It’s time to punt the dead ball kick in the NRL
Columnist By Luke Doherty, 14 Apr 2012 Luke Doherty is a Roar Expert
James Maloney hit after getting a kick away during the NRL Round 25. AAP Image/Action Photographics/Grant Trouville
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It has become another little trick in a coach’s arsenal. The kick that is launched down field, not with the intention of finding touch, but belted in the hope that it lands in a bloke’s bucket of chips in the first row behind the posts.
Kicking for field position is meant to be an art form, but now it has become yet another tactic employed to slow the game down and reduce the variables.
It makes complete sense.
If you’re in bad field position what is the point in trying to find some open space?
You have to charge down field, often with a disjointed defensive line, while trying to stop a rampaging fullback.
It’s much easier to just thump a kick towards the aforementioned chip consuming patron, take a breather and get the line set.
It’s not exactly thrilling viewing though is it?
The Dragons have used the tactic numerous times in the past.
Last night against the Knights, Jamie Soward did his best to make sure balls launched from his boot went over the head of the dangerous duo of Darius Boyd and Aku Uate.
The Dragons aren’t the only offenders. Most clubs are guilty of using the tactic.
The commission’s general manager of football operations Nathan McGuirk has been pretty efficient when it comes to changing rules that make the game worse.
Hopefully he was watching last night.
It reduces the chances of seeing Billy Slater or Matt Bowen slice through a scattered defensive line. That isn’t good for the game, or those all important television numbers.
Kickers need to be punished for what is effectively time wasting.
If the ball goes dead when kicked from inside the attacking teams own half the opposition should re-start their set on half way instead of the 20m line.
It would be interesting to see how many balls were kicked dead then.
At least then the bloke in the front row could enjoy his chips in peace.
You can follow Luke Doherty on Twitter @Luke_Doherty and on Sky News Australia.
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- Billy Slater, Jamie Soward, Matt Bowen, NRL, Rugby League, St George Illawarra Dragons
April 14th 2012 @ 7:04am
steve b said | April 14th 2012 @ 7:04am | Report comment
No more rule changes please , . it gives tired players a bit of a rest and if they feel they are on a roll they will put in the air leave it to the kickers to make the choice not the refs
April 14th 2012 @ 5:10pm
Yeah Sure said | April 14th 2012 @ 5:10pm | Report comment
“No more rule changes please”
And yet you want to get rid of shoulder charges.
So you should be saying no rule changes unless you want them.
April 14th 2012 @ 7:55am
eagleJack said | April 14th 2012 @ 7:55am | Report comment
Agree that the tactic is frustrating at times but bringing in this Rugby Union rule would see an end to kickers attempting to stop the ball in the in-goal to force a long range line dropout. It is often a very small margin of error and the ball rolls dead by inches. Clearly Soward last night wasn’t attempting this but there is nothing better than seeing a defensive line charging down the field when the ball stops dead in the in-goal. The sudden fear of the fullback knowing he’ll have to pick it up and run it out is priceless. This rule change would see the end of that.
April 14th 2012 @ 11:47am
soapit said | April 14th 2012 @ 11:47am | Report comment
this is not the rugby union rule.
maybe start with taking it out to the 30m line first and see how it goes. big change to take it to the 50m and would likely have unanticipated consequences.
April 14th 2012 @ 1:39pm
eagleJack said | April 14th 2012 @ 1:39pm | Report comment
It is slightly tweaked but the exact same premise. Brought into Union as teams were thwarting oppositions counter-attacking capabilities by simply kicking it dead.
April 15th 2012 @ 9:09am
soapit said | April 15th 2012 @ 9:09am | Report comment
almost all of the rules in either game have the same premise. its the detail thats important
April 14th 2012 @ 4:50pm
Luke Doherty said | April 14th 2012 @ 4:50pm | Report comment
What if the ball was kicked from inside the attacking teams half though? You wouldn’t get too many trying to stop it in goal from that far out.
April 14th 2012 @ 8:00am
Tangles said | April 14th 2012 @ 8:00am | Report comment
I like it a lot.. Let’s make tactical kicking a skill again.. Win/win for the fan!!
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April 14th 2012 @ 8:34am
Sam said | April 14th 2012 @ 8:34am | Report comment
From memory they changed the rule in union after the 95 world cup when Scotland continually kicked the ball dead to prevent the all blacks from counter attacking.
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April 14th 2012 @ 10:09am
Dan said | April 14th 2012 @ 10:09am | Report comment
Fair enough if it bounces in play and goes dead, but dead on the full should be the same as out on the full I think, it is from the kick off so why not in play????
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April 14th 2012 @ 10:17am
Rellum said | April 14th 2012 @ 10:17am | Report comment
Yes leave the rule as is, but out on the full should be a penalty from the 20.
April 14th 2012 @ 10:52am
Meesta Cool said | April 14th 2012 @ 10:52am | Report comment
I agree Dan. this tactic is used weekly against Melbourne.. I think Titans actually started the trend, (But not sure). If the ball goes directly into touch behind the try line it should be the same ruling as the out of bounds rule.. opposition gains advantage from where the ball is kicked.
I hate this tactic!.
April 14th 2012 @ 4:51pm
Luke Doherty said | April 14th 2012 @ 4:51pm | Report comment
Me too! Can’t stand it. Makes for boring play.
