Thursday night footy is the platform for Gus Gould to climb up on his soap box and lament one of rugby leagues many flaws – on Thursday night it was ‘the wrestle’.
No doubt the wrestle is a blight on the game. Gould is entitled to criticise to some extent. But as one of the game’s great thinkers he has an obligation to put forward a solution also. Ray Warren prompted him for a remedy and Gould in his wisdom grumbles ‘its too late, the horse has bolted.”
That is not good enough. Here is a solution.
The current interchange is 10/4 system. 10 changes – 4 subs. That system should be changed.
1. Forwards currently play in short spurts. They carry more than 120 kilograms of weight around the paddock because they don’t need any endurance;
2. These big forwards take two and three defenders to bring down;
3. In this context, a culture of wrestling has emerged. As Gus correctly points out, its a blight on the game.
Teams prioritise gang tackling and attack according to set structures. There is less of a place for the little man and ad-lib football is on the endangered species list.
If the NRL placed greater emphasis on a player’s endurance, players would have to slim down as a consequence.
There’d be fewer Sam Kasianos and more Preston Campbells. The balance of the game is too far in favour of the big man in 2014.
I propose replacing the 10/4 system with 6/3 + 1 approach as of 2015. What is 6/3 + 1?
It means six interchanges during the match, with three nominated bench players. There would be one reserve player who would be introduced as a permanent replacement for a starting player – much like the green vest in the AFL.
What benefits does this bring? More fatigue among players, less wrestling, quicker play-the-balls and more ad lib play.
The one reserve is required because with a 6/3 interchange system, a side runs the risk of being undermined if a starting player is injured early and can’t continue. The green vest gives the team the luxury of permanently replacing that injured player and not being significantly disadvantaged.
Critics of this proposal will say I am speculating as to the effect it will have. To an extent I am. But to consider it from another perspective, imagine what would happen if the four Burgess brothers had to play 80 minutes each match instead of 40?
They would tire and Michael Maguire would start to think his bench would be better served with a Preston Campbell-type, who can take advantage of the space between the big-boppers who are suddenly struggling to move off the defensive line.
The game is clearly favouring the big man at the moment. This change will rectify the imbalance and put a stop to the wrestle. One of rugby league’s great flaws is that it shoots itself in the foot more often than it gives itself a leg-up.
Last night’s soapbox episode from Gus Gould is sadly just another example
Stu
Guest
Well said Joey, If anybody thinks that "supercoach" Gould didn't not employ ruck slowing tatics they have been living in a cave. Penrith just aren't good at it yet.
Damo
Guest
Good idea. We need more attack and less wrestle and this is a fair solution. I would also like to ban any water boys from being on the field unless its a scrum or try.
Alvin Purple
Guest
The rules state that a player must be released immediately when he is tackled. As many have pointed out that if this rule was enforced then we would not have this issue. The penalties will be high to start but once the coaches realise that it is costing them games then they will change their training methods to suit. Look at the lifting tackles this year since the McKinnon incident. Players are now so much more aware fo this they stop when gettig a player in a dangerous position. Still have some issues from time to time but it is not as bad.
Vivalasvegan
Guest
I agree that less interchanges are required. Not only will it free up the game for spectacular small players (though I love the forward tussle) it will bring back the proper tackling of the past and make the game safer. The crusher and lift issues are about trying to wrangle giants, moving at speed, with great hands, to the ground. It takes three people... Need to take the short burst impact player out of the game a bit...
Michael Buggy
Roar Rookie
max - the refs should be calling held sooner. They have this season I would argue. I can't argue in favour of referees intervening and stopping the game through penalties when less interchange can achieve the same thing.
Michael Buggy
Roar Rookie
Good points Chris. I accept the referees could have greater influence but the idea of "when to blow the penalty?" is very subjective. Altering the interchange allows for a more natural evolution of the game. They can tell blokes to release quicker and penalise them if they don't. In principle that may work but in practice it just creates a further issue if there are too many penalties. I didn't expressly spell out why teams wrestle. Everyone knows its to win the ruck. All I know is that if blokes were forced to play under fatigue it would lead them to carry less weight around on the field. Furthermore, when they tire the defensive line won't have the energy to move up in numbers and gang tackle.
Joey
Guest
OFcourse Gus would say that about other teams, he putting pressure on teams like souths and storm. He is using his media position to put these teams Under the spotlight.. He is giving Perith the advantage by using his position ..Just like Rotfield writing about the wrestle now, when his team Sharks are under the pump.. They are just dirty tactics, worse than wrestling.
