This week’s Roar and Against debate is about golden point in the NRL and whether it makes rugby league an exciting product or not.
Each week two writers will go head-to-head, and will only have 250 words to get their point across on one of the big sporting issues of the week.
It will be up to you, in the comments section, to decide the winner. That winner will stay on and take on a new challenger and new topic. That challenger can be anyone, including any commenters who throw their hat in the ring.
To debate this week’s topic, Roar Pro Lachlan Jeffery steps up as challenger to take on Roar editor Patrick Effeney who successfully argued against TV ratings proving rugby league is a better game to watch at home than union.
More golden point:
» Golden point has lost its gleam
» What’s the point of golden point?
» NRL to consider scrapping golden point for finals
This week’s topic comes after the NRL continues to review scrapping golden point for the finals series.
Golden point is a terrible way to decide a rugby league match
AGREE
Lachlan Jeffery (Roar Guru)
When golden point was introduced in 2003, it was seen as a thrilling way to decide a winner. However, it quickly descended into farce with both sides just working the ball into good field position to take a shot at field goal. This is evidenced by the fact that in 94 golden point matches since 2003, 53 have been decided by a drop kick.
Teams don’t attack the opposition defence in golden point like they do in regular time. Games become boring as teams play conservative and don’t try anything. They just pass, run hard and take the ball inside the opposition half and take a predictable shot at field goal. Instead of being exciting, this extra time period becomes boring and repetitive.
There have been five finals decided in golden point, four of which finished with a field goal. The only one that didn’t was the 2010 qualifying final between Sydney Roosters and Wests Tigers. In that game, 19 minutes of shocking field goal attempts took place until Shaun Kenny-Dowall took an intercept and ran 65-metres to score the match winner. This created a level of excitement that wasn’t even matched by the match winning play in the 2015 grand final.
There are no words for how bad the Broncos players felt following their heart-breaking loss in the decider. They were beaten because the ball was turned over to the Cowboys 10-metres from the posts. All the Cowboys had to do was not lose possession and they had an easy attempt at field goal. How terrible a way to decide a premiership. There has to be a better way.
DISAGREE
Patrick Effeney (Roar Editor)
Golden point makes every single part of my body tighten up watching a rugby league game. That’s a great thing.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s my team or a random game; the concept makes the contest that much more exciting for me as a fan of the sport, and every play in the last ten minutes of a close one that much more important.
It’s those moments where big game players step up, and those not up to the task that day fall away.
Johnathan Thurston’s Cowboys took the 2015 NRL Grand Final into golden point through a sheer bit of brilliance (with a dash of luck) after Ben Hunt’s Broncos had looked like controlling the game to its conclusion.
Golden point would decide the fate of the premiership that year.
Ben Hunt dropped the kickoff, and Johnathan Thurston snapped the decisive field goal. It was the premiership that Thurston deserved, and the one that Hunt didn’t. Golden point sorted the men from the boys that day.
I, a Broncos fan, was shattered. It was the cruelest way to see your team go down after a season of toil.
But it wasn’t unfair. It wasn’t to either team’s advantage. It was simultaneously crippling and exhilirating. It was the best of sport.
Even regular season games that go to golden point take on increased significance, increased epicness. The ones that last past golden point even moreso. The Knights-Raiders game earlier this year was a belter, and wouldn’t have been a ‘well-earned draw’ without golden point.
Anything that takes spectator shivers away from a sporting contest is a bad idea. Removing golden point would do exactly that.
David
Guest
What is the argument against the first point of the entire game (whether a try, a penalty, or a field goal) being the golden point? If both teams understand this, and scores are level nearing full-time, the team scoring second in the game will know that they will lose unless they can score again before the end of the game.If the scores are level at full-time, the team who scored first wins the match by virtue of the fact that they had the first advantage in the game. The only reason that the game would be extended beyond full-time would be in the case of a nil-all draw at the end of normal time (extremely unusual in Rugby League). In that case, extra time would have the same rule. For example, 10 minutes (or whatever) each way. The first team to score has the advantage until the end of the extra time, and wins unless the opposing team scores more points than them before the end of extra time. Seems simple to me. Everyone knows which team has score first in a game. Perhaps it will mean that early in the game, a team will position themselves to score a field goal first up, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. It broadens the skill-set in the teams. Perhaps it gives the advantage to the team with a good field goal kicker, but that is the case anyway in the current system when the scores are level at full-time.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
If I have to choose, I would say that I am against Golden Point but Patrick argued the more relevant point of match tension better. One point to Patrick.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Kaks mentioned it in his comment, but the NFL have a system that means if a team scores then the opposition has a chance to hit back. For mine, a full extra time period with a golden try rule would be awesome, just gets the teams playing more aggressively and entertaining footy. But if that wasn't viable then the NFL system is a pretty good alternative. What if the Ben Hunt had a chance to respond in last years GF?
