Dctarget
Tim Horan (67)
I feel like nowadays ruck or no ruck, you're off your feet, you can't play the ball.
Refereeing decisions
- Thread starter boyo
- Start date
This is something that needs to be dealt with in my view. There's too many cases where decoy runners in that front line are ending up too close to the defensive line and while they might not hit someone, they are often delaying players shifting across out wider.
The NRL has done pretty well with this in my view. They are far stricter on what is deemed obstruction and probably err on the side of penalising the attacking team for a technicality when it is questionable whether someone was actually impeded because of where ball/ball carrier were relative to the decoy runner.
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
I'm also curious as to whether we're seeing more players penalised recently for tackling players without the ball because of this....
qwerty51
Stirling Mortlock (74)
I hate that, if an attacker runs into the line of the defender they deserve to get tackled, the rule should be pretty simple, if they're ahead of the ball they're fair game if in the way of a defender. If you don't want to get tackled off the ball, stay onside and run your line into space, not a defender.
Yep.
There needs to be more nuance from the referees in relation to this.
If a decoy runner stops well short of the defensive line then they can't be tackled. It's still foul play and needs to be avoided.
If they actively engage the defender then they are fair game to be tackled. If the decoy runner engages a defender before the ball passes behind them then the attacking team should be penalised.
Jimmy_Crouch
Peter Johnson (47)
Inside shoulder outside shoulder rule. If the lead runner runs to the outside shoulder of the defender and impedes the slide then it is obstruction. If they run to the inside shoulder and the defender bites it is play on.
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Jimmy_Crouch
Peter Johnson (47)
Which is why you cant smack the lead runner if they come back in and dont get the ball (in league they let this slide).
Dctarget
Tim Horan (67)
Rassie really has a ‘roo loose in the top paddock doesn’t he.
what a bellend, deserves his two match ban and more.
what a bellend, deserves his two match ban and more.
liquor box
Peter Sullivan (51)
I hope this is the beginning of it being called all the time
I wouldn't hold your breath expecting mauls to be officiated in any way approaching consistency. Attacking players joining in front, also swimming back instead of passing the ball back, the 5-10 seconds stall with nothing said, 3-4 "use it" calls and so on. It's an abomination currently, legalised obstruction which is anathema to the mantra of rugby being a game of contested possession. You hardly see 2 games, let alone 2 mauls in a game officiated the same.
I think it's a symptom of being late to the breakdown and not being in a good position to clean out.
Shoulder to the head contact entering the ruck is the same. You've arrived late and the player you are trying to clean out is already in a strong position.