186 replies to this topic

[gingerjon]

These blow out scores are doing nothing for interest in the game.

I mean it's 22-0 at half time today!

[1976PMJwires]

Well we've had two opening SL games, both of which were high score margins. This is not good for RL.

We'll probably see close score margins in the Six Nations to make matters worse. People will forgive the fact that the games will be boring.

Is it time to start looking at ways of making scores closer e.g. by reducing to 10m rule? Even if it is at the cost of a more open game...

Don't watch union games, what was the final scores in Cardiff and London, I hope they're close!! Otherwise bring back the birch and flog them all.

[stewpot01]

Well we've had two opening SL games, both of which were high score margins. This is not good for RL.

We'll probably see close score margins in the Six Nations to make matters worse. People will forgive the fact that the games will be boring.

Is it time to start looking at ways of making scores closer e.g. by reducing to 10m rule? Even if it is at the cost of a more open game...

Oh dear, what a load of tripe. Get a grip. what do you want to see? the ref blowing up when one team gets 20pts in front.

[shun]

36-0 to Huddersfield so far. lets take 2 Huddersfield players off now and then it might be 36-30 at full time, would that please you???

Edited by shun, 02 February 2013 - 06:13 PM.

[shun]

Anyone who ever thought the Wigan and Salford game would produce anything other than a big margin given the off season Salford have had must be short of a brain. It was a given that Wigan would get a boost to their points difference. Hull were a let down though but maybe not all that unexpected given that they were largely a 60 minute team last season as well. However, two games does not a season make.

saints are an even bigger let down, not even a 1 minute team at the moment. shocking!

[Just Browny]

Starting to think Lobby has a point, it's a worrying sign for us all when the smaller clubs like Saints can't even compete at home.

[chuffer]

But 20 minutes into the game it's still the first half!

lol

[brooza]

Starting to think Lobby has a point, it's a worrying sign for us all when the smaller clubs like Saints can't even compete at home.

If we had P&R, rubbish teams like Saints would have been relegated and we wouldn't have these scorelines. Oh wait...

[southstand loiner]

well saints played there part . they at least refused to score many points for which we should give them a big cheer

[Wiltshire Rhino]

I've watched 5 games of rugby (3 league, 2 union) on TV in the last 3 days and have ENJOYED every single game. Maybe I'm too easily pleased.

[Saintslass]

well saints played there part . they at least refused to score many points for which we should give them a big cheer

It was noble of them, don't you think?

[Henson Park Old Firm]

maybe playing some warm up games with the NRL would help

[Tre Cool]

Its incredibly good. I cant believe how quickly 80 mins of top level RL goes by after spending the off season watching other sports. Love it.

[Lobbygobbler]

maybe playing some warm up games with the NRL would help

The NRL is the root cause of the problem. They pushed to increase the 5m rule to 10m, without any prolongued trial period or consequence analysis. I think they were also instrumental in ditching competitive scrummaging and increasing the number if subs/interchanges. These rule changes have had massive implications for RL on a global scale. I think 10m is far too much for a retreating defence, and has made it far easier to score. It has more more emphasis on the defence having to get back 10m which is fatiguing but not essentially a core rugby league skill. However cracking open a shorter defence line by guile has become eroded by the likes of cheap dummy runs. The scrum was another leveller and added uncertainty.

All this has combined to widen score margins and lesson the chance of upsets -the very essence of spectator sport excitement.

I think the game needs to look at reducing the 10m rule to perhaps 7m (or dare I say it but perhaps adding a 14th man) to make it a little harder to score and I would like proper scrums brought back but only for non-mistakes (i.e.grubbers).

[Padge]

I would like proper scrums brought back but only for non-mistakes (i.e.grubbers).

The bit in red makes absolutely no sense whatsoever

[EastLondonMike]

i dont think changing the rules to accomodate ordinary teams is the way forward.

The Wigan scoreline was always potentially going to happen. Hull were very good defensively for 60mins, and they capitulation was more a mental thing than technical or physical, they knew they had nothing going forward. St. Helens just didn't prepare well enough and maybe didn't expect Hudds to perform as well as they did. For me thats the way it was..

if we're seeing regular big scores on the same teams its more a case of the team not being prepared to strive to attain a similar playing level of their opposition. be it pre-season, during the season or during matches.

Rules don't need changing, attitudes do.

[dkw]

Garbage.

[ShotgunGold]

This is similar to a point I made in the "Seriously underwhelming" thread, stating that as a league Super League is not actually get any more competitive. I posted these facts:

NRL 2012. Difference between #1 and #16 - 24 points.
NRL 2012. Difference between #2 and #15 - just 18 points.
SL 2012. Difference between #1 and #14 - 30 points.
NRL 2012. MATCH POINTS difference between best and worst - 461
SL 2012. MATCH POINTS difference between best and worst - a ridiculous 1,095

Although somebody quite rightly made the point that the NRL has a different number of games. But my point was that if SL is to grow and overall get better than the 50-0 games need to be weeded out. If the latter figures does down to 700-800 than it will be good for the game.

Saying that I don't know to what extent Widnes alone make on that last statistic - I seem to remember Warrington, Saints, Catalans, Hudds posting 70+ scores.

I saw Leeds and Saints and thought they were great games. Didn't see Salford v Wigan but it certainly doesn't dound like I missed much. I would like to think that every team in SL before the match feels they have the potential to win and don't go out simply thinking about minimising the scoring. Does that currently happen?? Who knows. Competition is what drives all sport at the end of the day.

[JohnM]

I think this may help doubters understand Lobby's points. Listen here

He sees himself as some sort of latter day Horatius Cocles at the bridge.

Edited by JohnM, 03 February 2013 - 11:31 AM.

[Sir Galahad]

Me and my brother were discussing this very point last night. I don't have the statistics from previous seasons but it does seem there are (last season at least) more blow-out scorelines than there used to be. At tthe start of Super League as a competition there were plenty of blow-out scorelines too but, crucially, when any of the 'big four' played you always seemed to get a good game. I think what is happening now is that games between the top sides in the league are now also becoming blow-outs. This, I think, is down to the ludicrous play-off system. If a team is down very early by say three scores away from home after 20 minutes whatever you may say about being professional and so forth the temptation is to psychologically turn it in, remembering that all you have to do is get in the top 8 (with a less than 50% win record) and you have a chance of winning the championship; hence some very one sided scorelines. Has the Championships bonus point system eradicated this problem at the lower levels somewhat?