Chris morrison
Guest
Most people commenting and the article itself are missing the point of "the wrestle." Coaches and players, commentators and experts alike talk about game plans and execution. But let's face it.... every team runs the same set plays, same set shapes of attack. Rugby league is a very repetitive game and very simple game when you take the bs out of it whoever wins the ruck will win the game. That is the reason why the wrestling techniques and the employment of wrestling coaches at teams was introduced to our game by Craig Bellamy and the Melbourne Storm. Bellamy realised that if they slowed down the ruck it would allow them a huge defensive advantage. Defence wins games. The point that everyone is missing is that the faster you try and get the players to release the more important it will be for them to wrestle with players. Penalties do not stop teams. In fact teams such as the roosters and the bulldogs in last nights game will deliberately give away penalty after penalty to ensure that their line is set. Only way to stop the wrestle is to start sin binning players for it. Especially for repeat infringements. The automatic sin bin for punching has completely eradicated it from the game. As it will for these deliberate penalties that teams will give away by wrestling. It should be defending team makes a tackle, they release the player completely (not keep hands on them as they attempt to play the ball). Failure to do this results in a penalty. If the penalised team gives away penalties for repeat infringements. Sin bin them. 10 mins is too long for a sin binning. Should be reduced to 5. Also any infringement that is put on report also gets an automatic 5 mins sin bin aswell. Any infringement that is foul play (head high tackle etc) 5 mins sin bin aswell. It's time to clean up our game or else the wrestle will remain.
Zedman
Roar Rookie
Penalties are part of the game,if you infringe you get penalised,not the ref calling players offside,warning players do it again your in the bin.stay behind the line,markers in line,play it with your foot, voluntary tackle, the STRIP, the absolute time wasting at scrums and dropouts,etc,etc you get what I'm on about.
Luke M
Guest
How about making guys play the ball properly? Get all the way to your feet, place the ball on the ground, and roll it back with your foot. No tunnelballing on all fours and lifting a leg over it. This would give the defence the extra second or two that they are trying go get through wrestling. Oh hang on, this was thought of 100 years ago.
maximillian
Guest
I actually like this idea of bringing more of the litle skillful men back into the game but I still dont know that fixes the wrestle? Instead of having 120kg players wrestling we will have 100kg players wrestling so I think in essence youve just changed the body types of the players. Why cant the ref call held sooner? Its often clear that a player isnt going anywhere when hes got 3 guys tackling him yet the ref still allows the defence to wrestle & contort the players for an additional 5 seconds. This slows the ruck down to the benefit of the defence & only encourages more wrestling. Call held sooner & then we will see more players tackling around the legs to get the players to ground earlier.
Hoy
Roar Guru
Agreed, but lets be honest, it will never happen. Think Gould is whinging now? What until you have a ref actually blow a penalty... Heaven forbid, they blow 2. The issue is, and I have said it before... Fans/Journos/Commentators/Coaches/Players... all currently believe the REF is responsible for ruining a game by blowing his whistle... Not the players who actually transgress. Until that is stopped, and the players are blamed, not the Refs, the Refs are powerless, and will forever be blamed for the state of the game. Imagine a player getting up and telling a Rugby Ref that his decision was "Bullshit" like last night. Sure Ennis was marched 10, but then he was still given the opportunity to speak to the Ref and still criticised his decision. Rugby Refs wouldn't stand for the garbage dished out by League players, and neither should League Refs. I agree completely. Have some short term penalty pain, for long term game gain... After all, it isn't the Refs fault the players infrigne, and a penalty should be blown as it is seen. But London to a Brick you will have Gould complaining that the Refs are turning the game into Rugby if they actually penalise players too much.
Fairy fairfax
Roar Rookie
I, too, have to agree with Gould, a very uncommon occurrence. The referees have the powers at hand to stop this blight but I have this nagging thought in the back of my mind that the Referees are being pressured not to blow too many penalties by someone somewhere who wants the game to "flow" -whatever that means. If they observe an infraction there should be no chatter containing the words "mate" or "this is the third time I have warned you," or "What about when they....."' The whistle shoul blow and a penalty applied. And if a player disrespects the Referee, then march them ten meters. All the BS will disappear before the 15 minute mark.
Fred
Guest
Then injuries will be an issue l- just have the refs start blowing penalties in the ruck and it will all be solved
SVB
Guest
I couldn't agree with Gould more. That is saying something as I mostly never do.
Zedman
Roar Rookie
Gus has an agenda,maybe Penrith can't wrestle so Gus ,after years of wrestling in the game has decided to have a whinge.The solution is simple,start penalising the offenders and it will soon stop.