Round 25 Cronulla Sutherland Sharks vs Sydney Roosters, Saturday 26th August @ Southern Cross Group Stadium 7:30pm

[CHOGM]

Have you seen what Prior & Fifita do to attackers on the ground?

I actually think it's a problem the game has to solve, rather than pointing fingers at who wrestles the most. I just don't see how there cannot be a more consistent amount of time between the held call, and when the attacker no longer has a defenders hand on him. In fact why don't they make that rule? You have 3 seconds to no longer have a hand on the attacker after held, or whatever time works. It's the only part of league that makes want to watch another code, because it's so inconsistent.

 

[CHOGM]

i just meant for newy

i doubt a minor leg injury would keep wade out

Gotcha. Someone on here said 2-3 weeks best case and then I heard torn calf, and I thought the worst. I've done both calves and it was not a 1-2 proposition. I am of course not quite as fit as Graham.

 

[CrazyMatt]

Yeah Chad was terrible last week. But the calls to drop him are over the top, he's bounced back before and I'm backing him to do it again.

 

[Thresher]

We lose every time the opposition are allowed to wrestle, because it's not our style so we don't benefit. We don't get excessive numbers in and we don't obsess over putting every player in their back. I think the future of league is dependent on policing the ruck, specifically the speed of the play the ball. It's a game killer, and spectacle killer. It's beyond me why players are not required to release and roll away from the ruck the moment held is called. The problem is they allow defenders to get to their feet and then get out of the ruck, when the defenders should be required to release and attempt to roll away straight away. They are not entitled to be standing when the ball is played. What this would do is reduce players in the defensive line on the next play, so teams would think twice about getting 3 and 4 in every tackle. At the moment the opposition can tackle Fifita with 4 players, and their is no disadvantage. In every other sport if you double or triple team in defence, it leaves a hole elsewhere. League needs to let those holes occur. We're creating the very thing that the detractors say is bad about League, that it's stop start and has no flow. Sorry about the manifesto but it's a pet hate.

The major thing that I'm noticing this year is defenders lying on the player in the ruck and all looking up at the ref waiting for him to tell them to release. They all seem to have this rehearsed "I'm a good dog" expression on their faces too.

 

[Born&bred]

The major thing that I'm noticing this year is defenders lying on the player in the ruck and all looking up at the ref waiting for him to tell them to release. They all seem to have this rehearsed "I'm a good dog" expression on their faces too.

So the ref should tell them to get off when he thinks it's too long - puppy dog face doesn't matter. There's way too many penalties without that warning being issued...

 

[Thresher]

So the ref should tell them to get off when he thinks it's too long - puppy dog face doesn't matter. There's way too many penalties without that warning being issued...

Yep and if the ref has to tell them to get off then they've been on too long.

 

[BlackWhiteBlue]

So the ref should tell them to get off when he thinks it's too long - puppy dog face doesn't matter. There's way too many penalties without that warning being issued...

in the 2014 9s they trialled the '6 again' rule for ruck penalties. IMO this HAS to be brought in. these are the 50-50 calls everyone bitches about. If its 6 again rather than kicks for goal or 30 metre jumps up the field, for a start it speeds the game up, it also takes out that 'refs fault' regarding 1 team getting too many favours in the ruck.

 

[slide rule]

in the 2014 9s they trialled the '6 again' rule for ruck penalties. IMO this HAS to be brought in. these are the 50-50 calls everyone bitches about. If its 6 again rather than kicks for goal or 30 metre jumps up the field, for a start it speeds the game up, it also takes out that 'refs fault' regarding 1 team getting too many favours in the ruck.

This should happen for sure.

 

[Thresher]

in the 2014 9s they trialled the '6 again' rule for ruck penalties. IMO this HAS to be brought in. these are the 50-50 calls everyone bitches about. If its 6 again rather than kicks for goal or 30 metre jumps up the field, for a start it speeds the game up, it also takes out that 'refs fault' regarding 1 team getting too many favours in the ruck.

I came up with this idea in 2016, 2 years after them. You'd think they'd come up with something original for once.

 

[CHOGM]

in the 2014 9s they trialled the '6 again' rule for ruck penalties. IMO this HAS to be brought in. these are the 50-50 calls everyone bitches about. If its 6 again rather than kicks for goal or 30 metre jumps up the field, for a start it speeds the game up, it also takes out that 'refs fault' regarding 1 team getting too many favours in the ruck.

Yeah that works. It also means the refs could blow those penalties more regularly, rather than waiting till a team has offended 3 or 4 times before they blow they whistle.

 

[CHOGM]

Yep and if the ref has to tell them to get off then they've been on too long.

Exactly. Lewis milks that one a lot. The whole exercise shouldn't be about eye contact with the ref. If you aren't releasing straight after "held", and you aren't trapped by the attacker, then you're gone.