Stunning scenes at Rotorua on the weekend saw several first-grade rugby league players penalised for not playing the ball correctly.
In a shocking twist, NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg’s promise to crack down on illegitimate play-the-balls means that now players will have to roll the ball with their foot.
Aren’t players of today under enough pressure to perform without the added stress of actually attempting to genuinely play the ball correctly?
New Zealand rugby league great Darryl Halligan echoed similar sentiments following the Warriors versus Storm trial, where both sides were pinned for failing to get boot to ball.
Halligan voiced concerns that it may be too difficult for players to change their ways as “they’ve been doing it for so long… you basically have to re-teach yourself”.
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Cronulla Sharks prop Andrew Fifita is one of the worst offenders when it comes to lazy attempts. Halligan is undoubtedly right in this instance – it is completely unreasonable to expect Fifita, who is being paid approximately $800,000 a season, to go out of his way to practice striking the ball backwards with his feet instead of simply rolling it through.
In addition, how can players be required to remember all the way back to their childhood, when they were first taught how to play the ball correctly? It is completely absurd that such difficult demands are placed upon professional athletes.
Fortunately, there are videos out there that should be of assistance to players struggling with this rule, such as the following video:
I guess we will know by the close of 2018 whether Todd Greenberg took his position of authority one step too far in making this extreme request.
Joe
Roar Rookie
That is a good compromise for the player to lift his foot and roll the ball under it. Would be much easier to police consistently as well and players just dumping the ball between their legs should be penalized.
Bunney
Roar Rookie
Gray-Hand, Asking "What is the greatest play the ball of all time?" is fatuous. You defend the pass being thrown backwards as meritorious, yet passes are for the very most part, similarly immemorable to correct play the balls. We remember forward passes and incorrect play the balls when there is one in the lead-up to a try, or when the whistle is blown for an innocuous one after 30 more blatant ones in the game have been let go. I think the major impediment to consistently adjudicating the play the ball is the stiffness of the penalty. The Barry a few comments down suggests lifting a foot and rolling it is sufficient, in what amounts to a minor tweak to the rules. Most punters would agree that'd be sufficient. So there is a tonne of grey area. At what point down the slippery slope is a penalty called? Its a minor indiscretion, which is why refs find blowing a penalty, and thus stripping possession off the team, so difficult. The advantage of the intentionally sloppy play the ball - whether it be not playing it with your foot, not standing straight, walking off the mark, whatever, is speed. So, just like they have with playing the ball too far forward, tweak the rules and simply get the offender to play it again - properly. That extra second teams allow their opposition to set their defensive lines because they haven't played the ball properly will force them to (largely) play it properly, and probably end the argument.
Penrith Punter
Roar Guru
Grayhand, I'll admit that you are arguing very well but at the crux of my argument is this - players playing the call correctly again is not a hard thing for them to do. It's a simple fix. I don't see why they can't fix it easily no matter the reason. People have been complaining about the standard of play the balls recently and the NRL have responded.
Penrith Punter
Roar Guru
That's an interesting option TB - I don't mind it as an alternative. I am hopeful it will be consistently applied as the refs were very consistent in penalising players over the trial weekend but obviously it is necessary to wait until the actual season to see whether it sticks. As for the complaint about the Bunker checking, I agree that definitely would be irritating but hopefully it would only need to be checked if there were substantial complaints about the player the ball from the opposition. This is where I really truly believe that the Captains Challenge is needed in the NRL.
Gray-Hand
Guest
Not valid counterpoints. Passing backwards is essential to the character of the game as a contest for territory. It also adds an element of extra skill because it demands better timing and vision to be able to create a line break. Just about all the greatest players had great passing games. Field goals being required to be behind the line is also essential to the contest for territory once it sets the limit as to how far forward the kicker can take the kick, thus affecting his range. Requirements of kicking goals over the crossbar and between the post are obviously important. It requires extra skill to put the kill club on target, so that adds to the contest. It also adds immensely to the spectacle. The 1989 and 2015 grand finals are the two grand finals that are most often argued as being the best grand finals of all time. Both are largely defined by the ball bouncing off the crossbar and the posts respectively. What was the greatest play the ball of all time? Which player was the greatest player of the ball? No one knows and no one cares.
