Warriors coach Stephen Kearney believes the NRL’s radical rule changes have led to an increase in blowout scorelines, including their scoreless loss to Penrith.
A week after holding St George Illawarra to nil, the Warriors were on the wrong end of a 26-0 defeat to the Panthers on Friday night.
It was the second straight night a team failed to score point, with Brisbane also failing to trouble the scoresheet in a 59-0 humiliation against Sydney Roosters.
In fact, of the ten games played since the six-again rule was rushed in last week, eight have been decided by more than two tries.
“There’s no doubt it’s a by-product of a team getting momentum,” Kearney said.
“Having to make a number of tackles in a row and all of a sudden defending your try line under some real fatigue, there’s no doubt that plays a part.”
(AAP Image/Robb Cox)
Kearney also questioned why no Panthers were sent to the sin bin for multiple ruck infringements that resulted in a 6-2 advantage in set restarts.
“I reckon they had about five of them on the first tackle tonight,” he said.
“And when I last read the brief, it said that if they were making multiple six-again infringements, that someone was going to go to the bin. I didn’t see that happen.”
However, Kearney insists none of those factors were the major reason his team went from playing almost the perfect game to producing a crass one.
He conceded his team, who are now 1-3 to start the season, simply gave away too many penalties and struggled with their last-tackle options.
“I just didn’t think we gave ourselves a chance tonight,” he said.
“I reckon what the new game is teaching us is that when you miss the jump or lose momentum, it’s very hard to claw back.”
Kearney is also refusing to use the New Zealand club’s indefinite relocation to Australia, brought on by the coronavirus, as an excuse.
“I don’t think the adrenaline or emotion’s going to be an issue,” he said.
“The reality is we missed our jobs tonight and we get another opportunity to work on that and fix it next Friday.”
Kearney confirmed strike wingers Ken Maumalo and David Fusitu’a won’t be back for next week’s clash with North Queensland.
rden
Roar Rookie
since they ditched SJ worries have struggled in last play options, 90% of SJ's kicks were on a dime (and seemed to share a telepathic link with the wingers). Now thy get very few good/well placed kicks (more kick and hope) and for tries mostly on holes / quick double pass type moves - yes they work (and look better) but far certain than it comes off. How many tries from well placed kicks. Almost every other coach knowing the worries only score the holes or/and quick double/long passes and that their kicks totally suck defending is no matter what just stay in your own position (the stuff they were taught in under 12's). Because the kicks suck only ever need 2 guys a little bit further back to way easy clean up grubbers/loppies. Worries scorelines don't blow out because of any new rule, they blow out because the opposition is playing last-play defense just like they were drilled to do in junior grades.
soapit
Roar Guru
probably good to try it for more than 2 weeks to see how it will pan out. always takes teams and coaches time to work out ho to manage a new rule. this is a fairly significant one so may take some time. perhaps a different type of fitness will be needed moving forward.
Womblat
Guest
Yeah, exactly right. If you were behind by one with five to go and on their line, you'd take the 2, and so would I. But you don't get that option, it's been taken out of your hands. It's not a blessing if it's a solid defensive line, it's a curse. And like you, I'm prepared to wait too. I'm just reading a lot of kumbai-ya blind freddy support for a rule that hasn't even come close to showing it's true colours.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Womblat, like I said the other day, i haven’t made up my mind and I think we need to see a full 10 rounds before it becomes clear what the affect is . What you say is quite true. Six again on your own line on the 5th is a much bigger penalty than six again in your own 20 on the first. But so is a penalty on those two occasions. You make the mistake of forgetting that it’s either six again or a penalty. It’s either or. An adverse decision is made one way or the other. The difference is now its like a compulsory quick tap. Are there any problems with that ? I’m not sure but I’m prepared to wait and I haven’t seen enough evidence yet..
Womblat
Guest
I'm sure you've played the game so you would get what I mean when I say there's penalties and there's penalties. Example: First tackle infringement by your team, five minutes in, on the half way mark, ref waves six again versus fifth tackle infringement by their team, 70 minutes in, ten meters out from YOUR line. Utterly different penalties in reality, but identical on paper. Many don't see a difference but the first penalty is barely noticed, and that second penalty is spine-breaking. Lovers of the sport know it all too well. This game isn't won on individual skills, it's won on team momentum. Kearney is right. This rule was always going to please the simple thinkers until it's true legacy is seen, and it'll be in routs like these games. It's ugly to watch and the NRL must be starting to fret themselves. Plus, we haven't seen it decide a game yet. It will.
Blackberry Smoke
Guest
It’s too early to make any kind of decisive judgement. The Roosters flogged the Broncos because they were far superior. It may have only been 40 something to nil last year , but it still would have been a hiding . I thought the Rabbits were lucky to get away with such a close result last night with the amount of mistakes they made.
Edward Kelly
Roar Guru
Agree. Does seem some teams have already learnt how to use the new 6 again rule to make faster play the balls and to then gain more metres and to get repeats. The extra effort in getting a quick play the ball is now rewarded. However some of the rushed play the balls have been terrible but allowed to proceed. Other teams are still just trying to heave the ball up one pass from the ruck into a compressed defense thinking they can win a penalty. Once a team gets that momentum they dominate because attack is less physically draining than defense. I expect that the ladder will end up with a top 2 or 4 who will have many big wins and only a few defeats and the others.
butch
Guest
As Roy Masters has written, giving more freedom for refs to make arbitrary decisions means they can control games. The decisions went the way of the trailing team up until near the end in Storm game (like Knights game last Sunday) so viewers were locked in to close struggle. It seems like the Warriors got the benefit too but they were as poor as St George last week.
Boz
Guest
The new rules are great. The last thing the NRL needs to do is listen to what the coaches want. My Broncos got flogged this week under the new rules. They also got flogged last year under the old rules. All the rules are doing at the moment are highlighting the gap between the best and the rest. It's up to the "rest" to improve and catch up.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Hang on, the Warriors got 6 restarts and the Panthers 2. So the Warriors should have run away with it , yes? The rules had nuthin to do with this result.
Fraser
Roar Rookie
Yep, completely agree. Unpopular opinion, but I am not a fan of these new rules - it's too inconsistent and doesn't represent rugby league at all. If this is the flow that everyone was talking about, then quite frankly, it sucks.