We love the 40-20 and the 20 metre restart (when the ball is caught in the in-goal on the full), but I think it’s time we change the dead in goal ruling to a scrum from where the ball was kicked.
Last year we saw many teams tactically kick the ball dead when playing against the likes of Billy Slater, Greg Inglis, and Ben Barba.
It’s a tactic that Jamie Soward, among other halves, love to use to nullify potent fullbacks.
After all it’s much easier to defend against these fullbacks with a set defensive line from a tap than a staggered line when they’re running full pace.
We must all agree that these tactics are boring and take away from the excitement and flair of a Billy Slater 40-metre return, or a Ben Barba 90-metre try.
It’s much easier to kick the ball dead than to make it stop in the in-goal.
By ruling a scrum (to the defending team) from the position where the ball was kicked if the ball runs dead in-goal, we’ll see less teams trying to kick the ball dead from 40 or more metres out.
It will give the best fullbacks in the league more chances to display their amazing quickness, power and skill when returning the footy.
Nik0
Roar Rookie
Seems like the NRL All Stars game will be trialling the rule..... Let's see how it goes. Restarts from Kicks - For any attacking team that kicks the ball from the outside the opponents 30m line (30m from try line) and the ball goes dead in-goal, the opponent will receive the ball via a handover (tap restart) from the point where the kick originated once the match officials are in place. http://www.nrl.com/all-stars-to-trial-experimental-rules/tabid/10976/newsid/70660/default.aspx
Jeff Cook
Guest
I 100% agree, and saved me about two hundred words.
Matt Moule
Guest
Well mate I don't know witch Jared Hanyne you were watching but the one I was watching didn't really want the ball in his hands last year at all let alone kickers trying to kick the ball dead so he can't get the ball. They try stupid stuff like this all the time! It never works. Remember when you could put one foot over the deadball line and touch the ball and it was a 20 meter restart? Tell me how long did that last? I can tell ya, not long at all. Stop trying to chang the rules! Leave the game alone! I bet you wanted the shoulder charged banned as well?? Let me ask ya have you ever played the game? The game isn't just all about attack attack attack. That attacking team already gets to much in the game this rule will just add to it.
muz
Guest
I I see where you're all coming from with trying to stop people nullifying fullbacks, but Matt Moule has a point here - "So are you telling me if thurston puts in a beautiful kick from the half way with Matt Bowen hot on the heels and it just dribbles dead that the other team gets a scrum from where he kicked it on the half way??? That could be the most stupid thing I have ever heard." Agreed that it is a stupid idea. If fullbacks are good enough (and willing to) get to a ball and run it back, then they can take whatever advantage they can get out of it. ie. dont change the rules, thats what we have in place. Otherwise, if the kicker has the ability to kick it dead, theyll have to live with it. Changing this rule just encourages different tactical kicking. It will become a bomb-athon when teams attack so they avoid giving away yardage - which is as boring as batsh*t - and unless every ground has a standard in goal depth, some teams are unfairly advantaged. More scrums is a farce too - who needs more scrums? They are rubbish and need urgent attention. There are plenty of rules in place that need changing - the strip, the round-the-legs tackle with no reward, scrums, video ref, obstruction and interchange numbers to name a few. One that gets me going at the moment is refs penalising the defending team for being inside the 10 on 20m tap restarts, while telling the attacking team to simply "go back and tap it again" if they have players in front. Thats almost the priority right now, cos its easily fixed. The attacking team should be penalised immediately and lose possession.
Nik0
Roar Rookie
Matt you must not have watched many Melbourne Storm games or even Parra games... Every coach instructs their halves to kick away from the fullback and some coached insist on kicking the ball dead to avoid Billy Slater or Jarred Hayne kick returns.... How many mid-field bombs do you see go untouched that end up dead in goals?? This rule is to eliminate the dead boring tactics of kicking the ball dead intentionally, to avoid the fullback.
Nik0
Roar Rookie
I like your variation MG, any kick within the opposition 20-meters that goes dead, would go back to the 20.
Terra Dactyl
Guest
Dr NRL it is an ARL finals system used in 1995 & 96 then copied by the AFL then copied by the NRL.
