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Opinion

Ball-stripping will play a big part in this season's NRL

Robbo new author
Roar Rookie
5th March, 2020
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Robbo new author
Roar Rookie
5th March, 2020
13

While viewing several games in the Nines competition and again viewing trial matches, it is quite apparent that some teams have learnt a great deal about how to successfully steal or strip the ball from opposition players.

This is not illegal play if performed correctly and was perfected in season 2019 by the Canberra Raiders.

You only have to look at replays of their games from last year to see how their English imported players had mastered the technique and taught the rest of the team.

Teams that appeared to have picked up on this in the aforementioned games were the North Queensland Cowboys, Melbourne Storm (who actually changed their previous ways), Parramatta Eels, Wests Tigers and to a lesser extent the Penrith Panthers and Gold Coast Titans.

If I missed any teams, it is because they didn’t stand out as much as the aforementioned teams.

While I agree that ball-stripping has always being a part of the game, the new techniques involving multiple players in the tackle and releasing at some given word or signal is without a doubt going to put a whole lot more pressure on referees to apply the rules correctly.

When you consider the pace of the game, even though tackling is a slower process, the players releasing from the tackle will not always get it right and the referees will be unsighted on a great deal of releasing from the contact, even allowing for two referees.

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I can see quite a few penalties arising from this situation and maybe quite a few captain’s challenges being involved.

We only have to wait and see if I’m on the money.

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