Well, well, well - a game finishing just after 9.30.

Speed of the game miles better, no time really to talk to Cummins.

All in all, very good!

Good introduction but don’t need to see the clock on the screen every time especially with Eddie getting worked up every time it gets close to running out.

If the referee blows for a penalty we’ll understand why without seeing the clock hit zero on screen.

Yep. Typical unnecessary hype from Eddie. It’s as if Sky RL are living in a little world of their own where they think they have to hype or try and make a talking point out of everything every single time it happens.

People were rightly worried that the shot clock would be an embarrassing gimmick. I think it’s worked very well in the 2 games I’ve seen it working. However Eddie and Sky could make it embarrassing if they continue as they’ve started.

HOW THE HE'LL is Chris Hill going to manage, he managed time wasting to a fine art last season but always when there was no camera's, all so his side/players, could re-set !

HOW THE HE'LL is Chris Hill going to manage, he managed time wasting to a fine art last season but always when there was no camera's, all so his side/players, could re-set !

saw thread title...immediately thought of this.

I think the shot clock should be accompanied by The Countdown music.

Give it time. I suspect the only reason it isn't is because no-one's thought of it. You might wish you'd kept quiet...

If we have a summer like last season there are going to be some huge scores given that the forwards aren’t going to have the same time to have a break and get some water down them as they did last season

"No cameras" but always when you were watching I presume which was how many times exactly last season to base your "fine art" opinion?

I also thought it was a bizarre statement to make, ive never seen him do that whilst watching in the flesh

Indeed. Would it have killed Sky's graphics team to integrate the shot clock timer into the score graphic, like Fox League have managed to?

The shot clock did indeed contribute to the game actually finishing on time - so that can't be a bad thing; when Sky get over the novelty, I can see it being a positive addition to the rules.

Did Hicks forget about the shot clock and stop the clock before the first scrum?

Yep. Watching the NRL you dont see such nonsense.

I was not a fan of stop clock seems a gimmick, believe the refs job to ensure there is no time wasting, but after last night changed my mind game a bit, game over at 9.30 got to watch Vikings and the Orville and TOTP 1987 before bed, last season game takes up you whole evening.

fan of the stop clock, not so sure about the need for the countdown in the corner of the tv though, get rid of that

only went to the screen once for video ref i believe which obv also helped the game finish earlier

lets hope it continues but can see the ref's retreating back to the old ways with the vid ref

it is harder for the refs now with the game being even quicker though, time for two refs asap

It did help, but I think it's also important to remember that Hicks only used the video ref once in the whole match, and even then it was an easy decision for the video ref to make.
We'll still see matches where the video ref is used way more than that, with contentious decisions, and the matches will last far longer as a result.

In reply to uncle ricco, Chris Hill did the deliberate time wasting in both matches at Belle Due mainly on his goal line & then scrums & broken play. This was spoken of on Wakey's forum at the time headlined cheating. Last season this issue was viewed at Leeds & spoken of on their forum, !!!!
Every one can't be wrong or are you saying it's a bias observation, however I do accept everyone reads things differently which is what opinions & forums are about !

Really like the shot clock. Made the game more enjoyable to watch.
Just didn't like how bad it looked having a huge box showing the clock at the game. They only need to add a small box to the scoreline/timer graphic in the same way that the NFL display the play clock.

It's a good job Danny Tickle retired

Took him about half a day to take a conversion

I think we'll see less and less views of the clock. It's only shown because it's a novelty. Great rule change though.

Just a thought but how does it work if a player collapses with a mystery injury at the scrum or drop out. Would play be held up or carry on, if he is in the way they will have to stop the game. Wonder if more cynical tactics could try this

Makinson already did that last night.