A while ago we had a thread regarding rule changes we would like to see in RL.

I put down the fumble rule so that it prevented the argument of what was a knock on.

Anyway someone , I think, mentioned changing the points system , and thinking about it a bit further there could be merit in it.

So here is my take on scoring points in RL.

1 point for a drop goal: No need to change this as it is a fine rule that works well

2 points for a conversion: Again no reason to change.

now the "fun"


3 points for a technical foul penalty, if scored, for off side, obstruction, ball stealing..... Should sharpen a few minds and be brought in with stopping the match officials telling the players what offside is and shouting MOVE. It really is annoying that the players are too dim to know what offside is and have to be told.

4 points for a foul play penalty,if scored, for punching, tripping, gouging, head high etc plus an automatic sin bin minimum. Again will focus the players minds on a better tackling technique.

4 points as it stands, for a try scored through a kick, no matter what type because the aerial ping pong is a lottery 90% of the time as is the grubber and I think it detracts from the game but is worthy of points.

5 points for a try scored by a passing movement. This, besides the one man barge is really the essence of the game and should deserve the highest reward.

Anyway there it is for your views, variations etc..

It would change the change the game if applied and probably , initially, cause confusion but would also help clean up the worst parts of the game and make it even more of a spectacle than it is at present.

Why stop there?

6 points for a try scored from a PTB in your own half and involving a kick
7 points for a try scored from a PTB in your own half not involving a kick
8 points for a try scored from behind your own goalline and involving a kick
9 points for a try scored from behind your own goalline not involving a kick
10 points for a try involving a prop.
11 points for a try involving a prop putting boot to ball.

That should confuse us enough to have a mass debate after every try to work out what it was worth.

PS I put mass debate without realising the double entrentre!

The refs are confusing as it is now

Two simple rule changes to the game....

1. Once you get an international cap, you can't change. Then you wear your nations flag under your name on your club shirt.

2. Tries scored from a kick don't get a conversion chance.

Once the ref calls "held" the ball is no longer "live" until it's played (with the foot). Gets rid of all the ball stealing/knock on/trapped arms rubbish.

The game is already the greatest sport in the world. No need to change anything. Except touch judges with enough courage to shout for a forward pass when there is one. I've seen some shockers this year.

So what do you do when someone knocks on, or steals the ball, or lies on too long?

That's not a bad call.



Agree about the forward passes. Gives the ref one less thing to do in an already difficult job. I think we have the greatest game because we have learnt to adapt, bring in new rules, improvements and technology.

The ball is picked up by the tackled player and he plays it - putting the ball back in play. If someone lies on too long, it's a penalty.

Seems like a good suggestion to me. Often it's a 50/50 call by the ref as to whether it's a steal or a knock-on and a penalty is a big punishment.

I agree totally. Seems a decent way to tidy up the play the ball and reduce the amount of penalties, it would stop players leaving hands in the tackle.

We could have the video ref award points based on style and technical difficulty.

I could live with that

I would look at the "kicking try" and the "passing try". For instance any try scored as a result of a kick within the defending sides 25 metres given 3 points for a try. Any other try by passing or long range kick given the usual 4 points.

Last season we were getting a lot of trys scored from speculative kicks and less from skilful passing movements. Even this season teams who can,t break through the defensive line, resort to "stab kicks" from 5 to 10 metres through gaps and wait for a lucky bounce.

Or maybe, what someone else has suggested a "kick try" dos,nt get awarded with a conversion.

A ball kicked out on the full should only be a tap restart from where the ball was kicked and not a penalty.

1. Players able to play for any country that they hold citizenship/passport for, without needing cooling off periods to switch or hear the moans of people who don't understand dual citizenship complaining about other people being multi-national. Get rid of residency and Grandparent rule.
2. Get rid of touch judges and replace them with two assistant refs. As refs they will have more duties and more onus on them to call fouls/offsides/forward passes. 1st assistant ref takes over refing the game if the ref gets injured, so for big games (like the CC or Grand Final) you would expect the top 4 refs to be involved, with the 5th in line as reserve.
3. "Fumble" (that hits the ground/other player) to replace "knock on". Players allowed to juggle ball/bounce it off their own feet/etc without it counting as a fumble.
4. Older players get more points for scoring trys, as they are older and can't run as well. Possibly trys scored on a bell curve with youngsters who are not really old enough to be playing also getting extra points. Australians only get a maximum of 2 points for scoring a try.

If anyone remembers the Daryl Goulding no try on Friday, that rule is definatly wrong. To allow a defender to prevent a certain try by punching out the ball only to concede a penalty is nonesense imo.

I agree with the poster who said once you have played for one nation you cannot play for another.

I don't agree with the crossing penalty either. What's wrong with a dummy runner going through as long as he doesn't make contact and actually obstruct someone who has a chance of making the tackle.

I think the OP sounds like something Phil Clarke would gab on about.

For me;
Get rid of corner flags
Two refs on pitch
Get rid of all that 'MOVE' 'SURRENDER' 'GLADIATORS... READY?' business

Reduced points or no conversion attempt for a try resulting from a kick is a very interesting idea. But, If you say that I would say you have to consider scooting from dummy half from a metre out; not always the most skillful score either.

I agree with Jonny about internationals. You pick a nation, stick with it and you wear their flag on your jersey.

WOuld also say clubs who win CC, SL, Minor Premiers, WCC can put an emblem on their jersey for the season after.

And the video refereeing panel say:

5.9. 5.9. 6.0. 6.0 5.1

"5.1 from the Wigan ref there as it's Saints."



Brilliant!

2 ref system not working in NRL. Why employ it here?

How about time being off from the moment a try is scored right up to the kick restart to prevent time wasting by the try scoring team / slow restart.

What's so awful about kicked trys? Watching Wigan this season I've been privileged to have seen many great passing trys and kicked trys. If you are going to disencentivise any try make it the barge over try or as I like to call it the fat lads flop over try.

all headhigh challenges, delaying the PTB, late Challenges on the kicker, Spear tackles, punished by a penalty and 5 mins in the sin bin for the offender, they would be gone out of our game within a month

move out the corner flags, its a pointless anomoly that you only need to touch the flag and not the ground to be in touch.

Speed up the PTB to movement immediately on completeion of the tackle, but allow to markers to stand side by side to stop the scoot.

1. When an attacking team kicks the ball over the dead ball line from beyond 30 yards out, the defending team should start their set from where the ball was kicked.

2. When the VR is in use, the referee should be allowed to use it to determine how a ball has come loose, instead of using pure guesswork (a long-standing bugbear of mine).

3. Get rid of 'On Report'. It's either foul play or it isn't, sin-binning or sending off.

They should let biffs build and fizzle out naturally like they do in ice hockey.

Who on earth wants to get rid of Surrender?????? It isnt used enough.
Rugby League must be the only game where the attacker wants to be on the floor and the 'tackler' is trying to prevent them from finding the floor.
Its all gotten a bit ridiculous.

one other thing i would look at is when a player is running the ball out of the in-goal area. I understand the reasons for allowing them to dive for the line, but you get players 2/3 metres further forward diving to the ground and just laying there.

Instead of a voluntary tackle, I would look at it counting twice. So you can chose to give up the tackle but you lose another for it, or you can contest the contact, risk being pushed back in the in goal area but save a tackle