I believe the 7 tackle set starting at the 20 metre mark must be looked at. I could be wrong but I thought the 7 tackle set rule was introduced to stop teams deliberately kicking the ball over the dead ball line to slow the play down and restart with a set defensive line. I have no issues with this part of the rule. The thing that should be changed is if a player is attempting to score a try but he loses possession or knocks on the opposition shouldn't be awarded a 7 tackle set. When this occurs the defending team should get a normal restart (6 tackles) from the 20 metre line.
The next rule that makes zero sense to me is the 15 minute HIA rule. If a player leaves the field for a HIA and he passes the test in 5 minutes, why must he stay of for 15 minutes? I could be wrong but I think the 15 minute rule is game time, therefore, if a player goes for a HIA 5 minutes before half-time and he passes the test he still can't return until 10 minutes into the second half.
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Its 15 minutes of time, not game time.
However I agree with both points you make.
I would change the 7 tackle restart just to kicks from outside the 20, and I agree, it shouldn't apply to try scoring opportunities
I also agree re HIA's, although the 15 min rule was applied to prevent teams from being too aggressive with their assessment. I agree that if the independent doctor at the ground clears them, then yes they should be able to go back on.
Good point here Brett abt the seven tackle sets.
The more technicalities you add to the game, the more chance either the refs get it wrong or the video ref intervenes and still probably gets it wrong. Eg adding the outside 20m rule.
The forward pass issues need to be rectified more than anything else. It's funny watching last night where Manly threw a forward pass from dummy half then went on to score only for a pass to be called forward that was backwards. That sums up the lottery that is forward passes right there
Fair points, Slippery. Don't disagree. Completely agree with you, Angry Eel, on the lottery of forward passes.
Panthers' first try, I believe, was off a marginally forward pass off dummy half (Kenny), and we lost a game because of an incorrect forward-pass ruling. We'd be potentially 2-2. No-one says boo about it.
Anything flat is a lottery. A long flat that floats forwards (due to physics) is highly susceptible to a wrong call.
But, in saying that, I think forward passes by dummy-halves are commonplace. How many did Hodgson throw? Some were embarrassingly forward (I like ours that get missed). Our completions would have gone down by probably 15% or so ( from 95% ) if we pinged them all.
Not sure everyone will be one board for forward pass technology.
Traditionalists and conservatives, for example.
They might hold, is it's just the nature of sport and human error occurs. Just let it flow. We don't want a stop-start game. It's part of its drama and theatre.
Also, there is an argument to say sure we may have lost a game earlier this year, but we may not have made the grand final if we had forward pass technology (Moses' dodgy pass). Swings and roundabouts. And all that kind of broad-brush thinking.
Additionally, I suspect forward pass technology might make cause some initial teething problems (especially at the ruck) and players would eventually need to evolve and pass more carefully.
Eventually, though, I'm inclined to think our game will need to adapt, evolve and catch up with other sports using technology for line-ball decisions for some time - like rugby union, tennis, cricket and so on. We're lagging behind, After all, we still play a game of inches that decide outcomes. The bottom line.
I see what you mean. We can go as far back as when Melbourne knocked us out of a semi with a forward pass. The fact is they are constantly getting these wrong and they are deciding the outcome of matches.I'd like to see the bunker rule on the howlers only when it's a try scoring situation. If we can at least get these right.
The ones from dummy half are up to the touch judge. I can live with these either way.
I agree re technicalities, but they don't get 40/20 rulings wrong. I don't think they'd get this one wrong
As far as forward passes are concerned, I've always said it's the passes out of DH that are marginally forward are the ones the refs need to clamp down on, because they are the ones that give teams an unearned advantage
Get rid of the 2 point field goal while you're at it
Why? I think it is a great rule, it adds another dimension to the game. That was a great finish to a quality game of footy against the Panthers.
Agreed
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