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Thread: Mike Critchley Article

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    Default Mike Critchley Article

    Mike Critchley in the Star sums up the problems in the on-field product:

    https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport...gue-spectacle/

    It's what most of us have been complaining about for some time, summed up by his conclusion that "Teams are being rewarded for spoiling tactics which make it impossible to get any flow with the attack."

    For all the great work done by Gray77 with the contributions of others, I still say that unless we get the entertainment product on the field right, we could improve all the off-field aspects of the game and still not move forward because outside of a minority of 'rugby league purists' who love the arm wrestle nature of attritional rugby, a bash-a-thon of big blokes running into each other is a bore-fest.

    The sport needs to get a grip - but I think too many people running the game think closer games are more exciting, regardless of the visual appeal of the actual rugby being played.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Webbo Again View Post
    Mike Critchley in the Star sums up the problems in the on-field product:

    https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport...gue-spectacle/

    It's what most of us have been complaining about for some time, summed up by his conclusion that "Teams are being rewarded for spoiling tactics which make it impossible to get any flow with the attack."

    For all the great work done by Gray77 with the contributions of others, I still say that unless we get the entertainment product on the field right, we could improve all the off-field aspects of the game and still not move forward because outside of a minority of 'rugby league purists' who love the arm wrestle nature of attritional rugby, a bash-a-thon of big blokes running into each other is a bore-fest.

    The sport needs to get a grip - but I think too many people running the game think closer games are more exciting, regardless of the visual appeal of the actual rugby being played.
    Rugby League Journalist in tell it how it is shock! A very good scribe is Mike.

    Excellent article, sums one of many big problems facing the sport. Not that the sport will notice it because it is the nodern day epitome of the emperors new clothes.
    Last edited by eddiewaringsflatcap; 6th May 2021 at 16:38.

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    His views don’t accord with everything written by contributors to Gray’s problems with the game thread - they’re clearly his own views. However, it looks like journalists and other pundits are waking up to the fact that not all is well with the product on field and expressing dissatisfaction with the tinkering round the edges. I think that at least some of the comments made have been prompted by Gray’s letter and long may the debate continue. We won’t all agree but it’s time to ditch the blinkered Eddie and Stevo “greatest game” line when boredom is creeping in. Rugby League can be a fantastic spectacle but it isn’t at the moment.

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    I don't like the ball steal rule, go back to how it was. The six again rule I find ok but teams are deliberately conceding them on the 1st or 2nd tackle. I saw a debate in Aus over the same thing and there was a suggestion that if the infringement was on tackle 1 or 2 then that should be a penalty. Someone else suggested that the six again only come into play if the attacking team are over the halfway line, if not then a full penalty. Either of those two rules would be an improvement imo.
    Anything that stops endless dummy half scoots is fine by me, the definition of one out rugby. Oh and whilst I'm at it the play the ball is as bad as ever with regard to playing the ball with the foot. It's managed much better in Aus for whatever reason.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rogues Gallery View Post
    I don't like the ball steal rule, go back to how it was. The six again rule I find ok but teams are deliberately conceding them on the 1st or 2nd tackle...
    I get the feeling that we do that.
    Not really deliberately conceding, more taking a bigger risk in slowing the PTB when deep in the opponents half.

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    Had a text conversion with the respected journalist about this six again rule last week. It needs to be filed in the 'nice idea, but it's completely backfired' cabinet, along with changing the rule to make the scoring team kick off afterwards, as happened in the 1990s, because it has simply had the reverse effect of what was intended.

    The idea was to take away stoppages for penalties and speed the game up, but what it now means is that teams are actually happy to make an offence and defend for an extra tackle or two as it's much more preferable than being caught on the hop. It's come to a poor show when teams seem like they are almost committing offences on purpose. It's like a league-wide Alex Murphy from the 1966 Cup Final, when he exploited a rule by deliberately straying offside.

    Each and every game now, I'm hearing a dozen or more hooters for six again. Maybe even more than that. If we went back to penalties, you'd get penalties for holding down substantially less. This spoiling tactic is making breaks very hard to come by.
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    Quote Originally Posted by DD View Post
    Had a text conversion with the respected journalist about this six again rule last week. It needs to be filed in the 'nice idea, but it's completely backfired' cabinet, along with changing the rule to make the scoring team kick off afterwards, as happened in the 1990s, because it has simply had the reverse effect of what was intended.

    The idea was to take away stoppages for penalties and speed the game up, but what it now means is that teams are actually happy to make an offence and defend for an extra tackle or two as it's much more preferable than being caught on the hop. It's come to a poor show when teams seem like they are almost committing offences on purpose. It's like a league-wide Alex Murphy from the 1966 Cup Final, when he exploited a rule by deliberately straying offside.

    Each and every game now, I'm hearing a dozen or more hooters for six again. Maybe even more than that. If we went back to penalties, you'd get penalties for holding down substantially less. This spoiling tactic is making breaks very hard to come by.
    That may be your perception but it's miles away from the truth.

    From last weeks games, courtesy of league Express
    Huddersfield 4 Leeds 2
    Wire 3 HKR 2
    Leigh 7 Saints 5
    Wigan 4 Hull 2
    Salford 2 Cas 2
    Wakefield 1 Catalan 3

    So the average is only about 6 per game.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rogues Gallery View Post
    That may be your perception but it's miles away from the truth.

    From last weeks games, courtesy of league Express
    Huddersfield 4 Leeds 2
    Wire 3 HKR 2
    Leigh 7 Saints 5
    Wigan 4 Hull 2
    Salford 2 Cas 2
    Wakefield 1 Catalan 3

    So the average is only about 6 per game.
    Any info on where in the field of play they were awarded?
    (do you have a spreadsheet on it? )

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rogues Gallery View Post
    That may be your perception but it's miles away from the truth.

