as this is the off season i was wondering if any of you had any thoughts regarding which rule changes or even any totally new ideas you would like to see introduced into our game to improve it? i love this idea of matty johns' as wrestling is certainly stifling our game and is reducing the opportunities for any of the skillful players to get a bit more time on the ball to create things www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pre ... 7138679159 i personally don't like how the australian national side in this seasons 4 nations persisted in taking out shaun johnson after he had put the ball down field,they also made sure that he was put to ground so that he couldn't run up field to then put his players onside i hope this does not creep into our game thoughts...........

as this is the off season i was wondering if any of you had any thoughts regarding which rule changes or even any totally new ideas you would like to see introduced into our game to improve it? i love this idea of matty johns' as wrestling is certainly stifling our game and is reducing the opportunities for any of the skillful players to get a bit more time on the ball to create things www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pre ... 7138679159 i personally don't like how the australian national side in this seasons 4 nations persisted in taking out shaun johnson after he had put the ball down field,they also made sure that he was put to ground so that he couldn't run up field to then put his players onside i hope this does not creep into our game thoughts...........

I definitely agree with Johns that we need some way of opening the game up.

I'm not entirely sure his solution is perhaps the way to do it. I see what he's saying but reducing the interchanges could have the opposite effect of replacing bigger, less mobile forwards with smaller, fitter workhorses. So it could actually close down space rather than open it up.

Open the game up further?

Could always keep teams 20 metres apart instead of 10.

Or how about playing touch or tag instead?

Call it Super Scoot League.

You need to get with the times William, it's not 2006, there has been relatively little DH scoots over the last few years, partly thanks to a better interpretation of the not square at marker rule.

I realise you're a modernist who believes the game is improving and just gets better and better. Oink! Oink!

We really don't require a return to 2006 standards either, do we?

Might register a rare win against Australia if we did

I think the ball stripping rules need looking at. Its pretty much a lottery when the ball comes out.
Put the emphasis on the ball carrier to have a good grip on the ball

Lol. Its not like you to try and twist away from where you've c0cked up.

Want to tell us more about all these scoots from dummy half in 2014?

No?

Sid Domic & Ade Gardner by plenty.

ROFLMAO

I'm sorry you missed Man of Steel winner Daryl Clark's trademark dummy half scoots which earned him the award.

Where were you in 2014?

Thanks for bringing him up. He's 1 of 3 players in the top 50 metre makers. You know what position those 3 play? I'll give you a clue, the other 47 aren't hookers. You need to watch more than just the highlights on the Super League Show you know.

But don't let the facts get in the way of a good rant eh. You stick to your 2006 era if you like. Lol. Sid Domic & Ade Gardner.







Anything to add to the actual topic by the way?

Reduce the team to 11 players, you could easily lose two forwards and not even notice at scrum time.

And make the pitch ten metres wider on each side, which may bugger up most grounds, so play the game across the field rather than lengthways, like the schoolkids do at half time.

play the ball like they do in American football,cos gone have the days when you put the ball down and play it with your foot.

im with you on this. would also like to see all balls going to ground (except kicks) as knock on. no ambiguity of if it went forward or back. you drop it, its knock on.
and get rid of the "flat pass" its never flat, its bloody forward

Scrap the "free play", scrap the "if the balls moving near the touch in goal/touch line, you can step over the line and make it dead so you get the ball" rule.

If you kick the ball from within your own half and it goes over the in goal line, tap on the 40 rather than 20.

I like the free play rule personally. It removes the grey area and leaves no room for interpretation which I think is a good thing when you consider the amount 50/50 decisions referees have to make in a game.

I think removing the "foot over the line dead ball rule" mentioned above is also a good idea.

As for the interchanges, and ways to cut out the wrestle. how about we leave things as they are and coaches think of new ways to counter that with their attacking play?

Don't agree at all it should be a knock on if it goes forward. Any ball hitting the floor given as knock on is ridiculous

Not sure if I understand the point you make and if I mis understand I appologies. But is not just hookers who scoot, i imagine there are a fair few wingers and FB in there who do a fair bit of scooting

care to explain? if it hits the floor the player obviously didnt intend to do it, this way refs wouldn't need to guess about if it went forwards of back. would hardly call it "ridiculous" as the poster before says, its the 50/50s we need to cut down on, then fans can not moan. if a player can not catch a pass or the passer not make a good pass they should be penalised.

I've argued for many years that we should have six substitutions (no interchange once you're off you're off) I would have eight substitutes on the bench and two of those should be 21 or under at the start of the season.

Allow ball stripping, make it the ball carriers responsibility to keep hold of it.

And finally, if the ball goes dead from a kick then the tap should be either from the 20 as is now OR from where the ball was kicked. That should stop teams just kicking the ball dead from 40 and 50 metres or more.

I agree with Johns on both the problem he highlights and his solution. The entertainment aspect to the game has deteriorated since teams have filled their benches with lookalike second-rowers whose sole purpose and skill is defence. This has reduced the chances and with it the experience for young backs which is a reason IMO for the drop in standards in backs and half backs.

I would also consider limiting the number of defenders allowed in the tackle which should quicken up the PTB.

New Rule No. 1
After Team A has scored a try, Team B restarts the game with a tap on the half way line. (Like they do in soccer)

New Rule No. 2
Team A can not kick on the fifth tackle when it is in Team B's half of the field.

Unfortunately you can't allow ball stripping with full time pro's. Teams training would simply shift from the wrestle to having 2 defenders hold the attackers arms and the 3rd steal the ball. It would also encourage players to simply wrap the ball up rather than look for a pass or an offload.

Re the ball being kicked dead. To bring that rule in we'd need far bigger in-goals. Some are tiny at the moment even without a full size pitch.
I also don't think it's necessary. 20m is a perfectly reasonable gain for the team. If it wasn't then teams wouldn't be willing to let the ball go dead, yet they do on nearly every occasion.

I sort of agree on the subs, I just don't know if it'll have the desired effect or if it would lead to even fitter workhorses if you can't use a Feka or a Lauitiiti.

Bring back the shoulder charge.

The ball has to be passed backwards - no flat pass.

A drop out has to be taken within a given timeframe i.e. 30 seconds - teams simply delay the drop out to get a rest.

Your wanting a rule where if the ball clearly goes backwards you still want a knock on decision. Ridiculous idea I'm my book

Getting rid of the national anthem at internationals would improve my enjoyment immensely.