April 14th 2012 @ 10:48am
Maximus said | April 14th 2012 @ 10:48am | Report comment
Yes NRL is dependent on the predictability of fifth tackle kick and with this rule and catch the ball on the full in ingoal rule it might lessen it. Sam I think RU changed a few rules when the TV money talked in the changeover days form amateur to speed the game up but to kick the ball dead from 50 metres (15 metre dead ball, line is a rare skill) but I have played in games when a team got in front and kicked the ball dead from every 22 metre dropout so there was there was this tedious recycling like wazzaball in the 80s NRL. Still its up to the trailing team to get the ball and run with it.
April 14th 2012 @ 11:14am
mike from tari said | April 14th 2012 @ 11:14am | Report comment
This tactic started about 4 years ago & has been used infrequently so why all the whinging, get over it, the defending team still get to tap it on the 20 mtrs and last night the attacking team only gained 15 to 20 mtrs on the kick, if the tactic is used then the defending team should drop back deeper, if you cannot read a game, then NRL is not the place for you, obviously the Dragons tactic was to get the knights wingers & fullback to drop back deeper to defend the kick, this would then open up more space to attack but the knights players were too smart for that to happen.
April 14th 2012 @ 4:52pm
Luke Doherty said | April 14th 2012 @ 4:52pm | Report comment
Fair point. Boyd and Aku did drop deeper in the second half to try and negate it.
April 14th 2012 @ 12:33pm
Johnno said | April 14th 2012 @ 12:33pm | Report comment
Bring back contested scrums again in rugby league. I think it was the worst descion rugby league made de-valuing scrums. I used to love ricky stuart launching big kicks , and then having a scrum. So yes bring back scrums and also make rugby league 7m per tackle not 10m , it is too tough and i miss the martin bella ,sam backo, steve roach, glen lazaruz type forwards. RUgby union ha smote body shapes all league players are like SBW now and that is not a good thing.
April 14th 2012 @ 1:03pm
oikee said | April 14th 2012 @ 1:03pm | Report comment
Yes, Michael Weyman looks just like SBW.
At the momment, apart from FuiFui MoiMoi, who is a newzealander, Weyman is my favorite front rower. The run he did against my Broncos last weekend was first class, he knocked one of our best young guns rotten, and also gave Peter Wallacea good beaten as well, all in the one tackle. He is like Jared Hargreaves, a real brute.
Rugby league does not need scrums, it is a waste of time, and once in a blue moon, while nobody is looking, a scrum is won against the feed and becomes like Folk law.
I seen one the other day and i never heard Vossy get so excited.
April 14th 2012 @ 12:50pm
oikee said | April 14th 2012 @ 12:50pm | Report comment
I dont think it will change the game, if your good enough, you can win games from 20 metre restarts surely.
I said not long ago, the game is close to perfect, the refs might deside to speed the game up , penalise for holding down or slowing the ball down, it is up to the refs, i think they have complete control of how fast, or how slow a game is played. As long as they are consistent, if we start a season off with slow play the balls, lets not get trigger happy half way through the season and speed it up, like the shoulder charge, we all need time to digest what we have seen, then common sense will prevail.
I think the game is extremely skillful, plus if you look at players, they are sweating like pigs, and they are all very skillful, not many make mistakes. The game looks good to me. Every team is desparate, and low scores and boring games are a result of this, so be it.
I now think it is up to players, if Benji, or the warriors want to chance their hand, or any team really, wants to chance their hand, throw the ball around, they had better have great skill, because mistakes are what win or lose you games.
I watched the Broncos last night, pretty much mistake free, a simple dropped ball can make the difference. These guys will be paid big money, so unless you have a young team and expect some mistakes, your senior players are what will win you games, if they play pecentage football, so be it, a win is a win, and 2 points is all important, once you hit the finals, its all on, for young and old, by then you should be ready for 80 minutes of high Octane.
Anyhow, that is how i see the game. I said 2 years ago, making the 8 is all important. You consider your season a success.
Anything past that is a bonus, look at the Broncos, make the fianls, home crowds, 50 thousand crowds. This is when the whips are cracking, the men are sorted from the boys.
April 14th 2012 @ 1:16pm
NF said | April 14th 2012 @ 1:16pm | Report comment
The broncos should be drawing 50k every week considering everything they achieved since there existence it’s no excuses oikee, there membership and attendance should be way higher than it is. Being a one team town the Broncos got every advantage over everyone else, hell the QLD Reds got higher membership than the Bronx after one winning season seriously every the Lions got higher memberships. No excuses oikee since you’re Broncos supporter what’s the excuses?
I wonder how Broncos fan react when there team will go through consecutive losing seasons like the Cowboys will they stay or will they go they will sort out the true fan from the casual. The question is will you jump oikee to another code the moment Broncos get the wooden spoon.
April 14th 2012 @ 3:08pm
oikee said | April 14th 2012 @ 3:08pm | Report comment
50 k every week? mate they draw around 30 for most teams. And Brisbane also supports a strong Queensland cup comp.
Look, Brisbane will be getting another team, probably Ipswich. They are on the direct line to Suncorp. It will begin a rivalry unrilvalled in Australian sport. It is a true derby.
I dont know what your trying to say. You think Origin is not basically Queenslanders birthright. Look, no other code is close to what rugby league is to Queenslanders. It is a religion taught in schools. the schools that dont teach it are frowned upon.
Dont mess with Queenslanders, you mess with the whole family.
April 14th 2012 @ 4:55pm
Luke Doherty said | April 14th 2012 @ 4:55pm | Report comment
Thought the 35k or whatever it was last night wasn’t bad. Canberra isn’t the biggest of draw cards.