6 again rule and 1 ref a big hit for the NRL

[The Future is League]

https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/nrls-six-again-rule-and-one-referee-a-hit-on-debut-as-eels-turn-on-style-against-broncos/news-story/f606683e311d3c66f3db93646784c880

[Father Ted]

The game was played at a furious pace and the extra six was the key to it. I did like it although I didn't watch the game for very long.

One thing that worried me was that Parra were getting their extra six inside the Broncos 20 mtr area, where is the advantage for an extra six if you are in your own 20 area? Surely a penalty would be a greater advantage as you would kick for touch and maybe start the new set around the half way line.

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[dkw]

So far I think it's worked really well, the game is much mure fluid and the ref's less intrusive. Obviously this is just from one and a bit games but it's definitely looking a very good rule to me and one I hope feeds into the game everywhere. 

A couple of bonus's is we don't have players going to the ref questioning him all the time or "water carriers" entering the pitch at every penalty. 

All win/win for me.

[Odsal Outlaw]

Just watching the Titans game and first time I’ve seen the new rule in play ... quite like it so far ...  
 

One thought, what could this mean for the RLWC 2021? It often feels we tend to follow rule changes in the NRL and will concede to their rules ahead of international clashes ... which if we did ahead of RLWC could put us at a significant disadvantage due to less time to become accustomed. In fact the rule even if given time could put us at a disadvantage as it stops an ability to slow the game! 
 

Therefore I wonder if it would be in SL interest to keep our existing rules and therefore retain them at international level - Aussies may find it very hard to revert back to our rules and their refs may also find it hard to adjust ... so a RLWC with our rules and our refs!! 

[dkw]

11 hours ago, Father Ted said:

The game was played at a furious pace and the extra six was the key to it. I did like it although I didn't watch the game for very long.

One thing that worried me was that Parra were getting their extra six inside the Broncos 20 mtr area, where is the advantage for an extra six if you are in your own 20 area? Surely a penalty would be a greater advantage as you would kick for touch and maybe start the new set around the half way line.

  

On the lack of clearing penalty in your own 20 I thing the momentum you carry into another set of 6 will see a team make similar yards to what they Could have gained from a kick. 

[dkw]

2 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

Defences are just spent.

Its certainly fast and end to end defence has gone

It's the opposite to a few years ago with more subs where defences rarely hired due to just rolling subs on and off. I think it will help with teams operating up later in each half, more tries, less relying on big units and percentage rugby. 

[Hela Wigmen]

It’s fast and it’s exciting and this early on, it’s a winner. That said, players have returned to playing off the back of very little training and an extended break so their fitness isn’t what it was or should be. It’ll be interesting to see how this rule is working in another 4-5 weeks when players are back towards their optimum fitness level. 

 

[dkw]

4 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

Not sure there will be less percentage rugby. Teams just seem to get a roll on.

Reminds me a lot of the Bradford sides of early 2000.

I think combined with less subs we jyst won't see teams sticking to "big lads down the middle" anymore, mainly because they can't as it will see them tire very quickly. Balls are going wider, earlier in the 2 games I've seen so far. 

[Lowdesert]

Didn’t happen so much in the Cowboys game today and I think Brisbanes fitness was just too far behind the Eels. 

I reckon we could be seeing less gang tackling in an effort for defenders to get in position to cover the ruck area.  Going to be interesting seeing this develop.

[Dunbar]

1 hour ago, scotchy1 said:

All three games I've seen so far one team just looks bigger and faster and they've won quite comfortably

Maybe faster but certainly not bigger.

Take today's second game for example.  Across the 17, the Rabbitohs were 2kg a man heavier than the Roosters, in the pack they were 4kg a man heavier and in the middle forwards a massive 9kg a man heavier.

Similarly, the Broncos were 3kg a man bigger than the Eels in the middle forwards.  The Cowboys were 2kg a man bigger than the Titans in the middle forwards.  So two of the three winning teams fielded smaller packs.

The way the NRL is being played now it looks like a fast mobile pack is the way forward... the Roosters certainly have this and it has been one of their strengths in the last few years - it may be even more of an advantage now.

[Man of Kent]

The main thing about six-again is it stops pi$$-taking at the ruck because refs know that people hate it when they blow the pea out of their whistle. Now they don’t have to give penalties to keep control of the ruck anymore, suddenly the game flows better. 

As I posted during the Brisbane game, the downside appears to be the exacerbating of mismatches. 

On balance I would gladly welcome it in British RL (while being mindful of the increased likelihood of spankings when top plays bottom or higher vs lower division games in the Cup).

