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Best Number of Subtitutes Pole

Best Number of Subsitutes?

  • 2. (golden oldies scrums au-go-go?)

    Votes: 1 3.2%
  • 3. (forward/halfback/utility back? still looking a bit golden oldies here)

    Votes: 5 16.1%
  • 4

    Votes: 1 3.2%
  • 5

    Votes: 8 25.8%
  • 6

    Votes: 6 19.4%
  • 7

    Votes: 1 3.2%
  • 8. The Owen Franks Option

    Votes: 6 19.4%
  • 0. "Get the intubator headgear on and get back out there"

    Votes: 8 25.8%
  • "Subsitute. Me for him. Substitute. My coke for gin"

    Votes: 3 9.7%
  • "Live at Leeds" was probably the Who's best album.

    Votes: 6 19.4%

  • Total voters
    31

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
I wouldn't be opposed to a no-tactical subs kind of rule (except the front row). Maybe allow 5 subs to be used for injuries, if another sub occurs, presumably not due to injury than that player is not allowed to start the next match.

Replacing 53% of the side is probably not what we want, 33% is better.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
How do you confirm a player is injured?

I don't think it is possible to separate tactical and injury substitutions.
 

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Sorry just meant that would be the intended purpose, so 5 subs and any more (up to 8) can’t start the next week. Because they’re presumably injured.
 

KOB1987

John Eales (66)
I was trying to remember how it worked ‘back in the day’ when you could only make a sub for a legit injury. You literally had to get carried from the field.

I thought professionalism might have been the cause. Out of curiosity I referred to Jenko and Alfie’s publication ‘Wallaby Gold’ to see if I could find an answer. This is the team sheet from the last match they covered in 1998, well into the professional era. Australia use 2 replacements, England use 1. I don’t know what the answer is but a reversion back to that would be ideal.

IMG_9844.jpeg
 
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RemainingInTheGame

Allen Oxlade (6)
I like 'injury only', where in community and school games it means replacements must have played a previous game on the same day (except for lowest grades where everyone gets a game) to maximise teams, games and game time, and for the pro game it means replaced players must not be included in the next game that same pro team plays in (to keep them honest).
 

Wallaby Man

Nev Cottrell (35)
I don’t think it’s possible to remove tactical substitutions however see value in dropping the bench to 6. It would see a Rob Leota type player where they can play from lock to anywhere in the back row become invaluable, it would also have an effect on the size of locks or specialized no8s that never go the distance.
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
I was trying to remember how it worked ‘back in the day’ when you could only make a sub for a legit injury. You literally had to get carried from the field.

I thought professionalism might have been the cause. Out of curiosity I referred to Jenko and Alfie’s publication ‘Wallaby Gold’ to see if I could find an answer. This is the team sheet from the last match they covered in 1998, well into the professional era. Australia use 2 replacements, England use 1. I don’t know what the answer is but a reversion back to that would be ideal.

View attachment 17401
Who the fuck was gonna kick goals if Eales went down? I guess Roff.
 

Wilson

Phil Kearns (64)
What's the actual problem people are trying to solve by reducing/removing substitutions?

As it stands I can't see any of the main stakeholders going for a reduction in substitution from a player welfare perspective alone and I have feeling game quality concerns are probably better solved in the laws and how the game is refereed rather than by limiting subs.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
What's the actual problem people are trying to solve by reducing/removing substitutions?

As it stands I can't see any of the main stakeholders going for a reduction in substitution from a player welfare perspective alone and I have feeling game quality concerns are probably better solved in the laws and how the game is refereed rather than by limiting subs.

Reintroducing fatigue as a factor to a larger degree.

The modern game is moving more and more towards power and South Africa have taken things to a new level being able to replace all but 1 of their starting forward pack (a high risk strategy for sure but if you don't have injuries has the ability to create a real edge).

My view as stated earlier in the thread is that ideally you don't reduce the number of reserves, you just reduce the number of replacements you're allowed to make (similar to soccer). It's basically to ensure that at least half your forward pack is playing 80 minutes.

This would only be at the professional level of the game. You wouldn't change anything at community level which is about participation.
 

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
^ the argument against is player safety, the historical heroes who struggled on through the pain of major injury are now a legal liability issue
 
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Wilson

Phil Kearns (64)
Reintroducing fatigue as a factor to a larger degree.

The modern game is moving more and more towards power and South Africa have taken things to a new level being able to replace all but 1 of their starting forward pack (a high risk strategy for sure but if you don't have injuries has the ability to create a real edge).

My view as stated earlier in the thread is that ideally you don't reduce the number of reserves, you just reduce the number of replacements you're allowed to make (similar to soccer). It's basically to ensure that at least half your forward pack is playing 80 minutes.

This would only be at the professional level of the game. You wouldn't change anything at community level which is about participation.
But is a lack of fatigue a problem in and of itself? Or is it just one way to ensure the game opens up into the second half?

For mine changes around de-emphasizing the maul and increasing the pace the game is played at more directly would be a better way of going about this and avoids the problems of trying to limit substitutions.

In particular I can't see any way you can get a blanket rule in that sees players miss a week if they come of with an injury. That.works for something independently assessed like head knocks, but for soft tissue injury that might not rule a player out for the next week initially you'd see players push through to not miss a game, risking much more significant injuries.
 

Derpus

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Reintroducing fatigue as a factor to a larger degree.

The modern game is moving more and more towards power and South Africa have taken things to a new level being able to replace all but 1 of their starting forward pack (a high risk strategy for sure but if you don't have injuries has the ability to create a real edge).

My view as stated earlier in the thread is that ideally you don't reduce the number of reserves, you just reduce the number of replacements you're allowed to make (similar to soccer). It's basically to ensure that at least half your forward pack is playing 80 minutes.

This would only be at the professional level of the game. You wouldn't change anything at community level which is about participation.
I would also argue that if you are required to perform a wider variety of tasks as a player then your level of performance will vary more. Less subs means you need to be multiskilled to cover more on-field roles/tasks. The decrease in specialisation should result in less predictable outcomes.

Rugby is very predictable and highly structured at the moment. The favourites almost always win.
 

RebelYell

Arch Winning (36)
i like the football style, happy for a bench of 8 or 9 but limit subs to 5 or 6. Front row subsitution or independent doctor HIA fail only exception in case of serious injury, otherwise bad luck you're a man. Would help with the collision aspect and would need coaches to be more adept tactically
 
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