Citius, altius, fortius (faster, higher, stronger). The Olympic motto, but also a motto that could easily be applied to the modern-day NRL competition.
It seems that ever since the only try-less grand final back in 1986, rugby league has strived to ensure that it never happens again. A raft of rule changes and counter rule changes to make the game open and allow it to flow have been a continual work in progress.
Naturally, the modus operandi of players and coaches throughout has been (and always will be) to keep the game at a pace comfortable for themselves, while the rule-makers will try to keep it exciting.
When Benji Marshall bucked the trend and took a quick tap from a penalty in March 2013, it provided a lightbulb moment to bring that into the game permanently. In 2014, there are more opportunities for it to happen than ever, but is it working?
On Friday night in front of 30,394 fans at ANZ Stadium, one of those rule changes back fired like a 1976 TX Gemini in the match between Parramatta and Cronulla. It managed to see the spotlight taken off any player or referee error for a change.
Instead the match was supposedly decided by the actions of a ball boy.
After a brilliant 40/20 from Chris Sandow that appeared to have put his team back in the match, an attempted quick tap (and possible try) was called back because the ball boy had passed the ball in and not placed it on the ground.
Parramatta still had their chance to win from the ensuing set of six against a set defensive line and failed, but by that time controversy had stolen the spotlight yet again.
Is it a flawed situation? There is nothing to stop an opposition ball boy doing the opposite and taking extra time to get the ball back into play as well, even if he does place it on the ground.
The rugby league illuminati offered up alternatives such as having a ball there just for 40/20 kicks, but is that the only issue?
Ballboygate aside, the quick tap rule in 2014, from both penalties and 40/20s, has made about as much sense as someone urinating in their own mouth. This week one situation will be allowed, the next it will be called back.
Maybe the NRL needs to admit the quick tap rule has been about as successful as the Illawarra Steelers’ signing of Steve Rogers in 1986. Maybe there is enough advantage from getting possession from a scrum after a 40/20 or a taking a set tap after a penalty. If nothing else, there is a lot less room for confusion.
It could well be time to look at other measures to speed the game up or make it more entertaining. Two that spring to mind could be a reduction in the number of interchanges or a concerted effort to speed up the rucks.
If we genuinely want the game to be a better product, there is certainly no shame in admitting something has not worked and looking for other options.
Follow Rob Sheeley on Twitter – @robshots
Rich21
Roar Rookie
I believe the ballboy rule should be changed but a quick tap can only be allowed if the actual ball that is kicked out is retrieved by the winger or any player from the attacking team. If however the attacking team wants to take a breather than they can slow it down themselves. A 40/20 is not for the Defensive team to take a breather so waiting for them to set up their defense is just wrong.
Josh
Guest
The winger caught the ball from and passed it from two meters in from touch plus sandow tapped with his knee. I thought you had to tap it with your foot. So even if the ball boy didn't pass it. As far as I'm aware he tapped incorrectly anyway.
bobdubbo
Guest
Have a second ball place on 22 meter line, the winger then pick up and play on. the ball boy does not have to be there with the ball just out of play
Boz
Guest
Let's face it, the only reason we have the 40/20 rule in the first place was because scrums became uncontested and predictable. Make scrums a real contest again and you can scrap the 40/20 rule completely.
Rellum
Roar Guru
They only get that reward if the defensive team is lazy. I think they should change the rule back to the player needs to put the ball on the ground, tap kick it(or just kick it), then pick it up.
Sammy
Guest
Rellum, have to disagree. The team executing the 40-20 kick is already rewarded enough by receiving the ball at a restart, and we don't need to increase the reward by giving that team a quick restart.
Rellum
Roar Guru
I hate the fact that teams are allowed to get their defense set everytime there is a break in play. I want to see a more broken field game and the quick tap does that. It should be up to the defense team to get their line ready not the ref. The best thing the quick tap brings is forcing big forwards to sprint back to get the line set as fast as they can. Right now they wander back as often as they can and that is a failing in the game. Players should be more exhausted at the end of a half than they are. On the footy show Freddy was mentioning the increase in 3 man tackles over the recent seasons and that is a good indicator of how slow the game is at the moment. Friday night incident showed to me that the if the Bulldog players all sprinted back at the thought of a 40/20 then there would be less chance of an easy try. The only change to the rule is to remove the ball boys from it. The players need to do a lot more running.
speedy2460
Guest
How about giving the ball to the touch judge and he paces it on the line.
Gappy
Guest
Even better make the place the ball on the ground tap it with the foot and the pick it up and play this way the defence gets time to set the refs have time to get into position and the attacking team have made the tap correctly. Also make all 40/20 tapons on the 20m mark no where it goes out that way a balls can be place 5m back for the side line ready to be used.
Realist 1975
Guest
How about a separate stop clock which counts down say either 10 or 20 seconds from the moment the ball is signalled out by the touch judge? For instance the 40/20 Kick goes out with the defensive team having 10 or 20 seconds to set itself whilst the attacking team has to wait till the clock runs down to zero. The video referee can communicate with the referee when the ball went out of play with the stop clock up on the screen for everyone to view.
The Barry
Guest
Not really. The problem still exists that having a tap inside the 20 running at an unset defence as a reward for just finding touch is completely inequitable.
Mitchoh
Guest
Corner post on the 20 with a ball next to it. Problem solved.
turbodewd
Guest
Umm, even if they fix the 40-20 quick tap rule...with crowds so crap...who will actually be there to confirm if this occured? :^(
Elma Dudd
Guest
Its a no brainer really and has to have action taken immediately as The Barry has stated before it decides a major game. No team wants to lose on the back of this but if it decides a semi or grand final and the meat heads running the game have let the sleeping dog lie , I for one would be pretty peesed off having paid between $350 and $1000 to see my team get sent home on the back of such a easy to rectify rule.
Phoenix Pete
Guest
Thanks for the clarification.
Robshots
Roar Guru
Spot on, that is sort of the crux of it. Is there any other part of the game where players are told so often that they've done it wrong and to come back and have another go? The dogs got one wrong, the Eels got one wrong, the Tigers done it again last night too. I don't think there is much to lose by switching back to the scrum feed and standard penalty restart.
Gappy
Guest
Sandow did tap it but with his knee and on the 20m mark when the correct place was the 12. Just like early in the game when Mbye was called to take the penalty from the correct stop. Could you image if the try was giving and the tap was wrong after the dogs had one called back early in the game?????
Fazed
Guest
That's the whole point of the stupiditi of the quick tap rule, no matter 40/20 or the in goal rule, its the whim of the player & ref to allow how the restart is set & where, close enough to the spot has been rampant. There is near enough to 40% of quick taps that are not pulled up that should be owing to the player not doing it correctly by touching the ball with his foot. 40/20, easy way when the touchie raises flag for when the ball goes over the side line, he should stand at the spot & then be able to signal by either his other arm in the air its a 40/20 with the clock stopping, then set a scrum, nothing wrong with that.
Wascally Wabbit
Guest
And as has been noted, Chris Sandow never actually tapped the ball - he just caught it and ran. For the tap after the ball goes dead in goal, I think there should be a 1 metre semi-circle sprayed in the middle of the 20 metre line, on the the 10 metre side, so everyone knows exactly where the tap should be taken.
Robshots
Roar Guru
Agree, it is just ugly at the moment and causing a hell of a lot of confusion.