There's nothing sudden about it and it's not questioning rules but the recent inflexibility in the interpretation. Do learn to read, dear boy.

But your observation is basically just something you’ve made up to get a rise out of people. The ruck penalty is a massive discussion point across the whole game at the minute, from the teams at the top of superleague to those in the lower leagues. It’s being discussed during every Sky game at the minute regardless of that being games featuring the teams at the top like Saints or the clubs at the foot like ourselves.

Maybe there would be less penalties if playing the ball went back to the old method where the foot had to make the ball move backwards instead of the modern method of rolling it between the legs . The best way to win a match these days is by playing the ref .

Bitterness personified!!!!

Personally I have complained about the ruck for the last two years, but it seems worse this year. Every team is stepping over a player purposely to play the ball into them and the refs are penalising it.

Watch the NRL. Same situation, it isn’t penalised. Because it isn’t penalised players don’t pi** about and the game is faster and better. It needs sorting, nothing to do with Wigan’s current form.

its ruining the game, we kind of got rid of the faking injuries for this season after it crept in but this is the big thing now

hope the rfl look at it and the refs

but the players and coaches also need to take a stance on it too

Watched all 3 NRL games over the weekend and I can't recall seeing a single penalty for this. There were a few occasions were a layer was in the ruck but looked like they were injured. They remained motionless until the ball was claer of the ruck and then got up and got on with it. Is that just the way that they are being coached to not give penalties away or have they ben gien gudiance that is thats what they do they won't get penalised?

Over here, it looks like coaches are encouraging their players to hang around in the ruck when defending and then step over the tackler and play it into them when attacking. I don't think any team are particularly worse at it than others. Just coaches looking to bend the rules to gain an advantage. Even if we did advise players that if they stayed motionless in the ruck and they wouldn't get penalised, they'd still find a way to twist it to suit.

You're right, of course, but the coaches and players never do on these matters as it gives an automatic advantage to any team not doing. This really is one for the refs to sort out. The rules in place are fine as evidenced by the NRL which doesn't seem to suffer in the same way. I think this is a matter of interpretation and common sense from the referees, which doesn't fill me with too much hope, unfortunately, as we seem to have a very pedantic bunch. Starting the season with a 'hobby horse' rule has become the norm. I'm just hoping they get bored of this one as they seem to do on occasion. It is a game killer for mine.

I'm good with that. The NRL arrivals and our school kids still do it. The NRL are still twice as fast at the play of the ball.

The only one penalised was Greg Inglis, who actually (accidentally or not) touched the ball with his hand.

Agree that it seems to be much less of an issue in the NRL; players there mostly just get on with it, and the refs only penalise when it looks pretty clear cut. It's just down to the officials to use some judgement.

Needs sorting ASAP if the ref thinks the player is deliberately trying for a penalty ie standing over the defender and passing to a defender player give it the other way alternatively the defending player must be given time to clear the ruck before playing the ball .

Did a dirty wire player kneel on one of our players throats or did I dream it up?

Yes they did but I'm not sure who it was,Hughes has a new tackling technique and it involves chocking the opposition player i counted 3 times he got away with it

I thought it could have been Westwood against Shorrocks but could've been wrong

It's a good chance he only picks on the little ones

Lol. Never read such garbage

I wish they would slacken off their policing of the ruck to be honest. It isnt working and is just allowing players to exploit it by diving without a hand on them and purposely playing the ball into players who have not been able to get out of the way. If you watch the older games from the early 90s, the rucks where slower and messier but the game was more fun to watch because you didnt have the ref blowing every couple of minutes.

Maybe if the players stopped wasting so much energy and effort trying to con a penalty, they would actually have more energy to play the game to a higher standard

Replay the game and you will see,hes the ginger one by the way i know how thick and inbred you lot are

So you don't read your own posts back again then.

I don't know that "slacken off policing" is quite the term I'd use, but I do think players should be made to play the ball properly. The current situation is biased way too much in favour of the team in possession for me. Players are allowed to walk off the mark, play the ball before they have properly got to their feet, step forward into the markers, etc etc. And that's without mentioning dummy-halves throwing the ball at defenders on the floor. All these offences are very seldom penalised.

Interestingly I didn't notice any in the Wire/Wakey game tonight and in fact the first penalty for moving off the mark was awarded too. Positive signs that they've finally wised up? I certainly hope so.

if there has been a change in policy by the refs then it needs communicating as there were several embarrassing attempts to win a penalty at the ruck

There were. 3 by Ben Murdoch-Masia alone but at least the 3rd one got pinged which is the first one this season that I'm aware of. I'm not sure if it constitutes a change in direction on it's own but coupled with the lack of the ruck penalty it's a step in the right direction. I'd still like to see less tolerance and we need to see if the other games this weekend are similarly reffed but, fingers crossed, it's an acknowledgement that this whole issue is one that needs addressing.

more of the same hudds v hull kr

and also catalans v leeds

ruining the game

Been a return to it all over the weekend. I think it was a false dawn, unfortunately.