steveng
Roar Rookie
The argument from certain pundits is this; the 2015 GF was supposed to be the best and the most exciting 'EVER' that is what some say? And why change it? But watching RL for so many years I can remember many more GF’s that were more exciting and exhilarating (because every GF is such to the fans) but in recent times (if anyone wants to compare a drawn GF) the Tigers vs Raiders GF was a better GF (when John 'Chicka' Ferguson scored that famous try to draw the game) and that was in the time when ‘Extra Time’ was played out and wasn’t a golden point affair, it was just if not more exhilarating and exciting than the 2015 GF ever was. I hate the 'Golden Point' fiasco, it’s like it was in the sixties when the great Rabbitohs kicker Erick Simms was kicking FG’s from anywhere and everywhere that is why they had to reduce the FG’s from 2 points to 1. The law should have stayed as it was because ‘if it aint broke don’t fix it’ and it should be as it was before; a) if a game is a draw then each team gets 1 point and ‘Extra Time’ (of 10 min each half) should only be a decider in the finals and grand final. Simple!
Kaks
Roar Guru
"Basically, its pot luck." Disagree. It weeds out the men from the boys, look at the Tigers vs Storm game for example. Moses will hopefully learn from that miss and hone his skills. Hopefully he learns a bit of composure as well. You need both to help your team in Golden Point.
peter
Guest
Thats my point it would create a very exciting end to a match cause there wouldnt be holding down penalties, hand in the ruck. But if you did do it, it would lose you the game. The fear of the refs giving the penalty would allow a better brand of footy. My biggest thing about the Refs atm is the drop ball, I feel like im watching touch footy half the time, Everytime the footy touchs the grass its a knock on. Its like the refs arnt bothered to watch the drop they just blow the whistle when they see it has left the hands.
turbodewd
Guest
Pot luck?! If your team takes the game seriously youll have 2 guys who are good at FGs. Where is the luck?! Its skill! Take skill and practise to kick a FG. Is kicking penalty goals luck too?
Scott Pryde
Expert
I can't stand Golden Point, so my vote goes to Lachlan. Why have a field goal shootout? What is the point? Basically, its pot luck. But Paddy does have a reasonable point here. (pardon the pun) - Golden Point makes every part of your body tense up. The Adrenalin rush blogging last year's grand final was quite something. But in the same breath, wouldn't you prefer to see invigorating passing and last ditch plays to score a try? Make it unlimited time, someone is going to score eventually. I also like the idea of taking players off the field, but it must be done slowly, and I would leave full teams out there for at least 10 minutes, then maybe a player every 2 or 3 minutes.
turbodewd
Guest
LOL me too! I don't understand the hullabaloo. Crowds aren't down due to GP Ratings aren't affected by GP its a non issue! Id rather hear fans complain about how Origin ruins the middle of the NRL season. Origin must be on a Saturday night!
Kaks
Roar Guru
If you score a drop goal, the opposing team has a set of six (penalties extend the set) to reply with a field goal. If they dont reply, then the first team to score a field goal wins. If you score a penalty, you win. If you score a try, you win. The NFL uses a similar system. Not only is it a fairer system, but it finds you a winner quick smart.
turbodewd
Guest
Daniel, no way man, if your team cant defend one set of 6 and a try is scored then you don't deserve to be there. game over man, game over! Golden try should clinch it instantly!
Patrick Effeney
Editor
Hoorah!
Geoff Parkes
Expert
Can't see golden penalty getting up peter. Fans will accept Hunt and Thurston deciding the game off their good/bad play but they won't accept it being decided by a ref. And the refs don't want the responsibility either, they would be packing themselves. Vote 1 Paddy
Patrick Effeney
Editor
I don't mind the golden try idea either. A hybrid that would possible please a lot of people. Considering a try is pretty much going to be the end of the game anyway with only ten minutes left.
EastsFootyFan
Roar Guru
This idea makes the most sense to me - you play a full extra time if penalties or drop goals are the only scoring methods used, but the game ends with a try. That said, for the sake of fairness, I think that if a team scores a try of the first set of extra time, then the opposition should get one set in reply before it's game over.
P Air
Guest
Lachlan Jeffery wins. Get rid of Golden Point
turbodewd
Guest
Golden try - should be instant win. But if a team kicks FG or PG and extra time expires - they win. I agree that extra time isn't super important for regular season games, but I do like it. Why say no to more tense football???
peter
Guest
how about last try wins and get away from golden point, or 2 points to win. This will create a contest where you are scared to give the penalty and there will be fast flowing exciting footy to watch. Im not taking anything away from the excitment but i am a roosters fan and the end of our game last year against the broncos at home during the requirlar season was great to see the roosters try and defence the field goal only for ben hunt to sneak past behind them defenders and score under the posts.
Edward Kelly
Roar Guru
I'm against any more articles about Golden Point!