bobbruce

My favourite team would be very different to the one I’ve picked.

Phooey

Think that’s the point I could name 10 props and 15 second rows with not a massive amount between them. Just felt Tallis at his best and watching Pearce on that tour left a bigger impression.

I think a lot comes down to personnel choice I’m happy I wouldn’t change most of that team unless there’s someone obvious I’ve forgot. I think the players that I’m not 100% committed to and could easily of selected some else are 10,11 and twelve

1/ Lockyer 2/ Offiah 3/ Meninga 4/ Inglis 5/ Ferguson 6/ Kenny 7/ Thurston 8/ Ward 9/ Smith 10/ Webcke 11/ Pearce 12/ Tallis 13/ Hanley

In fact Hastings in the Wigan game was worse because he just stood there. We’ve been shown the laws that state he must immediately retreat to the back of the scrum.

Yes it is whataboutery that’s the point you can’t referee a sport a certain way for twenty years and then suddenly decide you will penalise offences in grand final that refs have completely ignored. I have no problem with the interpretation changing and this being enforced but for me you would have to stop the loose forward/hooker playing the ball until the scrum half has got back onside.

Because it never happens most times the hooker has passed the ball out of the back of the scrum before the scrum half has even stood up straight.

I don’t disagree technically but the fact I haven’t seen a scrum half give a penalty away for this in 25 years tells me this is not something refs are looking for. Maybe they should but I’m not sure a grand final is when that should start.

Lots of players are offside during a game at different points as long as they don’t get involved the game carries on. Can you remember the last time you saw a scrum half penalised for not retreating at the scrum.

At no point did Fages shield anyone from tacklers. That would’ve been out and out obstruction.

Retiring Scrum half (d) Assuming the ball has been correctly scrummaged it is permissible for the scrum half to pick up the ball in the act of retiring providing he commenced to retire immediately after putting the ball in. As the scrum half who puts the ball in must retire behind his own forwards it should, in the event of the opposing team winning possession, normally give him very little chance of tackling the opposing scrum half. If the latter is tackled in possession the Referee should ensure that the scrum half who puts the ball in is indeed retiring behind his forwards. That reads to me that the scrum half doesn’t have to be retired behind the scrum when the ball comes out provided he’s in the act of doing it. Which makes sense with the modern way of having the hooker play the ball from loose forward. Meaning half the time the ball is passed without the scrum half being behind the scrum.

Aussie number 7 looks a class act.

Shock

Booked off now with a few jobs to do later on. What time does it start.