    From last weeks games, courtesy of league Express
    Huddersfield 4 Leeds 2
    Wire 3 HKR 2
    Leigh 7 Saints 5
    Wigan 4 Hull 2
    Salford 2 Cas 2
    Wakefield 1 Catalan 3

    So the average is only about 6 per game.
    Yes but that shows there were 12 in our game against Leigh. Our perspective is from our games and I suspect that other teams are willing to go 6 again to slow us down and we’re guilty of it ourselves.

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    I was listening to Vossys breakfast show and he was claiming the NRL are looking to clamp down on it this week.

    Because, as others have said on here, its being used as a tactic to almost pin the opposition in their own half and allow the defending team to fully reset.


    He was also suggesting it should be a full penalty if its in the half of the team in possession.


    Would we have as many penalties if they got rid of the rule? Or would it lead to games where it seems the ref has swallowed his whistle?

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    Quote Originally Posted by eddiewaringsflatcap View Post
    Rugby League Journalist in tell it how it is shock! A very good scribe is Mike.

    Excellent article, sums one of many big problems facing the sport. Not that the sport will notice it because it is the nodern day epitome of the emperors new clothes.
    Never been afraid to tell as it as Mike

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    Quote Originally Posted by Suttoner View Post
    Yes but that shows there were 12 in our game against Leigh. Our perspective is from our games and I suspect that other teams are willing to go 6 again to slow us down and we’re guilty of it ourselves.

    Its killing our attacking game more so for Saints, it was OK at first but teams have adjusted to a more organised set defensive line with better line speeds. I think it might work if the restart is replaced by the penalty when in the opponents half, the opposition would then have to think about allowing a faster PTB or giving away 2 pts.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rogues Gallery View Post
    That may be your perception but it's miles away from the truth.

    From last weeks games, courtesy of league Express
    Huddersfield 4 Leeds 2
    Wire 3 HKR 2
    Leigh 7 Saints 5
    Wigan 4 Hull 2
    Salford 2 Cas 2
    Wakefield 1 Catalan 3

    So the average is only about 6 per game.
    To be fair, I've started to only watch our games in recent weeks as the whole product has become rather tedious.

    As alluded to by others, it's happening all the time in our games and it's not just the opposition. As we're such a defensive minded team, it's something we practise all the time to enable to to keep our defensive line in tact.

    For me, it's a dreadful rule and it's all part of a seeming masterplan to turn our game into a very one-dimensional shuffle up field sport with no flare, ingenuity or variety.
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    If anything proves that the six again isn’t working it was last night’s game. Are refs pinging us because word has got out that we are slowing down the PTB all the time or was Childs wrongly using the rule to even up the game? Either way it isn’t working.

    They (usually the Australians) come up with rule changes. They sound like good ideas and we follow like sheep but they have unforeseen consequences and coaches develop new tactics to abuse them. Getting rid of scrums wasn’t an Australian idea but the sooner they’re brought back the better.

    P.S. Phil Clarke said we’re the most effective team at slowing down the PTB.
    Last edited by Suttoner; 8th May 2021 at 08:16. Reason: PS

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    Quote Originally Posted by Suttoner View Post
    If anything proves that the six again isn’t working it was last night’s game. Are refs pinging us because word has got out that we are slowing down the PTB all the time or was Childs wrongly using the rule to even up the game? Either way it isn’t working.

    They (usually the Australians) come up with rule changes. They sound like good ideas and we follow like sheep but they have unforeseen consequences and coaches develop new tactics to abuse them. Getting rid of scrums wasn’t an Australian idea but the sooner they’re brought back the better.

    P.S. Phil Clarke said we’re the most effective team at slowing down the PTB.
    We tend to hold the attacking player up and not take them to the ground Suttoner , a tactic Wigan used in past seasons.
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    Quote Originally Posted by roy litherland View Post
    We tend to hold the attacking player up and not take them to the ground Suttoner , a tactic Wigan used in past seasons.
    Well holding up doesn’t get the opposition another six unless the players don’t release when “held” is called. To have so many awarded against us we must be holding down as well or interfering in the ruck. To be honest, last night I couldn’t always see why six again was called or understand why Huddersfield were getting away with it.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Suttoner View Post
    Well holding up doesn’t get the opposition another six unless the players don’t release when “held” is called. To have so many awarded against us we must be holding down as well or interfering in the ruck. To be honest, last night I couldn’t always see why six again was called or understand why Huddersfield were getting away with it.
    I'm not certain, but I think Child was shouting 'hands off the ball' a couple of times.

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    Rugby League is at crisis point, Just look at the product in the 90's and earlier. The spoiling around the PTB are a disgrace. The refs could blow up nearly every tackle. Coaches are to blame

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rogues Gallery View Post
    I don't like the ball steal rule, go back to how it was. The six again rule I find ok but teams are deliberately conceding them on the 1st or 2nd tackle. I saw a debate in Aus over the same thing and there was a suggestion that if the infringement was on tackle 1 or 2 then that should be a penalty. Someone else suggested that the six again only come into play if the attacking team are over the halfway line, if not then a full penalty. Either of those two rules would be an improvement imo.
    Anything that stops endless dummy half scoots is fine by me, the definition of one out rugby. Oh and whilst I'm at it the play the ball is as bad as ever with regard to playing the ball with the foot. It's managed much better in Aus for whatever reason.
    Yes. I have thought that for a while
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