More harebrained rule changes

[dice]

NRL 2021: Wayne Pearce, ARL comission, kicking rule changes, seven-tackle set for kicking into touch (foxsports.com.au)

The NRL will consider punishing teams who kick into touch by rewarding the opposing team with a seven-tackle set.

Barring the 40-20 .... every kick into touch would lead to a seven-tackle set.

Seriously, after all this year's controversies, how effing dumb do you have to be to try and steer the competition into even more touch footy? Compounded by the stupidity of not realising they are also about the kill the 40-20 by punishing misdirected kicks with a 7-tackle set. The guy needs to go.

[Headless Chook]

What is this obsession with speeding the game up? It's bloody fast enough already without tinkering with it further.

[Rooster_6]

This is by far the worst rule they have come up with to date.

They've already sped up the break between finding touch and the next play by scrapping the scrum instead giving the defending side a play the ball. Surely that's enough, who's wringing about the breaks in play for a ball kicked into touch, certainly no one I've watched games with this year.

Growing up watching league seeing a halfback who can control the tempo (in this case slowing the game down) of the game by kicking the ball into touch was a real art. It's a play that still holds value, I would hate to see that lost to the game.

[Dr. Voodoo Man]

What the hell is wrong with the NRL? The game was great as it was.

[OMR]

Within the next 5 years the game of rugby league I fell in love with in 1975 won’t look the same. I’m already down on my time watching other teams, and if not for the roosters I honestly doubt if I’ll ever attend a game or watch a full game on tv. I’ll watch highlights non the news and that’ll be about it for me.

[Serenader]

Mind numbing…….

I loved the time when a great kick deep into opposition territory and into touch was rewarded with a rest for the forwards and a scrum. Maybe I’m too old school.

[King Salvo]

What is this obsession with speeding the game up? It's bloody fast enough already without tinkering with it further.

65% of the fans think the speed of the game is just right

https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/08/25/...ets-thumbs-up/

[Hawkeye]

Im surprised they havent brought back the Bill Harrigan's rule innovation suggestion from 20 years ago ....allowing one forward pass in every set. I mean most teams get away with a dummy half forward pass each set, but he wanted an NFL gridiron type forward pass to be allowed !
Junior Sr I think might have put his head into one to many scrums !

[TheLoneRooster]

Nice to talk about rugba leeg instead of 27 pages of 'other' divisive stuff.

Harebrained - a perfect description of these proposed rules. Oddly though, for a game driven by commercial considerations, doesn't speeding up the game offer less opportunities for ad breaks?

[King Salvo]

Not a fan of the 7 tackle set in the first place - brought in to stop teams deliberately kicking the ball dead so they can set their defence - how it came to 7 tackle restarts for ball carriers loosing the ball/knocking on etc in the in goal areas in attempting to score a try is beyond me as obviously it's not on purpose - neither is the grubber from 10 metres out that goes dead or the missed field goal.

If you kick the ball from or before half way that goes dead fair enough 7 tackles - beyond half way - 20 metre tap and 6 tackles same as for the grubber that goes dead or missed field goal.

How do they know it's on purpose though in kicking the ball into touch - i can imagine it being extended to passes going into touch or players being tackled over the side line as well.-Teams do that deliberately as well - not

[Tommy Smith]

Pretty savage, but deadly accurate, words from Christian Welch...

"Please just leave our game alone. The tension, grind, pressure & game management almost already gone. Would love the commission for less gimmicking with the rules & more focus on bigger picture strategy"

That's how most of us feel I reckon.

[ccfc bondi]

NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! This madness has to stop!

Robbo has already gone on record saying the existing 7-tackle rule is arbitrary and doesn't make sense. Another thing about that rule is that it was brought in with the old 'encouraging attacking play' justification. Yet an attacking team that drops the ball over the line whilst attempting to score from a non-kicking play STILL gives away a 7-tackle set from the 20 metre line!

You know what? The game could actually do with a bit of slowing down! Giving team adequate time to get onside is not unreasonable. There would also be less mistakes in the play-the-ball as big lumbering forwards try to become Olympic gymnasts and play the ball at the speed of light.

[Big Dog]

I reckon all the clubs would revolt.

[ism22]

What is this obsession with speeding the game up? It's bloody fast enough already without tinkering with it further.

Agreed and 'kicking into touch' is an established tactic.

IMO the rules need some predictability from season-to-season. We're seeing the bottom-8 teams stay there and get cricket scores every week because they're having to adapt to the new rules while also simultaneously trying to cobble together a gameplan/strategy that's gonna be competitive.

Result? One team... aside from a miracle, ONE TEAM has a clear shot at winning this team. With 2 rounds to go, the top-3 are set in stone and none of it matters one bit because most of us will just be making up numbers during the finals.

I'd say the above is true because the Drizz is NEVER picked up as a team that needs to be made example of. They never have to go through a stage of re-adjustment because the refs say (for example) 'we are gonna come down on your ruck infringements as you're slowing the game down' or 'we are gonna come down hard on those 5 man strips you're using to get a free piggy-back because in substance they can't be done without a hand on the ball... and... they intentionally slow down the ruck coz refs have to wait while you have a good old tug for the ball rather than asserting that the tackle has been completed as the attacking player's shoulders are on the ground and the defenders have already peeled off but for one straggler!'

I hope we do see a miracle. However, IMO we need to leave the rules alone for at least a few seasons. As problematic tactics emerge we can tackle them ad-hoc, but we're fixing a problem that doesn't exist.

The REAL problem right now is that we're seeing too many leg/head injuries (i.e. legs being over-worked and tired players having their heads knocked off due to fatigue/confusion rather than foul play). This has resulted in none other than Cordner, Morris and Friend (amongst others) being wiped outta the competition. How about we focus on protecting the BEST OF THE BEST rather than shortening their careers with 'speed' related injuries. A comp without these guys is a lesser comp...

[morley101]

Im surprised they havent brought back the Bill Harrigan's rule innovation suggestion from 20 years ago ....allowing one forward pass in every set. I mean most teams get away with a dummy half forward pass each set, but he wanted an NFL gridiron type forward pass to be allowed !
Junior Sr I think might have put his head into one to many scrums !

You watch too much of Keiron Foran