www.canberratimes.com.au/rugby-l ... 2vkvx.html? Happy with this personally Nothing wrong with two consenting adults having a tangle. So long as it is not from behind that is

www.canberratimes.com.au/rugby-l ... 2vkvx.html? Happy with this personally Nothing wrong with two consenting adults having a tangle. So long as it is not from behind that is

Happy with this, I'd rather the focus be on the off the ball hits, attacks to the joint etc, which seem to do far more lasting damage than a scrap.

I disagree as an official myself it is leaving too much to interpretation, which leads to inconsistency which leads to officials being criticised. I prefer a rule which is definitive and leaves no room for ambiguity.

to me it is very simple, swing a punch, try to headbutt and no connection straight yellow
any connection regardless of where or how hard straight red

Call me old fashioned but to me it adds to the sport. As a kid I was terrified of Les Boyd, Kevin Tamati..etc. Real hard men who liked to ruck!

Who will ever forget the Wire v Wigan New Years Day derby with Goodway & Cullen, or the Kel Skerrett 'Superman' incident versus Fev?

As a kid I lived for these moments.... Much better than wrestling on 'World of Sport' cause this was real....!!!!

To play devils advocate, the Magic weekend scrap against Stains last year, when Tuscon belted the Stains player who punched him from behind and you saw the whole incident, what would you do?

Me too, I hated it when things liked that happen to me as a player, and it is the one thing that when my son is a couple of years older it will be the thing that I try and discourage him from playing. Biff, scraps, fighting however you put it doesn't really bother me as whether it is on a rugby pitch or not boys will be boys and if he doesn't have a scrap. I dont know, whether I should be proud, worried, concerned. But either way I wont be surprised to find out he had a scuffle at school at some point in the next 10 years or so.

I like the idea of the refs being clear about what to do and players know what will happen if they start punching.
Would that make hock and Westwood liabilities

I'd like to see players rewarded for punching certain players.
For instance, 4 points for punching Ryan Bailey.

There haven't been enough fights in international rugby recently. The last big one between us and Australia was when Mason smacked Fielden from what I remember. I don't think it's any coincidence that's the last time we beat them.





Get Hock, Westwood, McIlorum, Burgess, Ablett, Chase in the starting team in Cardiff, wind them up and cause a massive scrap. Would be a great way to kick off the World Cup.

Does this mean that the English tactics are going to be a bit tasty?

Look we have cameras, touch judges, line judges, refs in the stands who communicate with the on-field ref if they cant pick the bones out of a dust up then they must all be from the local blind school.

Just watch some of the refs in the late 70s early 80s and you will soon be very thankful of where we are at with the refs today

Speaking also as an official, I think players don't make a balanced decision, they're all pumped up, under pressure, an opposition player says something, pushes them, whatever, they snap and throw a punch, then what else is the other player going to do but punch back? The knowledge they will get a straight red won't be an effective deterent, it just makes one moment ruin a game. Of course it can't go unpunished, but the punishment should be on a par with the offence, a straight red for every punch isn't the answer.

Completely agree. I'm afraid that you HAVE to leave things open to interpretation. There is such a thing as context. Sending players off ruins the game as a spectacle. A decent punch up/ penalty given / get on with the game - Unless someone gets killed - would be my favoured solution!!!

I think any game that ends up a draw should be decided by the two head coaches having a bare knuckle fight on the car park, no refs, fight until one of them 'gives up'. This should be introduced into SL next season.

Think if 2 blokes are stood squaring up and throwing a few punches, then it should be no more than a couple is sin binnings. If its a punch from behind or a punch where a player can't defend himself like Westwood on Green, then they should be straight reds.

No, in that case green should have got a free punch on Westwood

Sounds good

Top 3 of Wigan, Hudds and Leeds i suspect

Leeds to win the Grand final

Wigan would have been a frightening prospect years ago if "junior Psycho" Wane was in charge.

Wane v McDermott in there primes would have been a hell of a tustle.

Not that i would fancy my chances against him now

Lee Radford v Francis Cummins wouldn't last too long

They're too busy IMO to do this and need to watch the biff to analyse it?

Let the kit men fight?

Stats men can analyse it, kit men are far to busy to get involved

Forgot about Radford. add him into the mix

Pub quiz

Who would win a fight between NRL coaches and SL coaches.

First impressions makes me think SL?

Surely SL, it would just be McDermott, Wane, Radford and a pile of bodies!

would have been red for both. I understand where you are coming from though.