Clear up the new rule about players being pushed/dragged into touch? On 2 different occasions yesterday somebody was pulled into touch, one was with a Warrington player being lifted up and dragged, the other one was a Huddersfield player being dragged across the floor into touch, and both were given as penalties to the attacking side.

So what is the actual rule?

it supposed to be when one leg or both are raised in the tackle it's deemed to be complete sure someone will goggle it though

I thought you could push but not drag. The one leg in the air is a different new interpretation relating to any tackle.

As for yesterday: Huddersfield players carried, both legs off the ground, the Warrington player into touch and it was a clear penalty and obviously the Warrington players all pushed the Huddersfield player and it was never a penalty in a month of Sundays.

For some reason I was under the impression that if a player is driving someone into touch (Pushing with their shoulder etc) then others can help by dragging so long as the feet are on the floor, but when I noticed that yesterday I realised how wrong I was!

I'm not 100%, but I think it is if initial impact is a backwards (e.g, a textbook tackle in which the shoulder is in and the leg is lifted), the defending player can drive the attacker backwards (or even into touch in a situation close to the touchline). However, it is an offence for a secondary impact to be a lift/drag/drive backwards (E.g. initial impact is wrapping the ball up, second man comes in to complete the tackle, the defenders cannot pick up the attacker and drag him backwards).

Didn't go Hudds, so can't comment on the highlighted incidents.

refs why bother.

You can push but not pull a player into touch, but both feet must be on the floor.

If there are three players in the tackle, for example, and one of them begins to drag or pull the attacker then the referee must call held. If they continue its a penalty.

Same with the lifting of the leg in any given tackle. If the leg is lifted, the ref calls held. Its a penalty if the defenders continue to lift the leg and not surrender. However, if a defender tackles a player, lifts the leg and puts him on his in one clean motion then its ok.

The rules were brought in to ensure clean and better tackling technique.

Won't the player being tackled just lift his leg up then??

Simple answer is yes and i know it's pathetic.

You would hope that the referee would be able to distinguish between a player having his leg genuinely lifted in the tackle, and a Saints player cocking his leg looking for the penalty

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whats the thinking behind this rule? is it just for safety?

i think its always a crowd lifter when we push/pull an opposing team member into touch :S