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Things you don’t see in modern rugby league

14th November, 2016
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Ben Creagh packing down as a... Hooker? Second rower? Lock? Does it matter? (Digital image by Colin Whelan © nrlphotos.com)
Roar Guru
14th November, 2016
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2387 Reads

There are a lot of great skills on display in modern rugby league. Players are generally fitter, faster and stronger than ever before.

There are also some aspects of the game that you don’t (or rarely) see any more, either because of rule changes or the field position/low-risk formula style of rugby league these days.

Here are some parts of the game that I remember fondly and miss seeing today.

Tap moves
Once upon a time, long before they worried about completion rates, teams would often have exotic moves to use for some of their penalty taps. Parramatta had one known as ‘the wall’ in the 1980s, which had several variations.

Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t, as the two clips show. However it was always entertaining.

Toe-pokers
In the days long before the kicking tee, when sand was what you used to set the ball in place, the toe-poke was the preferred goal-kicking style. The ball was paced at a 45-degree angle on the sand, the kicker went straight back about five or six steps, and then kicked the ball with the toe of their boot.

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Although there were some great exponents of the toe-poke like Parramatta’s Mick Cronin, it eventually made way for the generally more accurate ‘around the corner’ style used in modern rugby league. The toe-poke style was great to watch though, as there was an ever-present risk of the old leather balls spraying off the side of the boot.

The mid-field chip and chase
Long before ‘field position’ became the mantra for the kicking game in rugby league, players like Canterbury’s Steve Mortimer and Manly’s Phil Blake were great exponents of the mid-field chip and chase. They often broke open opposition defences with this tactic.

Now you rarely see this done, with players who dare to try it likely to be crucified if the tactic doesn’t work and they turnover the ball near halfway.

Ben Creagh packs down in the second row

Contested scrums
Although the modern hooker is a crucial member of ‘the spine’ in modern rugby league, they used to be valued primarily for their ability to win scrums.

Scrums are now largely uncontested, and have presumably only been kept because they open up the field. But back in the old days, they were fiercely contested, with props and hookers using a variety of tricks and tactics to win the ball for their team.

Markers striking for the ball
Old school rugby league was also slightly less predictable because a quick-thinking marker could win the ball back for his team by legally striking for it in the play the ball. Hookers like Steve Walters and Benny Elias were especially good at this, having honed their striking skills in contested scrums.

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That rule was changed though and a marker can’t strike for the ball these days without conceding a penalty.

No interchange and only two reserves
In years gone by, there was no interchange in rugby league. Once you were replaced, that was the end of your match. Teams were only permitted two reserves, who were often required to have played at least half a game in reserve grade earlier that day. This enhanced the gladiatorial endurance factor of rugby league back then.

It was long before exercise bikes were ever seen on the sidelines.

Rugby league players today are full-time professional athletes and fitter than they were in the semi-professional era. That fact perhaps makes the interchange concept unnecessary when you think about it.

What do you think? Are there other things that used to be a part of rugby league that you miss in today’s game?

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