Rugby league is the greatest game of all – but how can we make it even greater? The following rule changes would improve the spectacle and make the game fairer for all involved.
1. Remove the restart rule
It was brought in to stop players laying on the tackled player to allow their defence to reform. Remove it and go back to penalising players who hold down the tackled player.
It has resulted in teams having more than six tackles and causing blowouts with huge winning margins becoming common. It is ridiculous to talk of record wins because they are being compared to games that were played under different rules.
The rule also stops a team from kicking penalty goals when a penalty goal could put a team in front on the scoreboard. Because of this, teams with a strong defence don’t mind the restart rule.
2. Change the value of tries to three points
Tries were changed to four points in 1982 because the ARL thought fans wanted to see more tries in the hope of increasing the falling crowds.
They figured this would encourage teams to go for tries rather than kicking for goal. This change to four points devalued the penalty goal encouraging teams with a strong defence to infringe in the play-the-ball more often because the attacking team would take a tap in the hope of a four point boost to the score.
Joseph Manu scores a try. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
3. Remove the two point field goal or reverse the points based on the forty metre line
It makes no sense to reward a team that can’t make it over the forty metre line with a two point field goal while penalising the team that does.
4. Discourage the bomb by making it easier to defuse them
The reason why we have the six tackle rule is to encourage creative play when a team has the ball. In unlimited tackles a team could play safe and hold onto the ball until the defence was tired and buckled under the relentless pressure of teams running one out.
Because the bomb is the easiest way of scoring a try, teams play safe and have five tackles of safe play getting into a position to put up a bomb.
When a bomb goes up there is an increase in obstruction by both sides that is often subtle and hard for the referee to see it all. There is also the absurd sub rule that allows a player to obstruct if they have their eyes on the ball.
In Sunday’s Warriors versus Bulldogs game, a Canterbury player fell with his face hitting the ground. The Warrior should’ve been penalised for taking out the legs and causing the dangerous fall but was not because he had his eyes on the ball and not caring about the player jumping in the air.
This could have been much worse if he landed on his head.
To make the bomb a thing of the past we should make the field goal the only scoring option on the sixth tackle. This would encourage creative ball playing in the first five tackles in order to maximise point scoring and offer the attacking team the option to kick a field goal and get six tackles again from the kick off.
We should also allow the defence to punch the ball dead resulting in an end to the attacking team’s set of six. Good tactical kicking would still be rewarded by kicking to players who get themselves into open spaces where the defence can’t punch it dead.
5. We should remove golden point or change the scoring system for it
All competition games should be the same length. The problem with golden point is at the end of all the other games the result was determined by the scores at the end of 80 minutes, there is no extra time.
A team that wins should get more points than a team that draws and therefore the table is not a true reflection of the results. Giving teams two points for a draw in the eighty minutes is not a true reflection of the game. This could be corrected by altering the points given for all the different results.
To give the distinct results their own individual values the points could be distributed as follows:
4 points for a win.
3 points for a golden point win.
2 points for a draw.
1 point for a golden point loss.
0 points for a loss.
GregM
Roar Rookie
make a try worth 3 points? why not make a penalty & drop goal also worth 3 points so people can watch teams kick penalties instead of scoring tries – which is the aim of the game. Isn’t this why rugby went to 5 points for a try – to encourage them? the 6 again has been great and is available for all teams, just because some are no good at it – that is their fault for not keeping up with the times. Maybe add that within the 10 or 20M line that the 6 again can change to a penalty so teams can go for a shot at goal to prevent repeated infringements close to the line? the points per win etc is a good idea, the NHL have something similar so teams are rewarded for an even time draw, but then i am happy if a regular season game ends in a draw, why do we need a winner in every game?
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
A kick to open spaces to find a team mate is a skill but a bomb is a lucky dip. There are a large number of bombs every game.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Gallop brought in Golden Point after a fan told him he hated draws and would prefer to lose. He must've been pulling Gallop's leg.
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
And again, its time to change hands.
Gladys Binchickleanne
Guest
Agreed.Put Buddy Franklin on the wing and a try every time off a bomb.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
That's interesting. Bonus points for big wins I've seen before but a negative number for a big loss is new. Easts score zero points in 1966 a record that will only be beaten if we adopt that. What would Canterbury's points be this year?
