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Last Monday night, I witnessed an enthralling rugby league contest between two of the heavy-hitters of the 2013 competition, the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and the Melbourne Storm.
Afterwards, I was put through an excruciatingly poor field goal competition deemed to be worthy of deciding who should get the points for the rugby league match which was contested beforehand.
The powers that be call this sequence of pot shots golden point, a comedy of errors in which referees put their whistles in their back pockets and allow the fans to ‘enjoy’ opposing halves try to weave the Steeden over the black dot from whichever position they find themselves in on the last tackle.
I certainly don’t find this kick fest as exciting as the 80 minutes which preceded it.
If I wanted to watch a game decided off the back of one players boot, I’d be watching rugby union. If I wanted to watch kick after kick spray to the side of the posts, I’d be watching Aussie Rules.
Hit backspace and save your keyboard the wear and tear angry AFL and rugger fans, tongue firmly in cheek there. But the point remains: the way in which this period of play is undertaken by teams is firmly not in the high octane, high impact spirit of rugby league.
Is there some kind of shame in a good old-fashioned draw?
It was a hard-fought battle and each team deserved to go home with one point added to their column, which was the result of this particular drop-punt-off in the end anyway. If neither team can get a victory in the allotted time, then neither team deserves to get the same amount of points as a team who can get the job done.
In the regular season, a draw works perfectly. Come playoffs time however, there must be a winner.
The old system of extra time is superior to golden point in every which way. It gives teams a right of reply, rather than the first side in field position getting the victory.
It encourages open and creative play as one point is rarely enough of a buffer. It allows the referees to adjudicate without fear of media crucifixion, although the whistles will be put away to a certain extent.
Finally, it gives the fans an extension of a gripping match and creates a true sense of excitement.
Will that first minute field goal be enough to stave off the opposition for the next nine minutes?
Will my team attempt that penalty goal from 40m out or will they try to run it?
Will the other side try to catch us off guard running on last? The possibilities are varied and the gameplay entertaining – it isn’t simply a case of hit-up, hit-up, scoot, hit-up, field goal shot in the golden point system.
So as I look toward this round’s Monday night fixture between the men from across the ditch and the men from across the Tweed, I hope that one side can get the victory within the eighty, so I do not have to endure another of these ten minute add-ons and scream at my television, ‘what’s the bloody point?!’
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