Quote ="Andy Gilder"IMO the slowing down of the play the ball was necessary - SL had evolved into five scoots and a kick, with teams intent on finding the floor quickly to enable their nippy players to get out of dummy half.
Making more use of the surrender call where a player deliberately goes off his feet as soon as he is touched means that this kind of play isnt rewarded as much as it was.
Over time, teams and players will have to come up with strategies to break down a set defence rather than just relying on quick play the balls, which will benefit the game in this country.'"
We have gone from one extreme to another. The game has been dumbed down, because the defensive team requires no skill to keep hold of the player for longer. The majority of slow play the balls aren't because players are wrestling on the floor, or putting the player on his back, or putting more players into each tackle. The referees are just watching on as players don't let the player get up. They even turn around to look at the ref, to see if he is losing his patience.
It is not only boring to watch, its embarrassing.
I am quite happy having slower play the balls, if the defence earns. It has to be fair, and teams have to be rewarded for skill.
A slower game will require teams to do more than scoot and get a back pedalling defence to punch holes in. Hopefully this will bring back talented game opening scrum halfs.
But, it must be a middle ground. Not the rubbish we have been subjected to this season.
I have only seen one NRL game this season, but they seem to have gotten it right. There ruck was fair and no nonsense. You stopped thinking about interference at the PTB, and just enjoyed the game.
Roby is a great kid and i think when the time comes he will step in to KC's shoes but we look a far better team when cunningham is the pitch END OF!!!!
