Yep, changes the way teams tackle. You'd think there'll be less holding up players. It'll have to be sort of one action to slow the player then bring them to the ground.
Very subjective call though, so even more fodder for NRL360 I'm sure.
Still, should reduce those late legs tackles.... Maybe that was the idea.
The two stage call did create an awkward point in play where the defenders were still free to do (almost) whatever they want but the attacking player had no rights.
Attacker can't keep going forward or offload as they are held, but seemed like defenders could still drive them back, join tackle, take them to ground. Created a window which increase likelihood of cannonball tackles or hip drops.
There are some other areas they could clean up around this too - I don't like the disparity in an offload that is a split second late the player just gets the ball back but a legal strip that is a split second late is a penalty. A penalty seems harsh for a perfectly good strip that happens just as the ref calls held. Just cancel it out, give it back to the attacker and let him play it like if he had offloaded.
Contact between marker and player playing the ball too - no need to touch each other. The team that pushes gets an advantage out of it too often, although usually minute there is no positive reason for it to be part of the game.
Off the mark is a cluster **** also but that is more the referees interpretations and choice whether to officiate it or not than a rules thing.
Edit: Also like to see if a player milks a crusher and video ref reviews and finds no wrongdoing by defender (attacker turned into defence themselves and no downward thrust action by tackler) that they not award a penalty. There is nothing reportable here so they don't need to call it a penalty. "New" rule suggests they wouldn't call it back if it was reviewed without a stoppage - I say 'new' as I thought only stopping play for reportable offences was already implemented.
Another one actually... I have a lot of minor rule gripes which are easy to fix haha
Players who come into a completed tackle late and just kind of push down on their own player who made the tackle. They weren't involved in the tackle, it is now complete, why do they get to buy another couple seconds for their team. Penalise it as you would a flop.
Teams will adapt quickly enough to not be getting over penalised by this.
Well, good teams will...
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