Woody
Guest
Happy for a return to 3pt try but we must put a Shot Clock on all goal kicking. Eric Sims just went bang. These actors go through a tic tok routine before each kick. Piggy Ridell started a trend along with Jamie Soward. Time wasters.
Paul
Roar Guru
Again though, we want to speed the game up for more 4 pointers to be scored but allow guys to take ages to score 2 points? Where's the logic?
Rob9
Roar Guru
‘Final games are different from round games where a draw is a valid and just result’ That’s my whole point- I don’t believe it is, and nor should it be. I have no qualms with the system we have (as it’s carried for 26 rounds and 4 weeks of finals). I think it could be tinkered with, but not scrapped to see regular and post season variants of the game emerge.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
In the rounds a draw is a valid result. In the finals a draw is not a valid result and we play extra time and there is usually a result from more points from one team. In the past there have been final games that were still tied after extra time. Those final games were replayed during the week or the the week after for grand finals as it happened in 1977 and 1978. Final games are different from round games where a draw is a valid and just result.
MPC
Guest
I think there should be no golden point and just have a draw after full time. But I think points should be: 3 for a 19+ win 2 for a 1-18 win 1 for a draw 0 for a 1-18 win -1 for a 19+ loss Also the scoring team should kick off
RLFan
Roar Rookie
I agree I am not too keen on the bomb, used far too much in my opinion. Also players are starting to game the system, by getting away with a lot of illegal contact, by "eyes on the ball" What happened to Meaney is a perfect example of dangerous contact which is allowed. As for other rules dropping the six again and going back to penalties would fix a whole lot of things in one go. Also I am one who did not mind a draw, after teams had battled for 80 minutes and were still even on points, it seemed like a just result.
Rob9
Roar Guru
2. You still get to watch goal kickers. I just don’t think there should be the premium that there is on their skill. One third of the points on offer for a converted try rest on the shoulders of one of the thirteen players on the field. That’s not a adequate balance for a sport that’s a team game. 5. A ‘golden try’ concept doesn’t see the game continue until there’s a try. Play extra time as it’s played now but the game doesn’t end unless someone scores a try. If a team kicks a field goal, ok, but that’s not game over. My issue is that we play a game that has a post season and that relies on a result. As such, the same rules should apply during the regular season.
Noel
Guest
The 6 again rules and the obvious bias of a lot of commentators lost me from league last year. I didn't see one second of the origin series this year. I have never played league but was an avid fan in Cairns watching my older brother playing from Minor Junior to Seniors with Brothers Cairns and he also represented the city many many times. A LOST fan.
Noel
Guest
Hey, I still have an original ticket from the Super League Final. In almost mint condition. :happy:
Tom G
Roar Rookie
It achieved nothing in the Super League which most who suggest it forget
Opposed Session
Roar Rookie
4. yeah but the single strip has now become 3 blokes hold someone while 1 guys gets a good grip for them to release and he steals it’s when attacker is vulnerable. It’s the modern day equivalent to holding someone’s arms behind their back while another guy punches him the face. It’s hardly an even contest under the current strip rule.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
A penalty goal can be taken as a drop kick. There was a close game on the weekend where one team had to kick quickly and they should've drop kicked it. I thought they would've drop kicked but their quick place kick missed in the rush. I think it hit the posts. I don't like kickers who perform a minute long ritual and would like to see the clock stopped while they do their stuff.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
2b. It would be restoring the value of the penalty goal. Penalty goals (2/3) are good as they would stop the players holding down the attack to get their defence set. Making tries four points encouraged the defenders to hold down knowing their opponents were not going to kick for goals (2/4). 4. We had contests for the ball when we had unlimited tackles. The six tackle rule was designed to remove that so now the only contest is the single tackler strips. Souths beat Saints in the 1971 grand final thanks to George Piggins stealing the ball from careless Saints in the play the ball so it was gradually removed.
Paul
Roar Guru
First of all, my apologise for the typo Tom, in my first comment. I don't want to stop the clock, I want kickers to get on with it. A simple kick for goal, right in front, 20 metres out, can take 2 minutes, yet I saw a kick the other day that took less than 20 seconds. I think 40 seconds is plenty of time to take a place kick, given the kickers use tees. Anything longer and I'd either call that play dead or failing that, allow the opposition the chance to charge the kick. That'd get the kicker moving. :happy: