I have just finished catching up on all the games from the weekend, and it kills me to see teams walking off the mark each week. I know this is probably a well worn topic, but it is a pandemic at the moment.
The best team at it is Penrith. They make a good 15-20 metres each set of six.
The referee calls ‘you shortened it’, but this is not the point. They should be playing it where they got tackled, and if they are not going to play it where they were tackled, then the markers cannot be offside.
This issue accounts for a good portion of all penalties at the ruck against the defending team, and it should be vice versa.
This is the most infuriating issue for me in the game, apart from the stripping of the ball rule.
What do you think?
ptovey01
Roar Pro
I here you. Raking at the ruck will never come back now, but the 2 on 1 steal should be allowed.
Karlos
Guest
Ridiculous. Bring back raking for the ball and see if they hold it a full metere in front of themselves to walk up to before playing it. Bring in two on one stealing of the ball and we might see some respect for the ball in carry as well.
Boydy
Guest
Most teams do it but yes, Penrith are the kings and there's one reason why, Matt Elliot. He comes across as the nicest guy in the world but he is a coach who teaches his team to cheat, er sorry... I mean, 'take small advantages'. He taught this and other naughty things at Canberra and now he's teaching them at Penrith. It's been happening since he came to the club in 2008 yet he has a whinge whenever his team get penalised. And if they lose, my god have you ever seen him at a press conference after a game that Penrith has lost? He rolls out the old clichés like "I'm not going to talk about the refereeing, you all saw what I saw out there today". Good way to save yourself $10K and still have a bitch about being penalised out of the game because of his own stupid spoiling tactics. I used to like Penrith but they are a team I now hate to watch.
Tom
Guest
One particularly grating example of this came in the recent Tigers - Manly game. Anthony Watmough stepped off the mark and was (correctly) penalised. However, a few sets later, Keith Galloway did exactly the same, except then the referee penalised Jason King for not being square at marker, when the only reason he wasn't square is because he maintained his position as Galloway stepped past him. I am all for cracking down in this area, so long as the interpretations are consistent.
ptovey01
Roar Pro
I have no issue with not playing the ball with the foot as long as they are on their feet with the ball and place it in the ruck. however by moving of the ruck they change the game.
Tom of Brisbane
Guest
We've seen all this before (grapple tackle, protecting the kicker, tackling player in the air etc). Refs won't give penalties because they will be criticised (by Gould) for not letting the game "flow", until they have to have a crackdown because they have been criticised (by Gould) for not enforcing the rule in question PS My prediction for next bandwagon rule will be playing the ball with the foot (when was the last time you saw someone actually touch the ball with their foot when playing it?)
The Barry
Roar Guru
Couldn't agree more champ and was thinking of drafting a similar article. This seems to be yet another rule that the NRL / refs have decided it's not going to be enforced. Not only do the attacking (offending!) team gain penalties but they also get easy metres from dummy half when markers are called offside and can't play the man. A lot of people criticise dummy half running - but I actually think it's exciting when a big forward bounces to his feet and gets a quick legitimate play the ball which allows the dummy half to scoot. But it's a terrible look when the gap is caused by the attacker walking off the mark. Panthers are definitely the kings of this move...a crackdown before semis would be great