The finals proved it's time to scrap the six-again rule - NRL News - Zero Tackle
The Penrith Panthers won the 2021 NRL premiership, the Bulldogs were deserved wooden spooners and there were 9,219 points scored across the 201 games played.
That is a heck of a lot of points, in fact, it translates to an average of 45.8 per game, seemingly a perfect result for the powers at be seeking to open up the contest and entertain crowds with a cavalcade of point-scoring.
That intention was met in spades throughout the home and away season, with consistently mammoth scores put on by the dominant sides and the battlers subjected to endless time behind the try line, waiting for conversion attempts and unable to halt the momentum.
Much of that scoring came off the back of the first full season of the NRL's automatic six-again rule. It saw teams frequently enjoy between 10 and 20 tackles with the ball in hand and the inevitable points tallied on the scoreboard.
Whilst that may have been mighty fun for the team racking up the numbers, their opponents and its fans briskly lost interest. The chasm between the top six teams in the competition and the majority who, let's face it, were making up the numbers whilst the elite battled things out for the chance at a premiership, was vast.
That chasm was only widened by the still newish rule that supposedly rewards teams adhering to the rules and those subsequently able to take advantage of consecutive sets in attack. Such advantage comes at the expense of the 'naughty' teams, those incapable of resisting the infringements that draw the dreaded and disturbing sound that coincides with a six again decision awarded by a whistle blower.
The core problem with such a situation was that refereeing in the NRL was once again as inconsistent as ever and the lop-sided score lines created nothing but disinterest for fans of the teams on the end of frequent drubbings.
It might be easy and simplistic to suggest that the teams copping the beltings should do themselves a favour and improve quickly, citing their flaws as deserved reasons for the embarrassing losses they took at different stages of the season. However, history tells us that very few, if any, NRL titles have been won by underserving teams and the cream will always rise to the top no matter how close the score lines become.
In short, there is no need for teams to be belted by 40 when a smaller margin would still announce the dominance of their conqueror. The NRL appeared to encourage such hidings with a somewhat arbitrary enforcement of its new rule by referees, which in turn frazzled the feelings of the fans of the lesser lights, who would normally have taken some pride in their team's losing yet brave effort in years gone by.
In short, the NRL widened the gap between the good and ordinary and the competition's attendance figures would have suffered outside of another pandemic affected season.
Then, the finals came, referees whistles appeared to lose their peas and a gripping play-off series where defence once again became the deciding factor took place.
A total of 331 points were scored across nine finals' matches at an average of 36.7 points per game, despite the fact that two of those matches actually chalked up in excess of 50 points.
In the remaining matches, the finals' football played was far superior to some of the 'up and back' rubbish witnessed throughout the season. Sure, the competition was more even, yet there were few better games all year than South Sydney's 16-10 win over Penrith in Week 1 of the finals, or the gripping 8-6 score line that saw the Panthers conquer the Eels and advance to the preliminary final.
When the Storm and Panthers fought out a 16-point epic the following week and the grand final produced just 26 points, as the Panthers redeemed themselves 12 months after their tragic loss to Melbourne, the evidence firmly suggested that fans were enraptured with the style of football they were witnessing.
The toughness and discipline shown during those matches was far more entertaining than the try after try farce they had frequently witnessed during the regular season, with little defence in sight and the referee holding the fate of teams in his/her hands based on an interpretation.
The NRL could do far worse than admit fault and ditch what proved to be a terrific rule for a handful of clubs and nothing but a rod in the back of others attempting to improve and sneak closer to the elite.
If the finals proved anything at all, it was that the set restart did very little to improve the game in 2021.
Replies
What a complete load of rubbish. The reason there were blowouts during the regular season was that the new rules sorted the wheat from the chaff. The reason the finals were close and a good/exciting contest was because the best teams were in the finals and were competitive against each other. The comp played out as it should. Best year of footy in a long time.
6 agains are rarely being called if it is not 1st or 2nd tackle. The rules right now are bloody broken because the refs are too soft to give them away late in the penalty count.
A 6 again in your own half or on 0, 1 or 2 tackle should change to a penalty blown and kick for touch imo.
This^
This is a post that I agree with as far as the primary rules regarding the extra sets to the attacking team, in the end though, we also saw the wonders of the Riffs, liason with the refs, where there were huge discrpancies in the ignoring of basic rules, and their own interpretations on tackles, eg: 4 riff players holding on to tackled player in mid air and being carried across the field for some distance, is not the rules say that being tackled is where the attack stops and how far are they allowed to carry a player when he is unable to play the ball, stand up or the like. It happened on more than one occassion and nothing from the ref on it.
Likewise their hero captain, how many leg pulls, that is real ones that he goes behind the tackled player and pulls his leg, (not a joke type either) again not just once either.
What of almost every play the ball, especially on last tackle, a decoy stood at the side of the play the ball to block a defender from getting to the player who ran with the ball, does that not mean a shepherd, or were they out in the paddock watching for the sheep?
When a player is tackled and then his tackler rolls the player with the ball over the sideline, oh that's momentum!
Unless I am mistaken, and no doubt I am as rules have changed, that when a player with the ball is stopped in a tackle, that is when he is to play the ball, but how often, that is in what part of every tackle is the defence continually working the player by twists, holding up, lying over the player, often when the player is bent over on his knees, and unable to play the ball. At which point and time, is the tackled player allowed by the defence, to get up to play the ball, the one on top however does a cursory glance to both sides to see that his team is in the right spots, usually creeping up offside to the side with the ball.
Where is the refs in all of this?
My view is simple as nothing will come from the NRL bosses, but the 6 agains do not benefit the attacking side, rather the old scrum would be of more benefit as it allows the team whose turn & right to have the run, with the ball.
For me, I would much prefer to see a scrum instead of the 6 agains, or 1 again. At worst, rather than the 6 again, I would prefer to see the 2 ref system, along with the touch judges able to call the on field refs to report blatant off side, and other illegal plays.
This "block a defender from getting to the player who ran with the ball" was one of my pet hates this year. The slepper was outlawaed years ago.
Its getting tiresome how we have crack downs for a couple weeks (high tackles this year) and then in a few years sometimes even weeks those crack downs are a distant memory.
Rather then a scrum i would prefer that its the captains choice, if he wants the 6 again then play on, if he wants a penalty then he lets the ref know. We dont need 2 refs we just need the touch judge to do his job he already has the power just rarely uses it and bring back in the 5min sin bin for repeat offenders and use it, this will cause a decrease . Maybe even allowed able to re-enter play after a try is scored?
For me its actual got to the points where sometimes I am more annoyed when a penalty is called because of the amount of time that same incident wasnt called. Example, how many forward passes to you see from Dummy half that never get called then suddenly the ref will have a brain fart and call it forward,
I don't like the six agains either Colin as there is a lot of room to structure the advantages I do however think something else needs to be replaced to stop cheating. Tele 1 made a great point about reintroducing competitive scrUms with the ref feeding the scrum. There needs to be an actual authentic purpose for a scrum to mean something as part of a competitive aspect to the game. What is the purpose of having a scrum when 99.9% of the time you know who gets possession. That adds to predictability which doesn, t add much to the spectacle Of the game .
What the note for? Don't make any sense
Tele 1 made a great point about reintroducing competitive scrUms with the ref feeding the scrum. There needs to be an actual authentic purpose for a scrum to mean something as part of a competitive aspect to the game.
So Tad can buy a 6 pack on me.....you might also notice it's the $20 note used when scrums were REAL
Thanks Tele I will remember you in my will
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