The NRL has defended a controversial wall used by Sydney Roosters to end the Gold Coast’s season but head of football Graham Annesley admits the vague law may be changed at the end of the season.
An interpretation of the NRL’s rule against walls allowed Roosters halfback Sam Walker to nail the field goal in a 25-24 win despite two players standing directly beside the play-the-ball.
Replays of the elimination final shows Roosters forwards Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Victor Radley moving into position to the left of the ruck as marker Mitch Rein slips between them to put pressure on Walker.
Under the laws of the game it should constitute a penalty for obstruction, but Annesley agreed with the referee’s call to award the field goal, saying it’s consistent with how it’s been ruled all season because Rein was never impeded.
(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Annesley used his Monday briefing to show numerous incidents in which walls have not been penalised this year.
“Whether the rule should be addressed or not is a different question, and I’m happy that we discuss that at the end of the season, but we can’t change interpretations of things that have been happening right through the season just because we get to the finals series,” he said.
“I’m very happy to review whether this sort of positioning of players in these types of situations should be reviewed for next season and beyond.”
It will come as cold comfort for the Titans.
The NRL law states that a wall is formed when two or more players stand “side-by-side” next to the play-the-ball and don’t allow the opportunity for a defending player to move directly towards the player in possession.
The referee will then penalise for obstruction.
Annesley reasons that the wording of “side-by-side” is intended to mean “shoulder-to-shoulder” and could be clarified at the end of the season.
However, he admits a grey area could have been raised if Rein had collided with one of the Roosters’ defenders – appealing for a penalty instead of attempting a charge down.
“If circumstances were slightly different and there was a collision, very different decision for the officials to make,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NRL also defended the controversial call to award a penalty try to Parramatta’s Will Penisini in their 28-20 win over Newcastle as well as Clint Gutherson’s drop kick for the assist.
Annesley confirmed a drop kick can be used at any point in a game as long as there is intent and the ball is kicked immediately after hitting the ground.
R N
Roar Rookie
My god. I didn’t see the briefing but he didn’t actually say that did he? Is he trying the beat prince Andrew for dumbest most incoherent excuses ever!
KenW
Roar Rookie
It's right up there. 'We're not enforcing that rule on purpose because we've been poor at enforcing that rule in the past. If people would like that rule to be one we actually follow they should let us know.'
Paul Monaro
Roar Rookie
That's genius! The 'BCNRL' manual Vol 1. Section 1.1.1.0. Hang on. I'm forgetting it's not rugby union.
JGK
Roar Guru
It is implied otherwise every missed drop kick would be a knock on. But yes it should be clearer. And to be honest, the RL Laws are a bit of a jumbled mess. For instance, the downtown rule is a vague note at the bottom of the offside section.
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
Yeah DP the NRL have painted themselves into a corner on this one.Maybe some brave Ref ,who’s retiring will find his whistle in the last 5 mins of a game. He’ll become an instant Fan hero to 15 of the 16 Clubs in the League
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
There was a field goal a couple of weeks ago. I can't remember the team. They had what can only be described as a ' sloping ' wall. First player beside the ruck , level with the ptb, second player 1 m further back at 45 degrees to player one and then the kicker in line with those two players. NRL said its not a wall as the two players were not next to each other. If that's OK then that would be how you build your wall. Penrith have used that tactic for normal in game kicking . As long as the ' wall' players don't move to obstruct the kick chase it's legal. A pamphlet on ' building a wall to NRL standard ' would be helpful.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Exactly Matt and we wonder why players dive. 2
Paul Monaro
Roar Rookie
I wonder how it would have gone if the shoe was on the other foot. If that was standard blocking I'll have to pay more attention to games from now on because I haven't seen one as good as that. And as jimmmy pointed out one and possibly both players were offside. Maybe Annesley anticipates bigger stinks to come in the finals so figures he'd better defend them when he can. On the Rein comment, sounds like a lot of us thought immediately he was recommending taking dives. He might regret that remark
andrew
Roar Rookie
I'll be waiting to see what the referees do this weekend when it happens again.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Has there been a worse explanation by a governor of rules ..ever ?
Paul
Roar Guru
That comment from Annerseley about Rein deliberately running into a player left me cold. How can he then tell Clubs not to try and milk penalties, when all they have to do is show him a replay of this stupid moment.
matth
Roar Guru
So Annesley is saying that the Titans would have been better off if their player had taken a dive. Just wow. the head of referees admitting that refs are influenced by players diving and in fact encouraging them to do so. Radley was in front of the play the ball, so whether the wall was somehow legal or not is irrelevant, he was in an offside position influencing the play.
Paul
Roar Guru
"The point is that he intended to kick it, " And it says that where in the rules? My point is, Annersley has decided that's what should be there, therefore it is there. If it should be there and I think it should, add the right words to include intent. As it stands, any time the ball "is dropped from the hands (or hand) and is kicked immediately it rebounds from the ground," that's a legal drop kick, regardless of intent.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
It was arse covering at its finest. He defended every contentious decision on the weekend. Now we will get players diving at blockers placed for a field goal. Then and only then will the penalty come.
Harry
Guest
The point is that he intended to kick it, and a drop-kick is a legal type of kick on any part of the field at any time in the game. So as long as he intended to kick it the exact type of kick he did is completely irrelevant.
Paul
Roar Guru
"Annesley confirmed a drop kick can be used at any point in a game as long as there is intent and the ball is kicked immediately after hitting the ground." Once again, the bloke who throws his own refs under buses has got it wrong. A drop kick is defined in the NRL International Rules Book as " a kick whereby the ball is dropped from the hands (or hand) and is kicked immediately it rebounds from the ground." There's no mention of intent. That's the only reason Gutherson got away with that kick. If there was the word "intent", there was no way Gutherson's kick could have been deemed legal as he had no intention of doing a drop kick, only a grubber but he had an air swing - nearly.
JGK
Roar Guru
Of course Rein was impeded. Same with the Hymel Hunt try.
Heyou
Roar Rookie
Thank you for your article Author. It’s got me a bit riled up. It’s a bug bear if you will. The Rugby League rule book? The NRL rule book? It doesn’t seem to exist because it’s in bits and pieces, here and there, around abouts. Many rules have been added, some rules have been removed, deleted, gonesky - a long time ago - and some not so long ago. Some rules that are not policed as described, haven’t been removed. They still exist and can be brought to bear whenever the whim takes an adjudicator. The interpretations and the excuses regarding ‘interpretations’ and the influencing on game outcomes is just NOT good enough. It’s very frustrating. It’s very aggravating. It’s sometimes beyond a joke and oft times it’s a BIG joke. I still love this game but come on people clean it up. Give it a tidy. Do some decluttering. Do some organising and restructuring. Think about some streamlining. Repeal some old rules. Repeal some new rules for that matter. Please, please, please, for the sake of the great game and in the interests of much improved consistency across the board, get to work on it? You can do it! I have faith in you NRL. It’s how I see it and it’s how I’d prefer not to see it.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
And now more senseless diving is crested because the NRL can't police their rules correctly. They were offside, they were blocking and should have been a penalty.
Dutski
Roar Guru
That’s what I thought when I heard the statement. Next time there’s a field goal situation grab your goggles and swim cap because the dive is on.