Rules that are a joke

With the interchange going down the rule for a free change for a reporting is top of the list.
Matt Scott hit Merrin with a feather duster and after 30 seconds worth of replays it gets put on report that he'll get off. The next set a Cowboys player(Coote from memory) gets hit obviously high and it's a penalty.
With the interchange likely going to down 6 next year which becomes the worse punishment, the maybe illegal that goes on report or obviously illegal that gets penalised?
Then there is what's happening with the concussion rule, I'm not sure how to police this one but it's blatantly obvious what coaches are doing.
Sasha's wisdom from another thread

Sashamaloo wrote:I know it has no bearing in the result but both the raiders and the eels are guilty of abusing the head bin rule, fpn came off at the 18th minute mark normally he would be replaced at that point, an dandy Raymond said although it's a head knock he is limping,
Moeroea the same thing, both miraculously come back on father their 'check up'.

I call bullshit on both and it is the players being encouraged to stay down and get the free interchange

These are 2 that really get to me and are changing what the game was always about when I was kicking a footy around. What else have you got?

It has been good to see some great tackles and hits this round, culminating in Merrin's great hit in the 2nd half tonight. Most of them have been "clean", but Merrin's going on report for a potential shoulder charge hopefully doesn't dampen spirits.

SI wrote:It has been good to see some great tackles and hits this round, culminating in Merrin's great hit in the 2nd half tonight.  Most of them have been "clean", but Merrin's going on report for a potential shoulder charge hopefully doesn't dampen spirits.  

I didn't realise he'd been put on report but his arm was well out so he should be safe, it was great to see the square up on Winterstein after the previous set. There was some real sting in the forwards in the second half of that game and it was great to see

Looks like I was wrong, I thought he did go on report but just a suggestion by the commentators that he may have a case to answer. Hopefully not then if that is the case. Anyway, great to see the hits over the weekend and hopefully it continues. In fact the whole quality of the games in general seems to have been better than recent years.

I hate that it's 6 again for a charge down. If you're not good enough to kick it before the line you don't deserve 6 again.

Also I don't like the 7 tackle rule when you knock it on over the line. I can live with 7 tackles for kicking it dead, but not a knock on, and I don't think that's the purpose of why the rule was introduced.

Origin eligibility.

Re the rort of the concussion rule:

For the whipper snappers not old enough to remember when they brought in the blood bin rule there was footage of trainers squeezing the fuck out of a cut to get blood so they got a free interchange. There were even rumours of razor blades WWE style.

This is the next and wont be the last of coaches rorting the rule book.



For my entry: TPA's

Dip wrote:I hate that it's 6 again for a charge down. If you're not good enough to kick it before the line you don't deserve 6 again.

Also I don't like the 7 tackle rule when you knock it on over the line. I can live with 7 tackles for kicking it dead, but not a knock on, and I don't think that's the purpose of why the rule was introduced.

Totally agree

Dip wrote:I hate that it's 6 again for a charge down. If you're not good enough to kick it before the line you don't deserve 6 again.

Also I don't like the 7 tackle rule when you knock it on over the line. I can live with 7 tackles for kicking it dead, but not a knock on, and I don't think that's the purpose of why the rule was introduced.

Personally don't like the 7 tackle rule. You already get to start at the 20m line and now you get an extra play in the set. The ball can literally roll 10cm extra in a tight game and it can very easily cost your team as you could argue standard 10m run per play sets you up at only 30 metres out. In saying that I'm not sure the best way to fix it as I wasn't a fan of teams just drilling the ball dead to negate an opposition's kick returning fullbacks. Maybe the 7 tackle set doesn't apply if the kick is made within the attacking 20 or something

i think a reportable offense has to be a free interchange, yes there are soft reports during the game that shouldn't result in a free interchange but what about martin tapau knocking jack bird out of the game a few weeks ago, a free interchange was hardly enough compensation, losing that as well would be completely unfair imo.

The rule is fine, refs just need to not put players on report unless it is worthy (which they have improved in over last 12 months, crusher tackle is the only one that is getting them imo)


concussion rule is defs being abused tho


pet hate for me, player taps the ball for a penalty or 20m restart with own player ahead of him and ref stops him and lets him have another go, the rule is actually fine, it states its a penalty but for some reason what we penalize 10 year olds for we give professional athletes another chance, i don't get it

Players should get sin binned more. I dont know what constitutes a sin bin or send off any more.
A bad high shot should get a player sent - eg the Tapau one on bird should have got him sent.

