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NRL obstruction rule must stay as it is

Daniel Anderson. AAP Image/Dean Lewins
Roar Guru
29th March, 2013
15

The problem with discretion is that it breeds inconsistency. As such the obstruction rule must stay as it is for the time being.

The question every rugby league fan, player and commentator must ask themselves is this: can you handle inconsistency?

If the obstruction rule is altered at this point of the season that is exactly what you’ll get.

Surely, at the moment, it’s far better to have the devil you know than the devil you don’t.

Yes, it’s farcical. Yes, it’s ridiculous and frustrating to have players falling over like they’ve been shot after the smallest amount of contact, but we must persevere.

Why?

Because new referees boss Daniel Anderson is trying to rid the game of inconsistency.

Nothing makes that blood vessel on a coach’s forehead bulge and threaten to break more than the “I” word.

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It sends them red and makes them get that crazed look in their eye.

Anderson has his troops doing the whistle-blowers equivalent of writing lines on the chalk board.

“I will realise a real obstruction when I see it.”

“I will realise a real obstruction when I see it.”

“I will realise a real obstruction when I see it.”

The rule, at the moment, places the emphasis on the decoy runners to either run straight through the line or into the inside shoulder of a defender.

The problem, partly, has been highlighted because players and coaches saw a loophole and proceeded to ruthlessly exploit it.

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That is another flaw in itself.

Defenders have not only started to make sure that they see the decoy runner, but also ensure they’re hit by the decoy runner.

Most of these instances would earn a yellow card for simulation in football.

Anderson wants the on-field referees to be able to see this ploy and dismiss it as nonsense.

He wants them to have a feel for the game.

He wants them to be able to see an incident, realise it had no impact on the play and move on.

Unfortunately, that is only happening some of the time.

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As soon as a referee sends a decision upstairs the video official has no discretion and must take a harsher view of the play.

Anderson, over time, hopes to be able to relax the rule, but that will only happen when he’s confident 99% of his video referees will return the same decision.

It’s effectively re-wiring how the video referees see the obstruction rule.

You have to break it down to its simplest form before rebuilding the understanding back to where it should be.

At the moment they’re seeing instances that have and haven’t had an impact on play and having to rule as if they’re all the same.

If that doesn’t make them see the difference between right and wrong then nothing will.

It’s hoped, that later this season, they’re all on the same page and can clearly define what has and hasn’t had an impact on the play.

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The current circumstances are tough for everyone to swallow, but in the long-term, if it rids the game of a bit of inconsistency, then it was worth the pain.

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