For me this issue is not down to the laws of the game but how the men who play it want to show themselves.

Rugby is running the ball in and taking big hits, this should be the case down to the final whistle. I don't like to see players drop to the deck, I find it soft.

I don't like to see a player just run the ball out, Leeds did it in the play-offs at our place but there is no rule in place to stop it. I think running the ball over the dead ball line on purpose to stop play and win the game could result in a drop out to stop this.

Good post, although it doesn't need a rule change IMO.

Can't stamp out timewasting completely - you know if you're a score behind and the oppo are in possesion with 20 seconds to go, then you didn't do enough in the preceding 79:40.

Isn't the voluntary tackle only if you play the ball without being tackled? i.e. you go down to make a quick tackle and get up to play the ball to make the defence retreat, but no-one has actually touched you?

I remember seeing Stanley Gene do this a few years ago when he was at Huddersfield and get penalised.

Uh oh.

Beware the Bradford Mafia.

The voluntary tackle rule was never about players not getting to their feet after falling on a loose ball or deliberatley going to ground to avoid being taken into touch or in-goal. It was purely to stop players conceding in a tackle and playing the ball quickly in a deliberate attempt to catch the opposition offside. They have surrender and dominant tackle interpretations now to help solve this situation instead.

You need to play the ball before you're penalised.
Sometimes you'll see some ridiculous situations where a player hasn't heard the call to play on. They should just allow the ptb as the attacker is still at a disadvantage for losing a tackle

Which title was that then...?

When Chris Joynt deliberately fell to the floor, without a hand being laid on him with about 10secs to go. Brafurt should have had a penalty from a kick-able spot and would have won the game.

One more victory for the masters of sly St Smellys.

That is exactly the reason.

Just to make Wheels' day...

The Chris Joynt incident didnt deserve a penalty. Discuss.

To me a voluntary tackle is one of those offenses which should not be penalised every time. It is not important enough to pull up every single time, just like a slight offside, holding down or an incorrect ptb. Instead the referee should warn the team not to do it again and should only blow for repeat offenses.

Therefore, Joynt is spared from being the man whose actions wrongly decided a whole season's worth of RL fixtures.

Now the case is closed we can move on.

1) it's not a tackle. voluntary or otherwise.

2) they are penalised - by a scrum with head and feed going to the opposition

Sam Tomkins is the king of the voluntary tackle, goes to ground like a good un.

could be wrong but im sure a wigan player just fell on a ball on his line and stayed down without being touched with hull players pointing it out to the ref late on in the 86 cup final.no pen was given then,and ive never seen one given since anyway.
it is cheating in my eyes,but then so is a forward pass and players feigning foul play at the play the ball,and a lot of that goes unpunished

He certainly doesn't like being tackled does he? As soon as a hand is laid on him he hits the deck.

I'm not sure now if it was clear what I was on about.

Should someone who catches a ball from a kick off and deliberately runs/carries the ball into touch for no other reason than to use up the remaining few seconds of a game, be penalised for doing so. Almost as you would for a voluntary tackle.

Interesting theory, could provoke a lot of discussion.

I think that the voluntary tackle should be enforced, also deliberatly pushing the ball out of play behind the touch in goal should be penalised. My reasoning for this is (in my opinion) that the players of both sides should be required to keep the ball & their selfs in play at all times. diving to the ground just over the try line stops the player being pushed back into goal or touch it also prevents a one on one ball steal it kills off variables in the game. It is also my opinion that a player should make all eforts to control the ball in the in goal & attempt to return the ball into the field of play. It is for the same reason I would penalise a ball kicked dead in goal. As barrie Mac keeps saying keep the ball on the island.

to illustrate the point I was thinking about. Have a look at the Warriors v Tigers game in the NRL today and see how that finishes.

Should there be a penalty?

Yes I think all players should be compelled to keep the ball in play at all times & should be penalised for not doing so. Players who drop the ball well down field after they have been brought back by the refs whistle should also be penalised. Every time a second is wasted it is a second that we fans have paid to see & it may be the second that your team may have needed to save or win a game.

How can you penalise someone when they are not breaking any of the laws of the game?

And, if the question is should we change the rule – no. Our game is based on possession of the football and If possession is so vital in the last few seconds of a game then the team needing it should be innovative about gaining it

Yep, fair call Dunbar.

I was outraged that my thread was ever locked in the first place. What were you thinking of?

I know, it was never even a voluntary tackle in the first place.