The NRL’s crack-down on kick blockers is a clear attempt to address the cynical practise of attacking teams using forwards as obstacles to make life difficult for those attempting charge-downs and life a little easier for the kicker.
Many a subtle shoulder has been dropped over the years, by loitering big men creating nothing other than a zig zag pathway available to defensive players looking to pressurise the kick.
Being able to have the kicker on the front foot and launching the ball as close to the advantage line as possible is the obvious goal and attacking teams have managed the charade well over recent seasons.
The coaches never let us down when it comes to looking at the rules of the game in a malleable way and managing them to advantage.
The blocking of defenders was never more obvious than when the teams were level and a field goal required at the death or during golden point extra-time.
At times, the obstruction were so blatant they became laughable; almost as funny as how far off-side defenders were after having jumped off the line in an effort to charge down the kick.
No doubt there were issues in the area of kicking and the strategies being used to ensure the most effective kick possible was executed.
Yet the NRL’s crackdown will have enormous knock-on effects on the way the game looks to fans and could in fact take away many of the things they enjoy in the contest.
Exponents of the field goal such as Nathan Cleary deserve protection, but not from illegal blockers. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
As is the case with most things in life, crackdowns can sometimes be knee-jerk and a little short sided in their implementation.
In rugby league, the coaches are in the lab constructing an alternative plan within hours and already, Penrith seems to have concocted a method by which they hope to combat the clearing up of the ruck area during the process of kicking in general play.
Lat weekend, hooker Mitch Kenny was rather obviously moving intentionally towards the kicker after passing to him from dummy-half. As he followed his own pass, there were a handful of occasions where his presence became noticeable to the defenders attempting to pressure the kick.
It was a clear attempt to slow the defender down by a step or two and allow the kicker an extra quarter or half second to execute.
‘They’ll all be doing it!’ Have Penrith already found a loophole for NRL’s kick-blocker clampdown?
It seems within a month, the clamp-down has brought its first knock-on effect and there will be plenty more to come. Without the illegal protection offered by blockers, the quality of the kicks executed will potentially lessen.
Brilliant exponents of the game by foot from the past such as Ricky Stuart, Andrew Johns, Darren Locker, Johnathan Thurston and modern day halves such as Cleary and Shaun Johnson, help clear teams from trouble, turn defence into attack and use the conditions to advantage where possible.
Whilst few of us are turning up to watch matches each week for the kicking, its role is historical, important and part of the fabric of the game. Having a six tackle limit per set makes it so and also a process that needs to have integrity, justice and clarity for both those playing and watching.
Less effective kicks will potentially increase opportunities for the back three to expose a weaker chase and advance the ball even greater metres on kick return.
Seeing skilled ball returners like Dylan Edwards and Reece Walsh is a joy, yet with teams already able to roll down the field comfortably on many occasions, traversing 80 metres-plus per set, could well become automatic off average kicks.
Reece Walsh is one of the most exciting kick returners in the NRL. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
The days of an effective kick, a good chase and defensive pressure to maintain field position could be numbered, especially if teams are well organised in pressuring kicks in numbers.
Less successful 40-20 attempts seems almost certain with the new crackdown, field-goals could well become far more challenging during the frantic scenes as the clock runs and the desperation increases, and the notion of a two-point field goal might need to be shelved totally, with teams alert to it and able to advance towards the kicker without impediment.
The coaches are, like Cleary, on the case and the game is set to morph into something slightly different off the back of the crack-down on the lurking kick-blockers looking to get a head start on the chase down-field.
With change a coming, the big question is whether it is something the game wants or needs. Either way, quality kicking might be set to become more important than ever in 2024.
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
agreed, it's suposed to be difficult
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
The rule is required. If kickers can't kick well under pressure, then they need to improve their skills, not have their forwards (or anyone else) loiter in front of them giving them more time to get set. If teams start trying to use other players or tactics to cover the kicker, I would welcome some version of the obstruction rule - ie. I don't care if you re a forward or a halfback passing the ball or any other attacking player, but if you impede the run of defenders looking to pressure the kick taker, call a penalty. Got no sympathy for kickers who can only perform without any pressure and need blockers.