Bin for repeated penalties, intentional offside, cynical play.

I know its not a rule (it kind of is) but the bin needs to come back.

agree there pieman, teams giving away penalties on purpose has become the norm now because they don't use it


how obvious was the ennis penalty at the end of yesterdays game, just hold the player for as long as possible, it waste time, you set your line and leave the titans with only being able to put up kick which all you gotta do is hit out. it probably still be a good play for cronulla even if ennis was binned for the last play but there has to be some sort of deterrent for such negative play

Yeah I'd like to see the 5 minute sin-bin reintroduced and for it to be able to be used in cases where a penalty isn't enough of a penalty. That might include reportable high shots, and constantly giving away penalties. I don't think we'll ever see the send off back on a permanent basis because it someone is sent off with more than 20 minutes to go it'll basically mean your team loses and the refs aren't game enough to make that decision. Even 10 minutes they clearly don't want to use, but they might be prepared to use the 5 minutes. I wouldn't mind if we saw 3-4 of them a game personally.

leaguegod wrote:i think a reportable offense has to be a free interchange, yes there are soft reports during the game that shouldn't result in a free interchange but what about martin tapau knocking jack bird out of the game a few weeks ago, a free interchange was hardly enough compensation, losing that as well would be completely unfair imo.

The rule is fine, refs just need to not put players on report unless it is worthy (which they have improved in over last 12 months, crusher tackle is the only one that is getting them imo)


concussion rule is defs being abused tho


pet hate for me, player taps the ball for a penalty or 20m restart with own player ahead of him and ref stops him and lets him have another go, the rule is actually fine, it states its a penalty but for some reason what we penalize 10 year olds for we give professional athletes another chance, i don't get it

Two things spring to mind for me reading this post.

One is something already mentioned, the 5 minute sin bin.
Has to be introduced as a penalty for blatant incidents like this or even professional fouls (I've seen a raft of these lately, when teams are on the ropes).

The second thing is that 'putting a player on report' is a redundant cop out and needs to be scrapped.

We have a match review committee and a bunker reviewing the shit out of games, there is no need to give the ref's this option which they clearly feel is laying down the law....when clearly it isn't.

Then we could simply award free interchanges for 5 min sin bin offences.

Oz Sport Mad wrote:

Two things spring to mind for me reading this post.

One is something already mentioned, the 5 minute sin bin.
Has to be introduced as a penalty for blatant incidents like this or even professional fouls (I've seen a raft of these lately, when teams are on the ropes).

The second thing is that 'putting a player on report'  is a redundant cop out and needs to be scrapped.

We have a match review committee and a bunker reviewing the shit out of games, there is no need to give the ref's this option which they clearly feel is laying down the law....when clearly it isn't.

Then we could simply award free interchanges for 5 min sin bin offences.

i could get on board with that

Oz Sport Mad wrote:

Two things spring to mind for me reading this post.

One is something already mentioned, the 5 minute sin bin.
Has to be introduced as a penalty for blatant incidents like this or even professional fouls (I've seen a raft of these lately, when teams are on the ropes).

The second thing is that 'putting a player on report'  is a redundant cop out and needs to be scrapped.

We have a match review committee and a bunker reviewing the shit out of games, there is no need to give the ref's this option which they clearly feel is laying down the law....when clearly it isn't.

Then we could simply award free interchanges for 5 min sin bin offences.

I like this idea.
Like LG I also hate coaching by the refs, if it's a penalty just blow the whistle and it will soon stop.

The entire idea of a "scrum" is a stupid rule. Just have a tap and be done with it.

ryno_ wrote:The entire idea of a "scrum" is a stupid rule. Just have a tap and be done with it.

Disagree.
I like it but players should have to pack in in their positions.

Yep, keep the scrum. We all know it's inane from a possession point of view, but it does give the players a bit of a rest whilst still keeping one of the trademarks of the game. To me the speed of the game is just about perfect this year and the quality has been great.

SI wrote:Yep, keep the scrum.  We all know it's inane from a possession point of view, but it does give the players a bit of a rest whilst still keeping one of the trademarks of the game.  To me the speed of the game is just about perfect this year and the quality has been great.

Its pointless though. Theres no pushing. The ball doesnt even go in the scrum sometimes. Its a rugby union trademark - its an embarrassment in league.