How would you improve the game

[mrfranco]

5 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

The game would be very long if time was stopped after every stoppage. 

I'd run1 minute off after a try and then stop it until the kick is restarted though. The current system takes far too long off the clock. Two score games are dead 6/7minutes from the end.

Isn't that what we do now?

[mrfranco]

1 hour ago, scotchy1 said:

No it's a minute from when the kicker sets up and restarted when the kick is taken. We then waste another minute or so waiting for the kick offl

Ah yeah, that's right - your suggestion would be an improvement

[Reverend Ram]

Playing the ball correctly with the foot would be a radical new rule I think. 

[Darren Hill]

For me.... I would like to see the penalty rule changed , that only a penalty for foul play should be rewarded with a kick at goal, Technical offences such as off sides, ball stealing, etc. should be just a differential penalty.

[jannerboyuk]

23 hours ago, Desert Skipper said:

And presumably restart on the 30 to allow an advantage for defusing?

Also (and I might just be dreaming this up) but wasn’t there some talk around the advent of Super League in 95/96 about allowing a forward pass on the last tackle?   Maybe it was a gimmick during the ARL wars in Oz but I’m sure it was mooted officially at some point?

Leeds have been playing with that rule for years

[Big Picture]

4 hours ago, Darren Hill said:

For me.... I would like to see the penalty rule changed , that only a penalty for foul play should be rewarded with a kick at goal, Technical offences such as off sides, ball stealing, etc. should be just a differential penalty.

That would produce even less variety in the types of scores put on the board, is that what you want?

[Jill Halfpenny fan]

Don't like seeing teams being piggy backed down the field on the back of what appear to be little more than guesses by the officials.

Give the team the choice, kick for touch but don't restart the tackle count or restart the tackle count from the position of the penalty.

Never know, it may actually benefit us if players have to work their way down the field instead of it being handed to them on a plate.

[Just Browny]

4 minutes ago, Jill Halfpenny fan said:

Don't like seeing teams being piggy backed down the field on the back of what appear to be little more than guesses by the officials.

Give the team the choice, kick for touch but don't restart the tackle count or restart the tackle count from the position of the penalty.

Never know, it may actually benefit us if players have to work their way down the field instead of it being handed to them on a plate.

I like it. But I might retain the conventional penalty for foul play.

[Agbrigg]

I would try and keep the game as simpie as possible to reduce the refs involvement.

Scrap square marker rule and allow tackled player to tap and go forward. 

Scrap ball steal offence, onus on player to keep hold of ball.

[Just Browny]

7 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

The less the punishment for those kind of penalties, the more the defence will try it on.

If the choice becomes reef the ball out and either get the ball for a knock on or only concede either a reset of the tackle count or a kick to touch and no reset of the tackle count, players will be more prone to reefing the ball out.

It goes both ways. The greater the reward for flopping about like a seal, the more attractive it becomes as an option.

[Leeds Wire]

"Ball back" for kicks that go dead as well as those out on the full. Oh god I've been banging on about that for years! 

Some great posts on here - an excellent thread  

[shaun mc]

Reduce the value of a try if from a kick inside the 20m. I like the idea of being able to diffuse a bomb, but not concede the drop out

Only a 7 tackle set if the kick is from outside the half way line to stop teams using it as a way of running down the clock or taking a breather

Have a skinny 10m but also delay the point slightly at which the defending side moves up. Most are moving up before the ptb commences. The 2 points will balance out in terms of who gains from them - attack or defence, but will also make the game less reliant on the 5 drives

One out rugby is not allowed until under 16's/17's as it only encourages "just give it to the big lad" coaching who then think they are world beaters, but aren't actually coaching any rugby skills

All rugby up to under 16's is graded by weight rather than age to avoid the above but to also have skills coached instead of just the power game when there are great differences in the size of kids of the same age

Reduce the severity of penalties for the 50:50 areas at the tackle and ptb as its too easy to gain territory and points by the gamesmanship that goes on

Have a spell where these rules are enforced without leeway for a while. The coaches, fans and players may complain, but a message needs to be sent in order to clean up the area

[rhinos78]

On April 18, 2018 at 1:13 PM, Dave T said:

To follow on Browny's suggestions for testing - we appear to get a lot of complaints about tries coming from kicks. I don't 100% agree with this criticism but I do find conservative play followed by a kick to the corner rather boring. So a solution for me would be to make it easier to defend against to try and steer teams away from relying on it. One way to do that could be to allow the defender to knock it dead (if either over their own line, or maybe within their own 20) - and still get the 20m restart. I think the odds are stacked in the attackers favour at the moment as the defender is often stood still and has to catch it as opposed to the attacker who can run and leap or just knock it back to a teammate.

