4 years
We have been subjected to a barrage of rule changes ever since Super League started (and probably before) but the latest crop seem to have consistently given the game a bad look and detracted from it as a spectacle. We've lived with them this year and understand that some may have been a particularly poor response to Covid induced paranoia but we really must have a change now to restore some sanity to our game.
Ball Stripping - It's always gone on and some players like Gavin Clinch turned it into an art form and this definitely has a place in the game for a one on one tackle. None of this multiple tacklers all dropping off and leaving the ref in an impossible situation.
Six again - it's too arbitrary and the penalty for a significant offence may be 6 more tackles plus the one just gone but for a minor (discretionary) offence could be six more after 5 already gone. It is particularly noticeable that the top clubs (probably because they appear more on TV) are very happy to give away multiple six agains in their red zone, all on tackle 1 so they have plenty of time to reorganise their defence. The refs need to stamp out the minor offences in the red zone with yellow cards (for all teams) and clean up the rucks
Speeding up the game - Rules are introduced to speed up what is already probably the fastest game in the world and coaches spend all their time finding ways to slow it down. A spectacle doesn't have to be at breakneck speed to be effective. Lets take a leaf from RU's book, they barely get started for long periods yet crowds still flock to watch 2 packs looking at each other.
Moving off the mark - It's either an offence or it isn't. This nonsense of the ref stopping the game and sending a player back a couple of yards really doesn't fit the criteria of a professional sport. Resolve this by the referee stepping forward the defensive line by the same margin of stolen ground.
Wrestling in the tackle - It's rare for a player to be put to ground in the tackle until three defenders have attempted to twist his body out of shape. What about player welfare? Make the rule that the tackle only counts towards the 6 if the first contact is around the waist or below.
Tap restarts - The worst of the lot. Why would there be any reason to have a restart other than at the point of the offence. All we get now is every phase starting from midfield and it has removed much of the diversity from the game. Another pointless rule change, change it back.
Is this just me feeling a bit disillusioned with the way the game is going?
Ball Stripping - It's always gone on and some players like Gavin Clinch turned it into an art form and this definitely has a place in the game for a one on one tackle. None of this multiple tacklers all dropping off and leaving the ref in an impossible situation.
Six again - it's too arbitrary and the penalty for a significant offence may be 6 more tackles plus the one just gone but for a minor (discretionary) offence could be six more after 5 already gone. It is particularly noticeable that the top clubs (probably because they appear more on TV) are very happy to give away multiple six agains in their red zone, all on tackle 1 so they have plenty of time to reorganise their defence. The refs need to stamp out the minor offences in the red zone with yellow cards (for all teams) and clean up the rucks
Speeding up the game - Rules are introduced to speed up what is already probably the fastest game in the world and coaches spend all their time finding ways to slow it down. A spectacle doesn't have to be at breakneck speed to be effective. Lets take a leaf from RU's book, they barely get started for long periods yet crowds still flock to watch 2 packs looking at each other.
Moving off the mark - It's either an offence or it isn't. This nonsense of the ref stopping the game and sending a player back a couple of yards really doesn't fit the criteria of a professional sport. Resolve this by the referee stepping forward the defensive line by the same margin of stolen ground.
Wrestling in the tackle - It's rare for a player to be put to ground in the tackle until three defenders have attempted to twist his body out of shape. What about player welfare? Make the rule that the tackle only counts towards the 6 if the first contact is around the waist or below.
Tap restarts - The worst of the lot. Why would there be any reason to have a restart other than at the point of the offence. All we get now is every phase starting from midfield and it has removed much of the diversity from the game. Another pointless rule change, change it back.
Is this just me feeling a bit disillusioned with the way the game is going?
8 years
16 years
13 years
