RUGBY LEAGUE is loved by its fans for the toughness, ferocity, speed and entertainment on show each week.
However, there is also an increasing frustration within the rugby league framework about the ruck speed and infringements at the ruck.
Messy rucks are becoming more commonplace, with the inability of the ball carrier to find space or the defender to be able to move out of the way quick enough to allow for a speedier ruck becoming a bugbear of viewers.
Wind the clock back several years and actually playing the ball with the foot was a characteristic of rugby league in the northern hemisphere.
It is a feature in Australia’s most prized competition as well, the NRL, with attackers needing to actually touch the ball with the foot to avoid being penalised for an incorrect play of the ball.
In Super League, attackers often fling the ball between their legs in the hope of a quicker ruck and most of the time it is more reminiscent of a rugby union action rather than one synonymous with league.
It looks messy, it looks wrong and it leaves referees with incredibly difficult decisions to either punish the defenders for not rolling away or attackers for not playing the ball correctly.
Make that grey area black and white, ensure that attackers must actually play the ball with the foot and see the quality of the ruck increase.