Tom briscoe would still balls it up

[DavidM]

I’ve noticed in the NRL you can’t tackle a defender in the air but you can tackle an attacker . If it’s about player welfare what’s the difference ? Rather bizarre 

[DavidM]

2 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

We've nigh on removed the contest in the air. Personally i think we should allow a lot more contact in the air but with the onus on the players to be safe.Just cover it in dangerous play.

Indeed , how do you compete for the ball. In areas like this , shoulder charge , lifting etc , the laudable intentions regarding welfare have led to the baby being thrown out with the bath water and things going to far the other way with blanket restrictions . You can target dangerous play without totally changing the whole nature of things and removing common sense and empathy with the game as it is 

[chuffer]

Bring back:

Contested scrums

Shoulder charges

5m defensive line

2 subs, 4 interchange max

[GUBRATS]

5 minutes ago, chuffer said:

Bring back:

Contested scrums

Shoulder charges

5m defensive line

2 subs, 4 interchange max

The 5m defensive line isnt enough with todays players 

[The 4 of Us]

9 hours ago, GUBRATS said:

The 5m defensive line isnt enough with todays players 

The problem isn’t so much the defence but the flat attack. 10 m encourages one up play to gain ground. A big guy can pick up plenty momentum in that sort of space and I think that compounds the problem. We end up with a lot of first player passes to someone inside or out. The most exhiting stuff these days is the block plays when it’s thrown about a bit more.

I think a return to 5 m would mean less emphasis on power which in turn would counter a flat attack,and allow a return to a more staggered attacking line to give players the room to get the ball out. 

As for the scrums ensure the ball goes down the middle and allow the hookers to hook. You don’t need behemoths push Ming each other into oblivion. RL scrums were always about the hookers. My own brother was an expert. Nothing better seeing a ball in the oppositions second row come back in the other direction.

The biggest thing though is the wrestle and the play the ball. That’s where the fluidity is lost in the game and I don’t really know the answer. One thing that may get rid of it may actually be limiting the numbers into a tackle or shouting held as soon as 2 go in to encourage more one on one. 

[chuffer]

4 minutes ago, The 4 of Us said:

The biggest thing though is the wrestle and the play the ball. That’s where the fluidity is lost in the game and I don’t really know the answer. 

I would favour a 2 ref situation like the nrl to try and address this .....but it depends what you want, would you rather a "roll away" situation which would enable a quick PTB or would you prefer it was slowed down cleanly to encourage creativity in the backline rather than relying on a roll on by the hooker?

[The 4 of Us]

5 minutes ago, chuffer said:

I would favour a 2 ref situation like the nrl to try and address this .....but it depends what you want, would you rather a "roll away" situation which would enable a quick PTB or would you prefer it was slowed down cleanly to encourage creativity in the backline rather than relying on a roll on by the hooker?

Back line I think. You don’t want to stifle a creative acting half but at the same time you don’t want it to be scoot central. Maybe counter the latter by not being as vigourous with the markers standing square provided they’re not side by side. 

 

[chuffer]

2 minutes ago, The 4 of Us said:

Back line I think. You don’t want to stifle a creative acting half but at the same time you don’t want it to be scoot central. Maybe counter the latter by not being as vigourous with the markers standing square provided they’re not side by side. 

 

So maybe single marker as suggested earlier in the thread?

[2blackrooks]

Sometimes laugh when a player is clearly tackled but still standing but not going anywhere but the ref doesn't shout held,this then turns into a contest to get them on the floor, lifting the leg for me is a clear penalty as well as trying to trip them when in the tackle.

Id like to see players at least engage in the scrum and not loosely cuddle each other and stop feeding, at least the good old hooker will then need to do his job.

[ojx]

Applying the rules at the PTB and a 5m offside line strictly enforced would make a big improvement.

[The 4 of Us]

8 hours ago, chuffer said:

So maybe single marker as suggested earlier in the thread?

No I think you need 2 markers. Only one means and extra one in the line which will mean leads room out wide. And 2 markers would counter the acting half going alone. 

[The 4 of Us]

4 hours ago, 2blackrooks said:

Sometimes laugh when a player is clearly tackled but still standing but not going anywhere but the ref doesn't shout held,this then turns into a contest to get them on the floor, lifting the leg for me is a clear penalty as well as trying to trip them when in the tackle.

Id like to see players at least engage in the scrum and not loosely cuddle each other and stop feeding, at least the good old hooker will then need to do his job.

Almost like an echo chamber