is part of the game and part of trying to dominate in the ruck. What I have a problem with is when a player starts wrestling with the head and neck and don't get penalised for it because they are the Australian Capt.
That is a little tongue in cheek, but its pretty consistent and the NRL seems to be happy for it to happen.

Come off it mate

 

[southwalesrabbitoh]

Fine make it 10m from play-the-ball then. But ensure the refs don't allow the defending teams to move until the ball has cleared the ruck.

And I understand the arguement of taking it back to 5m, that it would reduce the amount of wrestling. If you make it 5m, would you be in favour of 12-a-side then? And with the front foot having to be 5m from play-the-ball, or more specifically from the gap between play-the-ball and the first marker. This means the front foot behind the try line or on it, tough if players complain, they shouldn't have allowed the opposition to have a play-the-ball within 5m of your try line.

People who have watched 9's say that there isn't much difference between it and 13-a-side. So 12-a-side there wouldn't be much difference, and it would reduce the wage bill of organisations too.