[DavidM]

Maybe through necessity but I thought after 10 minutes of the Parra game they were on a winner with the whole spectacle and they shouldn’t go back

[arcticchris]

It has cut down cynical slowing of play and when North Queensland blatantly committed a professional foul to buy time it was pleasing to see the Ref back himself  and send the offender for 10 in the bin.

 

Very impressed with the speed of the game and I fear if we don’t adopt it in Super League then our players will get shell shocked when it comes to international games as the fitness levels and speed/intensity  of the game from NRL players leave our guys gasping for air.

[Man of Kent]

6 hours ago, arcticchris said:

Very impressed with the speed of the game and I fear if we don’t adopt it in Super League then our players will get shell shocked when it comes to international games as the fitness levels and speed/intensity  of the game from NRL players leave our guys gasping for air.

Hadn’t thought of that. 

An Aussie podcast (Fergo & the Freak) I part-listen to has an interesting theory that six-again will kind of phase out large, bulky props in favour of more athletic, back-rower types with more stamina. Bit early to call that but interesting theory. 

They also said it’s too favourable to the attacking side, will lead too many blowouts and suggested limiting it to one six-again per set (ie with penalties awarded for further transgressions by the defensive side).

[Curly perm]

21 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

An Aussie podcast (Fergo & the Freak) I part-listen to has an interesting theory that six-again will kind of phase out large, bulky props in favour of more athletic, back-rower types with more stamina. Bit early to call that but interesting theory. 

They also said it’s too favourable to the attacking side, will lead too many blowouts and suggested limiting it to one six-again per set (ie with penalties awarded for further transgressions by the defensive side).

I was thinking the same re phasing out the very big men.

Although it could be that once the players are giving away 6 tackles every time for holding down, they might just stop doing it and we’ll see fewer tackle resets. Will still be faster though. Interesting to see how it goes. 

[Dunbar]

13 hours ago, scotchy1 said:

I'm not sure how accurate those measurement are, all the players looked a bit 'heavy'. They all looked unfit and definitely a bit rusty, even the winners.

All the players look heavy and unfit? What games are you watching because its not the ones I am.

[Man of Kent]

7 minutes ago, Curly perm said:

I was thinking the same re phasing out the very big men.

Although it could be that once the players are giving away 6 tackles every time for holding down, they might just stop doing it and we’ll see fewer tackle resets. Will still be faster though. Interesting to see how it goes. 

I really like it. The only worry is it works too well, with too many pumpings.

[Rarefrith]

How will fans in the ground (when they are allowed back) know It’s 6 again as easily as when a penalty is given?

[dkw]

15 minutes ago, Rarefrith said:

How will fans in the ground (when they are allowed back) know It’s 6 again as easily as when a penalty is given?

Probably the same as we do now, 6 again is a current rule shown by the ref waving his hand. 

[dkw]

Anyone agree there's been a lot less infringements in the last 2 games compared to the Parra v Broncos game? I'm guessing coaches saw just how damaging it is to be on the end of multiple 6 agains and have got the players to clean up the ruck. 

[barnyia]

30 minutes ago, Rarefrith said:

How will fans in the ground (when they are allowed back) know It’s 6 again as easily as when a penalty is given?

I heard a klaxon in the ground when he shouted six again in the warriors game, may have just been a coincidence 

[Dunbar]

1 minute ago, barnyia said:

I heard a klaxon in the ground when he shouted six again in the warriors game, may have just been a coincidence 

No, it's been sounded in every game on the six again signal.

[arcticchris]

I don’t have the stats to back this theory up but it seemed like there was more offloading in the tackle creating extra phases and greater continuity of play caused by the speed of the game being higher also resulting in less 3 and 4 man tackles.

[Man of Kent]

4 hours ago, Rarefrith said:

How will fans in the ground (when they are allowed back) know It’s 6 again as easily as when a penalty is given?

The old wipey signal?

[Adelaide Tiger]

On 29/05/2020 at 17:52, Odsal Outlaw said:

Just watching the Titans game and first time I’ve seen the new rule in play ... quite like it so far ...  
 

One thought, what could this mean for the RLWC 2021? It often feels we tend to follow rule changes in the NRL and will concede to their rules ahead of international clashes ... which if we did ahead of RLWC could put us at a significant disadvantage due to less time to become accustomed. In fact the rule even if given time could put us at a disadvantage as it stops an ability to slow the game

When I was watching the Storm v Raiders my thought was that we are @&*$:#)@:’ak at the WC as the fitness levels of the Aussies, NZ and Tongan players in the NRL will vastly improve.