So PVL appears to be a pretty ballsy guy - he reckons he knows what makes the game more entertaining and ain’t afraid of trampling over people, or being unpopular in his quest to make the game great - so I wonder if he has the balls to take on the PC brigade and soften the approach to punishing the biff.
I genuinely have never met a rugby league fan in person who doesn’t like the biff - the only ones I’ve ever heard say they’re glad it’s gone is people on the internet (and I don’t believe they really mean it - they’re just after virtue points).
Taking away the biff has had many unintended consequences;
- The ‘all in’ handbags, shirt pulling, and verbals we see now is a blight on the game
- Cheap niggle and wrestling moves (chokes, joint pressure etc) are at an all time high
- Milking, verbals and general whining is at an all time high
- Players ‘staying down’ hurt after what is relatively minor contact is at an all time high (making our players look either soft or cynical - Getting like soccer)
- Halfbacks/Wingers and players who previously would have been dealt with have suddenly become plastic hard men, knowing there is no physical comeback (Thurston slapping was a great example of this)
My view on the vast majority of stuff that is similar or sits in those points above is that it would all end immediately if they knew they’d be physically held to account, immediately.
And most importantly, the game is far less exciting and enjoyable without the anticipation and spectacle of a bit of fair biff between rivals. Origin has nowhere near the same excitement or anticipation nowadays. Games used to be built up based on rivalries in the media in the lead up to a game (Chief and Spud, countless Origins, Storm/Manly etc), and that made for a spine tingling atmosphere on game day.
You only have to look in the media and on the rugby league TV programmes at how often they review and talk about previous famous fights to know how entertaining it is.
It’s what the fans want, and I reckon with a loud enough movement, PVL might be the man with the resolve to bring it back (though in a relatively controlled manner - cheap shots and king hits should still be heavily punished). The yellow/red cards should be used to control the game in situations where the biff is preventing the game flowing - but often, a stink is exactly what is needed to get it out of everyone’s systems and then let the game flow.
Thoughts?
I genuinely have never met a rugby league fan in person who doesn’t like the biff - the only ones I’ve ever heard say they’re glad it’s gone is people on the internet (and I don’t believe they really mean it - they’re just after virtue points).
Taking away the biff has had many unintended consequences;
- The ‘all in’ handbags, shirt pulling, and verbals we see now is a blight on the game
- Cheap niggle and wrestling moves (chokes, joint pressure etc) are at an all time high
- Milking, verbals and general whining is at an all time high
- Players ‘staying down’ hurt after what is relatively minor contact is at an all time high (making our players look either soft or cynical - Getting like soccer)
- Halfbacks/Wingers and players who previously would have been dealt with have suddenly become plastic hard men, knowing there is no physical comeback (Thurston slapping was a great example of this)
My view on the vast majority of stuff that is similar or sits in those points above is that it would all end immediately if they knew they’d be physically held to account, immediately.
And most importantly, the game is far less exciting and enjoyable without the anticipation and spectacle of a bit of fair biff between rivals. Origin has nowhere near the same excitement or anticipation nowadays. Games used to be built up based on rivalries in the media in the lead up to a game (Chief and Spud, countless Origins, Storm/Manly etc), and that made for a spine tingling atmosphere on game day.
You only have to look in the media and on the rugby league TV programmes at how often they review and talk about previous famous fights to know how entertaining it is.
It’s what the fans want, and I reckon with a loud enough movement, PVL might be the man with the resolve to bring it back (though in a relatively controlled manner - cheap shots and king hits should still be heavily punished). The yellow/red cards should be used to control the game in situations where the biff is preventing the game flowing - but often, a stink is exactly what is needed to get it out of everyone’s systems and then let the game flow.
Thoughts?