Coastal01
Roar Rookie
I haven't read anywhere that anyone agrees with blocking the defence, only the complete opposite. Penrith initiated it and the league have come up with a rule to outlaw it. The panther brainstrust has come up with a possible way of protecting Cleary of the late shots he OFTEN receives and some still find a reason to have a sook. If the Roosters don't win the premiership this year then it definitely won't be next year or maybe many years to follow. I'd even say bottom 4 next year with the players leaving and the age of some of those that will still be there.
Panthers
Roar Rookie
I see someone only seeking to make judgments about 1 side. A 9-4 penalty count against them in the last game . Not good enough for you? The point was , there just wouldn’t be the same defensive kick pressure on earlier tackles . As the defensive side is left guessing when the kick is coming. Then who’s going to kick , if there’s an alternative kicker.
zonecadet
Roar Rookie
So we're now thinking blocking is something Rugby League needs? I have a few plays I could submit for review. Impeding/blocking is not a thing in Rugby League, end of.
Coastal01
Roar Rookie
Grapes not in season?
The Barry
Roar Guru
Yeah, markers but square, breaking early, standing too deep… they’ve let everything go fire a while…
Nathan Absalom
Roar Guru
Agree, but also would say that the referees have to also apply the laws to the markers. In their haste to apply the new interpretations, they have at times allowed markers to be ridiculously offside. If only we had, I dunno, two referees with one to police the offside and one in the pocket to enforce the ruck...
Ben Pobjie
Expert
Agree with all that.
Ben Pobjie
Expert
Interesting. I for one certainly don’t mind field goals becoming harder to kick.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
If he changes his line he should be pinged but like all rules it's very subjective and youncant penalise him for just running that way.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Top comment . It's so much better than having the 'lurckers'. Like all rules though it becomes how much leeway do you give the nine when he goes off line running sideways. sideways. The answer is 'a little bit' .
The Mexican
Roar Rookie
Anytime a defender is blocked from tackling a kicker it should be a penalty regardless of wether is the first or the fift tackle or if it appears to be accidental, the Panthers have been doing it for over 5 years now & getting away with it. Another thing they get away with is their line defence is always marginally off side, the refs need to penalize both tactics every time the Panthers resort to those dirty tactics and see how quickly they start playing in the spirit of the game again, have a look at a replay of any Panthers game & you will see both dirty tactics in every game
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
You will never get consistency when there is a variable in play. The capacity for human error and differing interpretations of the rules will always be there. One way to eliminate that in terms of the senior review official, given that the bunker is at central location in NRL HQ, is to make Annesley the senior review official for all games.
Panthers
Roar Rookie
What’s stopping any club from kicking one tackle earlier? Depending on the field position. Kicking on the 4th tackle will more likely than not , come without defenders putting much pressure on the kicker. Doesn’t just have to be the 4th tackle. Any tackle? Then you can also have an alternate kicker. As one player coming through with a good kicking game is also a Cleary . Passing to the alternate, is a definite possibility. Players have to stand somewhere. So more may just be somewhere in front of the alternate kicker.
The Barry
Roar Guru
That’s interesting to see how it plays out I don’t have a problem with the dummy half running across - you can’t outlaw it - but as soon as he changes direction or stops in the marker’s way it should be a penalty
Cugel
Roar Rookie
cf. Tackling in mid air (which wasn't a thing), turns out they were incapable of interpreting this. Now contesting the kick carries so much risk of penalisation that we have attackers loitering about as slack-jawed bystanders waiting for the defender to catch teh pill.
Coastal01
Roar Rookie
And in that instance if the markers touch the dummy half on his way to the kicker it should be deemed as interference to a support player, ending in a penalty to the attacking side. The argument there is that the kicker was dummying to kick and the dummy half was attempting to run behind the kicker. As I mentioned earlier it's a master-class solution by the panthers and will be a win win outcome.
Coastal01
Roar Rookie
Totally agree. The tactic is obviously to stop the markers chasing, which is what all the teams attempt to do in putting extra pressure from a shorter distance on the kicker. If the kicker is 5 metres behind the play the ball, that's 15 metres to the defence, unlikely they put any real pressure on. Good service with the pass and then making a "straight" beeline to the kicker basically takes the markers out of the kick pressure.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I agree… if he heads in a straight line. But the examples from last week with Kenny had him changing direction slightly and turning his shoulders to block the chasers. I think that was enough there to penalise But even if they don’t, having one dummy half running a bit of interference is still better than three big forwards forming a brick wall…