- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
What now for the ELVs after this passage: “Former Wallaby Dick Marks has delivered a damning ten-page critique of the experimental law variations to ARU supremo John O’Neill.”?
Marks, a Queensland Rugby Union board member, sent the document, titled The Other Side of the Coin, to O’Neill and fellow rugby heavy-hitters David Nucifora, Rod McCall, Peter Cosgrove and Peter McGrath, calling on them to review the way the ELVs have been implemented.
He writes that the ELVs have:
■ Made referees a law unto themselves;
■ Turned rugby into a “kickfest”;
■ Increased the number of penalties and free kicks;
■ Almost eliminated “true” ruck and maul contests;
■ Not been universally accepted and not applied uniformly worldwide; and
■ Not enhanced rugby’s entertainment value.
Marks writes: “Sure, there are stats that say the ball is in play more, but that’s not much use when it’s 50 metres up in the air.”
And he has the backing of several influential identities, including former Wallaby Gary Pearse, kicking coach Ben Perkins, and veteran Welsh official Malcolm Lewis.
“Most of the people that have publicly supported these laws are part of the extended ARU PR machine,” he wrote. “It’s useless getting comments from players who say the laws are wonderful. No player on hundreds of thousands of dollars will get up and say, ‘I hate them.’ They’ll be toeing the official ARU line … I want the other side of the coin presented to the public.”
Given the Paul Honnis has also come out against the ELVs, and there is growing frustration in the Northern Hemisphere regarding the maul laws, is it time to re-evaluate the experiment and perhaps let it go?
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.