I've noticed this becoming more and more prominent in the games this year, although it has been going on for a while. Players diving forward when playing the ball in order to milk a penalty, it's just cheating. It has gotten worse in the last 12 months or so IMO, with it happening about twice every set of 6 nearly. There is no place for amateur dramatics in our game, and there is really no difference between doing that and footballers throwing themselves to the ground. I would hate for our sport to move towards football in the way players are faking being fouled.

I have also noticed the amount of times when a player puts in a grubber or high ball that they are running into defenders to make it appear like they have been taken out without the ball. Again, it's just cheating and a show of desperation when the kick looks like it's going to come to nothing. When the referee has to shout as a player for deliberately making it look like he was being interfered with when playing the ball, a penalty should be awarded to the defending team, or a turnover. The Wigan Vs Leeds game I heard several instances of Alibert shouting at the players to stop diving, if this is this case they should just be penalised imo.

Agree I have seen a increasing number of players doing this. All teams not singling any team out

If the refs stop blowing for penalties for these blatant dives, then the players will stop diving. Do what they do in football, yellow card for diving.

although i don't see it as diving i do think it needs tightening up on. Watching the repeat of the Salford/Saints game there was an occasion where the Saints player is moving forward into the markers at the ptb and in my opinion, trying to milk a penalty. the referee seems tells him so - 'you were moving forward'

what annoyed me a little was that by moving forward, he by-passed the two markers who ended up not square and off side. the hooker scooted away on the front font and neither marker could do anything about it. in my opinion, Saints got an advantage as a result and the referee should have penalised the tackled player for moving from the right spot.

diving per se isnt going to be an issue, but i think referees could be bolder in penalising a player who a) moves from the right spot or b) incorrectly plays a ball because he's tried to milk the situation. doing this would soon stop it.

I

are very good at this, and try to move off the mark at every oppurtunity. But again, unless it's clamped down on, players will continue to do it.

Senior moved forward into the markers for years at the PTB and got away with it. Agree it should stop but the RFL don't seem to have given out previous instructions to do so, why would they now?

It is diving though, as if a player at marker makes any contact with the player playing the ball they are throwing themselves to the ground as if they have been impeded, in the same manner footballers do. I think this is quite an issue as it's players trying to deceive the referee into awarding them something which they don't deserve. Moving off the mark isn't deceitful it just depends on how strictly the referee penalizes it.

Maybe a formal warning to the player for diving, then if it happens again a Sin binning, or a turnover in possession. Something so that players know if they are caught trying to milk a penalty there is a risk with it. At the moment the ref's are just giving repeated warnings which is not stopping it.

Players have always ' cheated ' , they always will , until they outlaw any contact between anybody at the PTB , and punish everybody that infringes it , it will carry on , at least a third of all PTB s could be pulled for interference or stepping off the mark

Always makes me chuckle when RL fans moan about footballers diving, there's no difference between a footballer diving and a RL player trying to make out he is being held down/interfered with in a tackle to win a penalty, which seems to happen 3 or 4 times in every set of six in some games - I've not noticed "diving" become more common to go along with that though.

I think the technical term for diving is "doing a Danny McGuire"

I was going to start a similar thread. I cringe when my own team players do it, especially Brent Webb.

Never noticed him doing it more than anyone else tbh.

Players moving off the mark is equally annoying, probably because, unlike the divers, they always get an advantage from it.

Both TV games at the weekend showed this in practically every PTB.

One way to stop it once and for all is for all clubs to get an iPitch. Players'll soon stop it once they're covered in [i'grass'[/i burns.

Once again, Widnes at the forefront. What a great anti cheating initiative - big up to the Vikings

Ive seen loads diving this season at the PTB but the refs seem to have wised up as i have yet to see them give a penalty for it. Loads of players move off the mark too, stealing yards while getting up and playing the ball. Now the refs have wised up to the diving its time they did the same to creeping forward when playing the ball.