Scott Minto
Guest
Not a bad idea Tyler - adding extra players will spread the work load allowing players to be kept fresher and therefore less substitutions will be needed.
Dr NRL
Guest
Excellent point Nik0, and one that not only have I thought an obvious candidate for amendment for some time, but blogged about last week (amongst other prospective changes that would benefit the game). It is irrelevant if it is a "rugby union" sourced rule. Our finals structure is now the AFL model, which is a case of better late than never. Take the best of the best from all sports if they provide a benefit. Dr NRL
code 13
Roar Guru
There was a rule trialled in the boxing day games in Super League whereby a kick from a team's own half that goes dead in goal is returned for a 40m restart. I'm all in favour of this rule or a similar one to eliminate thoughtless last tackle kicking from the game and have been suggesting for some time that it be introduced. I for one want to see a variety of lack tackle options being utilised.
john
Guest
what running game ???
Tyler
Guest
Let's just add an extra 2 players and throw the ball into play instead of scrums. The shoulder charge rule is going to be the worst rule change in the game. Just watch now any players get suspended, lwts enjoy a season of endless replays of players who shoulder charge did he use his arms or didn't he conversations all year long so so so boring! In the case of a few shoulder chargers during last season, they were usually players dropping into tacklers chests. It's sad to see players knocked out but when you surrender in a tackle you duck your head and your gonna get hurt. Are they going to police the rules in place already?? Like the 10 Metre rule?? 2 refs and they still can't do that!!!!
Matt Moule
Guest
God dam why are you all trying to change the rules! I can only recall once maybe twice last season that team tryed to kick the ball dead. So are you telling me if thurston puts in a beautiful kick from the half way with Matt Bowen hot on the heels and it just dribbles dead that the other team gets a scrum from where he kicked it on the half way??? That could be the most stupid thing I have ever heard. The game is already fast and gives advantage to the attacking team. If you put up a bomb from the 40 meter and the fullback lets it bounce and it goes over the dead ball line then it's a scrum to the other team on the 40 meter line just because the fullback let it bounce? Seems a bit silly really. Must not of had nothing else to write today or didn't really thing about to much. The NRL wants the game to be faster and faster every year Witch means more dummy half running as the play the balls are getting way to quick and it's easy to pick it up from dummy and make easy meters! STOP CHANGING THE RULES
Josh
Guest
What about the fullbacks who could pick up the ball but just let it run dead in goal this is much more obvious Y defensive tactic then a kick going dead that usually isn't deliberate. Mayby we need to encourage the fullbacks to pick up the ball- mayby the kicking team actually need to be behind the kicker when the ball is kicked and not just stay 10m away when chasing or they might have to be 20 m back or they have to be on the 30 m line like a tap but the fullback can run it straight back
Greg Cross
Guest
We need to get back to running Rugby League.I agree with a changeover where the ball was kicked.This rule may even encourage Jamie Soward to get back to his running game.
Pot Stirrer
Guest
Thats a RU rule. Personally id like any kick into the ingoal area that doesnt result in a try to be a 20mtr tap. It doesnt seem fair to me that just becuase a team puts a grubber into the ingoal and a defender drops onto a ball thayt would anywhere else on the field be play on should then have to give the other the team the ball back via a dropout doesnt make sense.
Johnno
Guest
I would off made the res-start not the 40 metre line , but the kicking team's 20 metre line. That is an 80 metres losing territory if you stuff up the kick. 40 metres is okay, but 80 metres would of really punished time wasting kicks, for a breather. And I;d love to see a handover or penalty, of your tackled with out passing from dummy half. To much running out of dummy half. OZ tag has that rule and it works great. You can still run out of dummy half and score tries if you run from dummy half, but if your tagged and you don;t score a try, you have to hand the ball over. It would really kill off all the dummy half running , if you get a penalty with being caught not passing if you run out of dummy half. Temas would still run from dummy half but have a runner next to them, before they the tackle is called.
MG Burbank
Roar Guru
I'm assuming you mean only for kicks beyond the 20- anything shorter than that must obviously still result in a 20-metre restart. The English Super League trialled a 40-metre restart for kicks going dead from within the kicking team's half. I actually like your idea of just making it from wherever the team kicked the ball- and yes, a scrum is a more creative way to restart than simply a tap.