Re: Safer Rugby League from 2024 : Mon Dec 11, 2023 7:33 am  

I actually thought we had rules re -head high tackles its a penalty offence.
I agree with most poster that some rules coming in just dont make sense under armpit tackles ok above its a penalty,player steps you and you grab a the collar or a shoulder that is your first reaction and that could be a penalty that is so wrong it will eventually destroy the game,next is you cannot tackle below the waist as you might damage a joint.
We already have rules for dangerous play which get penalised a new set of rules will only increase the penalties by a substantial amount where we could get the ball in play around 15 mins a half or the half last for over a hour if we stop the clock at each infringement.
This is taking us away from the game we love to a game we dont recognise.

Re: Safer Rugby League from 2024 : Mon Dec 11, 2023 9:09 am  

--[ WW ]-- wrote:

I'm too young to remember the reaction to the introduction of limited tackles, the 10 metre rule, or summer rugby, but I imagine there were a lot of people decrying the end of rugby league as we know it, it'll never work, nobody wants to see it and so on. Those same people probably found something new to moan about after a few months or years and carried on watching the game like they always had

Out of curiosity I've just pulled up a game from 1993 on Wigan TV. There are a lot more tackles below the armpit in that game than we see today, and the ruck speed it ten times quicker. If this rule change takes the game in that direction then bring it on

You admit you don't remember the game before those big rule changes and in the same breath slate the people who didn't like them. As always, it's not the administrators' fault, it's just the usual suspect fans who like to have a moan.

Well, I do remember those rule changes, and I can assure you that they were nothing like as controversial as this. The plain fact is that we already have overzealous officials who penalise for the slightest contact with the head, even if it's accidental and light. The thought of those same men in charge of a rule whereby this also applies to contact with the shoulder is blood-curdling.

Just think about that. Is it possible to play a contact sport like RL under those conditions? Will there be a single set of six without a penalty incurred?

It's total nonsense.

Someone else made a comment that the game we older fans grew up with was 'barbaric' by modern standards. But that's an irrelevant point. Violent play has always been illegal. The same way dangerous tackles have always been illegal. The rules are there and can and should be applied by the game's disciplinary. We don't need to keep tightening them up to the point where non-dangerous play is also severely penalised.

This is a classic example of a bunch of little men with power, who are never happy unless they're imposing themselves further. Give them an inch and they will always take a mile.

If you think this is okay and that fans will just have to get used to it, fine ... that's exactly how the RFL are thinking. But at some point, these idiots are going to come unstuck (not least because half of them wouldn't even know to lift the toilet lid when they're having a wee if someone didn't tell them to). There's been lots of talk in the past of a SL breakaway. Personally, I think that's more likely than the fans just walking away in droves. But it may be that the fans need to walk away first. I fear that only when the clubs start losing money will they realise what an error this was.

Re: Safer Rugby League from 2024 : Mon Dec 11, 2023 9:33 am  

Cruncher wrote:

You admit you don't remember the game before those big rule changes and in the same breath slate the people who didn't like them. As always, it's not the administrators' fault, it's just the usual suspect fans who like to have a moan.

Well, I do remember those rule changes, and I can assure you that they were nothing like as controversial as this. The plain fact is that we already have overzealous officials who penalise for the slightest contact with the head, even if it's accidental and light. The thought of those same men in charge of a rule whereby this also applies to contact with the shoulder is blood-curdling.

Just think about that. Is it possible to play a contact sport like RL under those conditions? Will there be a single set of six without a penalty incurred?

It's total nonsense.

Someone else made a comment that the game we older fans grew up with was 'barbaric' by modern standards. But that's an irrelevant point. Violent play has always been illegal. The same way dangerous tackles have always been illegal. The rules are there and can and should be applied by the game's disciplinary. We don't need to keep tightening them up to the point where non-dangerous play is also severely penalised.

This is a classic example of a bunch of little men with power, who are never happy unless they're imposing themselves further. Give them an inch and they will always take a mile.

If you think this is okay and that fans will just have to get used to it, fine ... that's exactly how the RFL are thinking. But at some point, these idiots are going to come unstuck (not least because half of them wouldn't even know to lift the toilet lid when they're having a wee if someone didn't tell them to). There's been lots of talk in the past of a SL breakaway. Personally, I think that's more likely than the fans just walking away in droves. But it may be that the fans need to walk away first. I fear that only when the clubs start losing money will they realise what an error this was.

This is what we are saying ,we have rules that determine foul play we dont need anymore.

Re: Safer Rugby League from 2024 : Mon Dec 11, 2023 9:34 am  

To be honest all arguments either way are fairly irrelevant until we see the new rules and how they are interpreted in action, and in action for probably 6 months.

I’m anticipating there will be very little noticeable difference (after an initial flurry of penalties) once the players get acclimatised to the rule .

In the community game in Union all tackles were to be below sternum height, that rule is simply not being enforced by the refs.