It seems that in most matches, players getting back to their feet after a tackle will throw themselves prone if they feels any contact from the marker, in an attempt to milk a penalty; it's a bit pathetic and rather self-serving, as most ref's have got wise to it now and don't give a penalty, meaning that the likely result is a much slower ptb. It's even more pernicious when they do it combination with an arm raised at the ref in supplication, begging for a penalty - Tomkins & Brent Webb are the masters of that particular strategy, but I'm sure there are plenty of others.

Moving off the mark is another one that seems like standard fare and in my mind, needs sorting more urgently, for all the reasons that mmp has pointed out - it results in the markers not being square and allows the hooker to steal easy metres.

The problem with moving off the mark is not new, but the reason it is rapidly becoming endemic is because the refs almost totally ignore it. I am assuming that the instructions from on high about the PTB is to have a quick PTB at all costs, and this is why hundreds of PTBs every week you see the ball just rolled under the foot of a player striding forward into the marker, instead of being placed on the ground, and instead of being played with the foot.

Many players getting up to play the ball and as they do so, walk forward pretty much automatically now, stepping over the ball as they throw it backwards, and interfering with first marker, especially when the team has attacking momentum, (or even bypassing him as he stands in what should have been the correct marker position) yet penalties for this have become as rare as hens' teeth.

Any simulating, diving or whatever else you want to call it should be nipped in the bud immediately by the powers that be. Interesting to see a poster make a point in an earlier post about how he laughs when RL fans complain about Footballers diving.

As a more recent convert to the sport, in fact someone who has recently swapped a season ticket watching the football to a season ticket watching Rugby League I don't believe it is anywhere near as bad as football. In fact one of the very reasons I've become such a big fan of the sport is the honesty and tough nature of it. Something that football lost long ago. I also know a number of others who have started watching for the very same reasons as me and I believe Rugby League will continue to win fans over from football for those very reasons.

I was watching a programme earlier on Sky sports about the Premier League 10 years ago and there were clips of tackles for which players get red carded for these days but then, they weren't even getting a yellow card. It was the same with diving, there were much fewer players those days who dived, primarily because it was still frowned upon. Unfortunately it now seems to be accepted.

And that's my point with Rugby League. If they don't take a zero policy to it now. It will creep into the sport more and more and more in my opinion.

I've not got a problem with it as they are more often than not just rewarding their own team with a slower play the ball. Referees aren't fooled by someone diving.

The real problem they need to tackle is the negative tactics at the PTB. Flopping on, holding down and hands on the player whilst he's playing the ball are all penalisable but it doesn't happen anywhere near as often as it should. Sort that element so the attacking team cannot be slowed down by anything other than a dominant tackle and the game will progress.

Its much worse this year.
tbf we got penalised for it on sunay and rightly so; it must be clamped out immediately, if our sport turns into the oscar bait that is soccer then we are in trouble

What annoys me is the constant warnings by ref's, with no follow up action; player a) chucks himself on the floor and throws up an arm to appeal for a penalty - ref waves it off and says '"Get on with it," indicating that he knew it was play-acting but is choosing to ignore the offence. If they start penalising every instance of this blatant and pretty lowlife form of cheating, coaches will stop their players doing it and move on to a new cheating tactic.

What riles me, is the referees that actually do reward this blatant form of diving/cheating.
Certain teams/crowds are better at it than some - but some officials need to get a back bone and see things for what they are. Only Ganson would likely have the 'balls' to give a 'diving' penalty call IMO

I love a proper game when there's a small penalty count and the players just get on with it.

This was the point I was trying to make, it's not as if the referee's are oblivious to it happening, it's the fact that they are not punishing players when they recognize it happening. I'm not sure what the official rules are on this, or even if there are any. If not, i would say a warning, if it happens again then a Sin Binning and penalty to the defending team.

I would say the 'deliberate' tackling of a dummy runner when a game is on Sky is becoming more apparent too as players know any slight contact will result in the try getting disallowed.

It was good to see Maguire get penalised for his effort blocking Richards on Friday though.

Nail on the head.

It does seem the attacking side can get away with "bending the rules"

In the Saints Salford game, SIlverwood pinged Salford 3 times for pushing the man playing the ball, then a tackle later, the Saints player pushed the Salford player and nothing was given.