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A solution to NRL's golden point problem

Roar Guru
5th March, 2012
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Roar Guru
5th March, 2012
28
1762 Reads

NRL 2012 is underway and already there have been 2 matches decided by golden point. For those who don’t follow the NRL, the golden point comes into play when a match finishes with the scores level after 80 minutes

The match then goes into five minutes each way in extra time. The first team that scores a point during this extra time, whether its a field goal, penalty goal or try, wins the game, and the match finishes immediately.

How did the golden point rule come about?

In the 2002 State of Origin series, the third match finished in a draw, and therefore the series finished 1-1. At the time, there were criticisms that there wasn’t any extra time.

The following year, 2003, the NRL put in place a radical concept by implementing golden point in the NRL for every game. The first game that was affected was Manly versus Parramatta, with Manly winning via a Ben Walker penalty goal 36-34.

Since 2003, there have been 61 matches that have gone to golden point, with nine nine matches ending in a draw after 90 minutes, while 31 of those matches have been decided by a field goal.

The controversy surrounding the golden point rule is that both teams resort to trying to kick field goals, rather than been positive by going for a try. While it is exciting and tense, it can also be predictable.

A typical extra time finish goes something like this:

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A team batters away for 5 tackles, gaining on average 50 metres up field, and if that team is in field goal range (about 40 metres out), the team’s play maker such as Jamie Soward or Benji Marshall (or someone with an ability to kick a field goal) would try for a field goal.

It does become a field-goal-athon. The other criticism of the golden point rule, is that the team that loses the match receives no points, which is the same as if another team loses a game by 40.

There has been talk to scrap it and go back to playing just 80 minutes and if it’s a draw, it’s a draw. Some others think that golden point should stay, but each team would have to eliminate a couple of players from each team when golden point commences.

Another suggestion is a golden try, where a team must score a try to win the game, and therefore, teams don’t go for field goals.

Here is my suggestion. When teams are level at full time, why don’t the teams play 5 minutes each way, and whichever team has the highest score at the end of extra time wins.

In other words, if a team concedes a field goal in the 84th minute, the game continues on until the 90th minute, which means it gives the opposition a chance to level it up with a field goal, or go for a try to win the game.

That way the game does become more unpredictable, and the teams would be playing positive football.

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If the teams are still level after extra time, then its a draw.

Seeing as the NRL Commission have been so quick to dislodge the McIntyre finals system, maybe they could do the same with the golden point rule and replace it with my suggestion. Or any other system.

Just not golden point.

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