Re: Safer Rugby League from 2024 : Mon Dec 11, 2023 11:02 am  

Those first few games when it is introduced will be penalty fests. That happens with any new rules they bring in over the off season. Hopefully having a year to prepare, and the fact it is being introduced for academy and reserves this year will mean that we are well prepared as a sport and players adapt quickly. It's interesting that two people from our club have been at the forefront of pushing the positives of the new rules. Denis Betts and Prof. Chris Brookes are both in favour and have spoken to Gary Carter from The Sun https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/25010866 ... TtGfKKgtRc https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/25003075 ... ans-rules/

Those first few games when it is introduced will be penalty fests. That happens with any new rules they bring in over the off season. Hopefully having a year to prepare, and the fact it is being introduced for academy and reserves this year will mean that we are well prepared as a sport and players adapt quickly. It's interesting that two people from our club have been at the forefront of pushing the positives of the new rules. Denis Betts and Prof. Chris Brookes are both in favour and have spoken to Gary Carter from The Sun https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/25010866 ... TtGfKKgtRc https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/25003075 ... ans-rules/

Re: Safer Rugby League from 2024 : Mon Dec 11, 2023 12:47 pm  

Seems like a bit of a nanny state approach & a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

What happend to personal choice? If I could go back to being 16 years old, knowing what I know now, but had an opportunity to play for Wigan RL - I'd take the gamble every single time.

Plenty of boxers step into the ring, knowing there's a chance of serious injury. Why do they do it? Because, for them, the potential benefits outweigh the risks.

Re: Safer Rugby League from 2024 : Mon Dec 11, 2023 12:55 pm  

--[ WW ]-- wrote: Those first few games when it is introduced will be penalty fests. That happens with any new rules they bring in over the off season. Hopefully having a year to prepare, and the fact it is being introduced for academy and reserves this year will mean that we are well prepared as a sport and players adapt quickly. It's interesting that two people from our club have been at the forefront of pushing the positives of the new rules. Denis Betts and Prof. Chris Brookes are both in favour and have spoken to Gary Carter from The Sun https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/25010866 ... TtGfKKgtRc https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/25003075 ... ans-rules/ Yeah, I saw that too. That's all we bloody need. What I still don't understand why the rule that you're not allowed to hit a player in the head isn't good enough already. Head injuries are the sole problem here, and they've already already been legislated against. Some of these people in the game who support this measure are literally turkeys voting for Christmas.

--[ WW ]-- wrote: Those first few games when it is introduced will be penalty fests. That happens with any new rules they bring in over the off season. Hopefully having a year to prepare, and the fact it is being introduced for academy and reserves this year will mean that we are well prepared as a sport and players adapt quickly. It's interesting that two people from our club have been at the forefront of pushing the positives of the new rules. Denis Betts and Prof. Chris Brookes are both in favour and have spoken to Gary Carter from The Sun https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/25010866 ... TtGfKKgtRc https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/25003075 ... ans-rules/ Yeah, I saw that too. That's all we bloody need. What I still don't understand why the rule that you're not allowed to hit a player in the head isn't good enough already. Head injuries are the sole problem here, and they've already already been legislated against. Some of these people in the game who support this measure are literally turkeys voting for Christmas.

Re: Safer Rugby League from 2024 : Mon Dec 11, 2023 1:13 pm  

sergeant pepper wrote:

Seems like a bit of a nanny state approach & a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

What happend to personal choice? If I could go back to being 16 years old, knowing what I know now, but had an opportunity to play for Wigan RL - I'd take the gamble every single time.

Plenty of boxers step into the ring, knowing there's a chance of serious injury. Why do they do it? Because, for them, the potential benefits outweigh the risks.

Sadly the former players who are suing the game have removed the free choice principle.

Re: Safer Rugby League from 2024 : Mon Dec 11, 2023 1:46 pm  

jonh wrote:

Sadly the former players who are suing the game have removed the free choice principle.

They are all just money grabbing t0ssers tbh. They've had a chance to do and see things most of us only dream about, all whilst earning a pretty good living. They've literally lived the dream of 1000's of people.

I'm a used to be a big RU fan (funnily enough before they made similar changes) and I'm always seeing comments saying "tell that to Steve Thompson" whenever anyone argues against these types of changes. For those that don't know, Thompson is one of the most vocal ex players & is involved in the case again RU over CTE. He also happens to a player who won and did it all, including winning the 03 world cup. I find it hard to have any sympathy for him tbh. I'd happily swap places. He's created a legacy that will last for generations.

Re: Safer Rugby League from 2024 : Mon Dec 11, 2023 1:49 pm  

jonh wrote:

Sadly the former players who are suing the game have removed the free choice principle.

It would be interesting to know how boxing, MMA etc get around this.

They must do.

There must be some mechanism by which people voluntarily competing in an obviously high-risk sport can be legally tied down to accepting that it's their personal responsibility. Otherwise we wouldn't have any such sports, and yet we have plenty.

I'd be far more impressed if the RFL went down that route instead of trying to find a way to make RL as soft and safe as pillow-fighting.