Reading an article recently apparently Wayne Bennett has proposed a change in the rules around the play-the-ball, and infringements by the defending team.

His suggestion is that any "penalties" such as not square, interference at the PTB would mean the tackle count is wiped clean and play continues uninterrupted, as opposed to being stopped, kick to touch etc, - I guess the intention being to stop teams giving away cheap penalties to break up attacking momentum.

Based on some of the play-the-balls at the back end of last season, it'd end up like tick and pass!

Whilst it may give 'continuity' it would still allow the defence extra time to get set, remove the opportunity for territorial advantage with a kick to touch, and eliminate the option to kick for goal.

So I'm not seeing the 'benefit' for the attacking team, and therefore IMHO the defending team is being penalised to a lesser extent, which therefore may increase rather than reduce the number of infringements.

Got to agree Shiny...especially early on in the tackle count, say 1 or 2, if your ragged and on the back foot defensively will teams use it to get set?

The referee need only to shout something to indicate that there has been an infringement but then to signal six more tackles - no need to pause the game for even a second. Only if there is constant and persistant infringements would the referee need to take action and bin a player, but even then that could be at the next break in play. The attacking team should still be able to keep the choice to kick for touch/goal if they choose (as long as they haven't played on after the referee has indicated an infringement).

Personally I think it is a good idea, very workable, and could be good for the game, BUT the problem could be the referees who could completely change the interpretation of the rule to suit occasions for which it isn't designed such as they have this season with the 'pass after held called' rule.

Didnt they do something similar to this in one of the games down under, end of last year - certainly speeded up play, but the commentators were saying the game would need to be split into 4 quarters, as by the end of the first half they blowing out of their bottoms.
IIRC it was for ANY penalty that the tackle count could go back to 6, not just ptb infringements.