The Barry
Roar Guru
It’s a good point from gray hand. I see this as being a mess. There’s no way this will be ruled consistently and we’ll also have arguments about “if you look at the freeze frame his left toe clearly touches the ball” It will only cause controversy. Plus you get more errors at dummy half when players play it with their foot. Playing the ball with the foot comes from a time when the play the ball was a contest. Now that it’s not there’s no need for this rule. Make it that a player has to lift a foot and roll the ball under it rather than just straight between the legs. That provides as much slowing down as touching with the foot.
Oingo Boingo
Guest
Passing it backwards adds nothing , come to think of it , nor does kicking from behind the line for drop outs and restarts , don't get me started on kicking the ball over the crossbar when converting, after all , why even make them get it between the uprights..... Sooooo many pointless , stupid , antiquated rules that add NOTHING.
Penrith Punter
Roar Guru
Afternoon Joe, It certainly won't be pleasant viewing at the start but ultimately it should be an easy fix if the players get it right. There is room for players to abuse this rule as you have said and to tamper with the play the ball as to force an error from the opposition yet one would hope that as part of their training the referees can identify when this occurs so they can correctly award the penalty.
Joe
Roar Rookie
Kind of agree with you here. If I look back at the last couple of seasons I'm not thinking...if only they had policed play of the balls correctly things would have been better. I would not be happy if all these play of the ball penalties decided the outcome of games. If that Warriors v Storm trial was anything to go by the viewing public won't be too impressed either by the number of penalties and they're mostly when the attacking team is on a roll and getting quick play of the balls and its all brought to a halt by the whistle. In several of the cases over the weekend the defense in trying to slow the attack has their hands on the attacking player and just put him off balance enough so that he misses the ball with his foot as he's trying to regain balance...who should be penalized in that case and will it be consistent. If they want to be pedantic what about the feeding of the scrum being straight? Nobody cares about that anymore as its just become part of the game.
Gray-Hand
Guest
Cracking down on the play the ball will have zero effect on wrestling tactics, and will only serve to slow ruck speed even further. It will also allow new avenues for slowing down the play the ball since even the slightest bump or pull will be enough to knock the ball player off balance. The game does not have a problem with ruck speed being to fast at the moment.
Boz
Guest
"Nothing of value to the game" - apart from naturally slowing the play-the-ball, giving the defence less of an excuse to hold down the tackled player, which then reduces the wrestle, which then makes a better spectacle of the game etc, etc.
John
Guest
If PTB is strictly enforced it will be interesting to see if there will be an increase in tactics from markers aimed to force PTB errors.
jimmmy
Guest
Way , way ,way to much sense there GH.
Penrith Punter
Roar Guru
Exactly Bunney - it is pretty simple stuff for players to do.
Bunney
Guest
I take your point Gray Hand, but conversely, if I made a list of the top things about league that drives me nuts, refs not adjudicating the rules properly would be right up there. Play the ball properly and you're sweet. Don't and the rules should be enforced. Pretty simple stuff. It is not the refs jobs to work out if a rule is fair or not, their job is only to apply them uniformly in each match.
Gray-Hand
Guest
look at it this way: Make a list of your top ten ( or top 20, or 100 or even top 1000) favourite rugby league moments. The moments that make you love the game. The perfectly placed passes, the desperate tackles, the perfectly placed kicks etc... How many of those moments are perfectly executed plays the balls?
Gray-Hand
Guest
That is just an effect, not necessarily a benefit.
Gray-Hand
Guest
It is a rule that adds nothing of any value to the game. It would make more sense for the NRL to simply change the rule to allow the ball to be rolled under the legs. The game would continue to flow and the pedants could sleep soundly at night.
Bunney
Guest
Gray-Hand, Have a look at the difference in ball play speed it makes. Fifita (an example) gets to his feet quickly, but is off-balance; however, he is able to sweetly roll the ball to the dummy-half very quickly, and is falling over in the process. Enforcing him to stand up and play the ball properly with his foot requires balance, and therefore, it takes more time. If it didn't achieve anything, they'd just do it properly. They cheat (by rolling) to gain an advantage.
BA Sports
Guest
It actually helps to slow the ruck down a little most of the time