i dont think NFL is soft. Only comparison ive made with any pointer to softness is the helmet wearing.
its actually the helmet that causes the injuries most of the time.
and helmet to helmet tackles are legal arnt they??
i saw a young rookie quarterback (on for the injured regular quarterback) run it down the sidelines only to be taken out helmet to helmet. Play was held up for 20 minutes why he got medical attention, then stretchered off.

so it begs the question......wouldnt they be better off playing without helmets?? Maybe RL headguards instead?
rest of the padding i can live with. Dont we see rugby players with shoulder pads? arms strapped up? chest protectors? etc.

A full on shoulder to the head from some of the monsters playing that sport whilst also wearing shoulder pads that are more armour than pads could quite possibly kill you without a helmet on. I wouldn't be a quarterback in American Football for a gold clock

To me having the football whilst a bunch of fecking huge (and lets face it some are monsters that make RL players look tiny) blokes try their best to take you to pieces is somewhat akin to going standing in the middle of the Mecca screaming obscenities at Allah

It won't cause any more penalties than now if the players adhere to the ref calling held like they're supposed to though.

I find that statement baffling, ref's like Holdsworth were just as (in)famous for interfering and arsing up the game as the refs of today.

You would get more grief if you stood up and shouted bingo!
Them old women don't like losing you know and it can get pretty hostile!

The rules were changed and agreed by both the RFL, the clubs and their coaches.
The new interpretations have been in force in the few trial games that have been played and have gone ok without any problems.
After a few games we'll have forgotten about them.

rubbish, what is the point in the lads getting bigger and fitter to just put a bloke down in the same poistion, the main point in this game is to drive the opposition back away from your goal line, why cant they just leave it alone

But will the referees forget or not bother?

which , if you read the interpretation , you still can do !!!

Should be slowing the game down rather than speeding it up IMO

Don't like these rules.


So "That" tackle by Gordon Talis would be illegal now then?

DO I NEED TO SEND THIS AS SEMAPHORE?

Nothing is Illegal or Not - it's purely a change to when the ref will call held, he will not blow his whistle and give a penalty the moment a player has 1 leg lifted or the moment a team mate of the ball carrier joins in the tackle and forms a maul

He

Will

Call

Held

A penalty will only result if the players doing the tackling do not then release the player in the same amount of time they would release him when the ref normally calls held. See NO MORE PENALTIES

Oh and in case some people missed it:

YOU

CAN

HONESTLY

TRUTHFULLY

REALLY

ABSOLUTELY

STILL DRIVE THE BALL CARRIER BACK, INTO TOUCH, IN GOAL, TO BURGER KING, WHICHEVER CHUFFING DIRECTION YOU LIKE.

All that's changed is the ref will now call held when a team mate (that's one of the other fellas on the same team as btw) of the ball carrier joins in the tackle. If he doesn't, and it's just the ball carrier and the defenders, they can drive him wherever the heck they like just like now.

For the love of all things holy, it's a small interpretation change to clear up one situation that was a bit silly (calling held when a guy was in the air, that didn't help him much if he was sailing through it), and to get the ball free and moving again by calling held as soon as a maul is formed, which by the very definition of the term maul only happens once one or more team mates of the ball carrier (not defenders) joins in.

It's hardly a big change, it's not the end of Rugby League, and if it doesn't make the game better do you know what? It can be changed back again, but we'll never know unless it's tried.

Do I have to use flash cards next time?

Isn't that how it used to be a few years ago??

why do they want to drive to burger king?

im not clear on that one

Well if they still did chilli cheese bites then it would be totally understandable

So what are you trying to say?

Exactly, make the game more skill based than fitness and speed.

Ahh, more tinkering from the Scummings & Wood. It must be the off season.

The sooner RL gets rid of these two clowns the better.

I agree with this. The rules at the ruck in Super League are already too biased towards the attacking team as it is. Make the attacking teams work to get points. Does anybody wonder why the Aussies hammer us ever year? Because the slower play the ball in the NRL means that the backs have to be creative and make an opening in the defensive line, as opposed to just getting a roll on with the forwards and scooting fifteen yards