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Hawthorn President and former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett says he would have preferred to knit underwater than tune in to the NRL when it returned from COVID-19 hibernation, labelling the game as “boring”.
Should Kennett’s comments be brushed aside as a cheeky swipe from a biased AFL fan or does he have a point?
Whether or not you are a fan of Kennett, it is never boring listening to him.
While rugby league is often referred to as the greatest game of all, the game can be prone to predictability.
The main cause of this predictability is the lack of opportunities to contest for possession.
Changes to rules have removed many chances to contest for the ball.
Two examples were the removal of contested scrums and disallowing raking in play the balls.
In contrast, other sports in Australia allow more frequent opportunities for contests of possession.
In the AFL, there are marking contests and the bounce to restart play.
Rugby union has line outs, rucks, mauls and contests at kick offs.
Soccer always allows for changes of possession with tackling and heading contests.
Many of the most exciting moments in rugby league occur when there is a contest for possession.
The classic example is when teams contest a bomb.
Another opportunity is when players steal the ball in a one-on-one tackle.
The introduction of the 40/20 rule was one of the most well received rule changes because of the unpredictability it created, allowing teams to retain possession after kicking it away.
However, apart from these examples it is hard for teams to compete for possession which can all too often lead to predictable and dare I say boring play.
A game of rugby league often gets stuck in what is known as “the grind”.
This refers to the predictable tactics of teams resorting to one out runs, running from acting half and ending the set with a kick to one of the opponent’s corners.
This sequence of events is referred to as “the grind” for good reason.
Even the supposed showpiece of the NRL season – State of Origin – for all its hype, frequently suffers from predictability.
Due to the quality of the players participating in Origin, there are usually fewer errors which leads to a predictable arm wrestle where both teams just work the ball out from their goal-lines with conservative tactics.
For all the highlights we are shown that we are told make State of Origin such a great brand of football, much of the games are spent watching the ball going through the same motions back and forth from one side of the field to the other.
Contrast that with what happened in Sunday night’s game between Canberra and Newcastle when the Raiders attempted a short kick off which saw them regain possession and score a try.
It was without doubt one of the more interesting parts of the game.
It prompted one television commentator to ask why teams don’t do it more? I agree.
It is a good idea not only from a tactical point of view but also from an entertainment point of view.
It is these types of moments – unpredictable moments – that rugby league needs more of.
Interestingly, like any game of league, it is when errors occur that games become more interesting.
Far from causing an inferior quality game, errors provide unpredicted changes of possession placing teams in greater opportunities to score.
Admittedly, the introduction of the “six to go” rule is an example of the NRL heading in the right direction in making the game more attractive to watch.
More continuity of the contest promotes fatigue in defensive lines which, at least in theory, should encourage teams in possession to utilise enterprising play in more parts of the field – not just in their opponent’s “red zone”.
As we know, however, teams tend to only unleash their attacking flair once they are deep in their opposition’s half.
The rest of the time they are usually focused on tucking the ball under their arm to win “the battle of attrition”.
It is during these frequent and predictable passages of play there are few opportunities for the defensive team to regain possession.
Rugby league could improve by promoting more opportunities to contest for possession.
It would create more unpredictability for players and audiences.
If the NRL is in the business of growing its audience, it needs to appeal to people like Kennett so eventually he will decide to overlook the knitting needles and tune in.
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