Interesting concept being trialled in the annual Rugby League All-Star match in Australia. Three potential new rules to be trialled. Not sure about the third rule. Initial thoughts that it would make the game too unionesque. (Is that even a word?) www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 6212746691. Discuss.

Interesting concept being trialled in the annual Rugby League All-Star match in Australia. Three potential new rules to be trialled. Not sure about the third rule. Initial thoughts that it would make the game too unionesque. (Is that even a word?) www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 6212746691. Discuss.

Crap all of them.

Gimmicky bollox.

What next?

How about at half time each coach can nominate two players from the opposing team to have their opposite legs tied together in a three-legged-race stylie for the remainder of the game?

...or maybe they should reduce the size of the ball every ten minutes so by the end of the game they're playing with a ball the size of a peanut?

The Power Play sounds dire though you could tire the opposition for four minutes before the inevitable try.
The other two seem to help the defence more than attacking play.
The 20-40 just seems like a way of helping out teams struggling to get out from under the posts.
Not sure what benefit swapping a penalty for another six tackles 'on the run' for ruck infringements is to the attacking side. Surely you'd want to kick for touch, or if close enough and the right situation, kick for goal.

a great innovation would be for the RFL to appoint linos who are actually capable of spotting the forward pass,especially at Headingley - cue Tim Roby who I hope will have been to Specsavers.....

Power Play sounds like someone has drunk the full bottle of Benylin instead of one teaspoon every four hours.

Six to Go sounds reasonable and should keep the game flowing nicely.

20-40 is just a logical extension of the 40-20 rule but will confuse the hell out of most supporters, I suggest a big fekk-off "40" and a big fekk-off "20" written across the pitch in the relevant locations to aid judgement although in retrospect that will probably make things worse as some means of highlighting the attempt and which line to keep an eye on would be required, I suggest a crazy organ player to play a short ditty as the ball is in the air in the style of Ice Hockey games when decision breaks take place.

What a load of rubbish. We already have enough rules for referees and players to take on board. Tighten up and clear up the rules we already have and the game will flow as fast as is needed.

I can see 6 to go working, possibly even the 20/40, but that Power Play gimmick is simply reducing our great game down to a Benny Hill comedy level.

Right up Redhall's street then!

Love the idea of the six to go rule, should increase the speed of an already quick game, makes it more entertaining to watch and be a part of. However, the other two ideas are woeful.

Six to go might have some mileage....but the power play is a suggestion that begs the question have some RU interlopers bedded themselves in to attempt further mockery to be heaped on the sport hastening its demise. Bluddy ridiculous idea.

Don't like any of them, with the 6 to go, on the first or zero tackle if the defenders are on the back foot then their penatly will really only be 1 extra tackle, rather than the attackers getting field position from a kick to touch and the extra tackle

I don't like any of them ideas. The 6 to go is the best of a bad bunch, but the power play is pap!!!

Another take on a 'power play' could be you get say 2/3 consecutive sets without having to turn over possession, obviously knocking on or kicking it within this would see it used up though.

As most have said the powerplay is just plain daft.

The 20/40 I don't like - we have a good balance of kicking vs running/passing in our game. The 20/40 gives fullbacks a chance to kick for position (while under relatively little pressure) rather than run the ball back - lets not go down the union path.

The 6 to go I like a lot. Sometimes 2 points in a close game (or worse during golden point) is out of proportion to a minor technical offence. I also think sometimes giving away a penalty can take the momentum out of the attack and give the defense an undeserved chance to regroup.

Good point, never thought of that angle, yeah its a bad idea.





Very true and the no stoppage in play is the bit that appeals.

apparently the kick and clap brigade are to trial something similar at next weekends east bedford oldiensians versus cambridge scholars victorious expundai clash
Both sides will call a halt to proceedings for 5 minutes,during which 2 big sack full of balls will be scattered randomly in front of both sets of posts and all 15 players from each side will take conversions or drop goals,all points will be counted on the final score too

The six-to-go rule is the best of the bunch on the face of it. It will never work though. Who decides if the penalty awarded is a 'six-to-go' penalty or whether a normal penalty is awarded? Does the coach chose, does the referee chose, does the captain chose?

When there's a set to on the field, the ref lets the action unfold and with every blow landed an extra ball is lobbed onto the pitch. When said balls are "live" and retrieved by a player they can then signal for a kicking tee brought on by remote control car and kick for goal. If 3 points are landed from this in a row the scoreboard will be used by the video ref to declare "tilt", "multiball frenzy" or "careful, stop nudging the machine" at his discresion.

what a joke there just takeing the pi$$ now

Don't let the RFL get a sniff of it FFS !

With the powerplay, assuming you are almost certain to concede a try during that period, why bother killing yourselves for 5 minutes trying to defend against the inevitable when you could just deliberately concede the try straight away and get your 2 players back on the pitch. Am I missing something?

You have a spark of an idea there.

What would be better though is if the remote control car could have a kicking tee mounted on top of it with a ball positioned ready for kicking - when an all-in biff starts the car would be sent out on the pitch to describe random circles around the fight, any player who can take a kick while the vehicle is in motion gets six points if he lands a goal.

I can see a 26 player biff suddenly breaking up into a frantic Benny Hill style chase around the pitch with lots of desperate air kicks and resulting hilarity, surely the BBC would be interested since they ditched Its A Knockout ?

I like the way your going with this. To add, if I may, all spectators are given a kazoo on entry to play the benny hill theme tune during the kerfuffle and said monies are put into a "jackpot" which the winning team can donate to the RFL's "keep Sam Tomkins in league" fund.

how about a really radical approach ?

let's play without a ball !

I used to do it with golf and played some superb shots !

It's 106 years since the game of rugby got it's greatest ever rule change - the reduction from 15 to 13-a-side.

It provided space for try-scoring to be the main emphasis of the game, unlike Union where the game has always been (and is increasingly so IMO) about kicking to win. Most of the rule changes since them have similarly been designed to make the game faster and more entertaining. This 'powerplay' concept though is just ridiculous. It's not as if we don't get high-scoring games in both the NRL and SL without having to force the issue any further.

What next - The 9-a-side Challenge Cup competition?