Bennett mixed on play-killing kicks

[VAI]

ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA five-eighth Jamie Soward denied his kicks over Newcastle's dead-ball line were designed to deny Knights flyers Darius Boyd or Akuila Uate the chance to run with the ball. But his former coach Wayne Bennett admitted he probably unleashed the ploy which threatens to become as much of a curse for the code as wrestling.

In a match described as ''dour'' and one that Bennett, now coach of the Knights, conceded might have forced television viewers to ''switch to another channel'', Soward reefed the ball over Newcastle's dead-ball line on numerous occasions to ''gift'' the Knights a 20-metre tap to restart play.

It grated on plenty who thought the tactic denied fans the chance to see Boyd and Uate run in broken play, although Bennett confessed he had mixed feelings about decrying it.

''It is going to be a problem because more teams are going to do it,'' he told The Sun-Herald after his team's 12-4 defeat. ''I put my hand up. We used that tactic … we may have even created it … but the point is, am I in favour of it? Deep down, not really. But while it is there in the game, it's there to be done.''

Channel Nine commentator Peter Sterling suggested one way to curb the tactic was to extend the 20m tap to restart play at the 30m line.

Bennett warned until the game's hierarchy did something to thwart the dead kick, it would become a part of each team's game plan to try to stop top players such as Melbourne's Billy Slater, Parramatta's Jarryd Hayne and even Brett Morris of the Dragons from having too great an impact.

''There are a lot of things that can be done [to stop] it, but that's where it is right now,'' Bennett said of teams being able to exploit the tactic.

Soward dismissed the suggestion his kicks were an aerial form of the grapple tackle. ''I was trying to pull 'em up in goal, actually,'' he said. ''I think you saw from my other kicks they sat up, it's hard when they drop back and I tried to punch a few a bit low and they rolled on.''

Wests Tigers skipper Robbie Farah said the tactic had been around for a while but used sparingly.

''It's happened in the past, I think Gold Coast brought it in playing against Billy Slater and they kicked the ball dead,'' he said.

''I heard the commentators speaking about it [during the Knights-Dragons match] and I think it was Peter Sterling who said if you kick the ball dead from outside the 30m, the restart should be on the 30m line. We don't see it as a problem, but if it does become more common it might be something to look at. Fans go to see those exciting fullbacks in the game.''

Referees' co-coach Bill Harrigan said while the kick was well within the rules, its impact on the game would be monitored.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...lling-kicks-20120414-1x03a.html#ixzz1s7HvOyTO

 

[VAI]

sterlo was saying during this game, a rule should be brought in if a kick is sent downfield from beyond the 30m or 40m line (can't remember which one he said exactly) and goes over the dead-ball line, should then be brought back to the 30m for a restart, not the 20m

 

[Raysie]

sterlo was saying during this game, a rule should be brought in if a kick is sent downfield from beyond the 30m or 40m line (can't remember which one he said exactly) and goes over the dead-ball line, should then be brought back to the 30m for a restart, not the 20m

There's a lot of teams that still wouldn't mind another team restarting a set from the 30-40m if it means players like Slater and Barba don't have so much room to weave their magic.

I like the idea of a team getting a restart from where the kick was made, rather than an automatic restart from a certain line.

 

[bLaQDoG..]

Well you're the one who coaches that "boring" style of play and brought that ****ed up club to what it is now, Wayne.

Reap what you sow you old fart.

 

[steve1700]

Didnt newcastle do it to us to stop barba from getting the ball in broken play ?

 

[VAI]

There's a lot of teams that still wouldn't mind another team restarting a set from the 30-40m if it means players like Slater and Barba don't have so much room to weave their magic.

I like the idea of a team getting a restart from where the kick was made, rather than an automatic restart from a certain line.

they would have to really make their defensive set count (limiting them to 30 metres made, for eg.), because if we work on an average of about 40-50 metres made in attack by that opposition who have restarted on their 30m, suddenly by the end of their set, they are only 30-20m out from your line and in a dangerous position to go for a repeat set or even score, possibly

if not, kick for touch or some other option to suddenly have you camped on your own line then they are working hard on forcing an error through good defence and trying to play the game down your end of the field, which is never good of course

i understand what you're saying, but i'm not terribly sure if teams would be in a rush to allow the opposition to be potentially camped back down their end of the field within the next set of 6 so easily

teams will just have to get better at kicking into corners, whether it finds touch or stays in the field of play and the defensive line is drilled better into squads at training, for that tactic

something does need to be done about it and i think the idea that sterlo presented has strong merit, based on that information

 

[morgeen]

It grated on plenty who thought the tactic denied fans the chance to see Boyd and Uate run in broken play, although Bennett confessed he had mixed feelings about decrying it..

 

[Slippery]

Sterlo suggested this earlier last year.

 

[ByRd]

If it ain't broke don't fix it. We are not rugby union to have the ball come back from where it was kicked. It is a good strategy and teams are gonna have to adapt, simple as that.

 

[Mr Invisible]

Why not make it a real risk. Put it over the deadball line from greater than 30m out, and it's a drop out from the 20m line for attacking team (in other words they drop out from 20m and where it goes over the sideline they attack from).

 

[FaceBreaker]

Guarantee this will be the ploy from NSW going into Origin. They will be kicking it dead, thus denying Slater etc. the chance to run it back.

It's really going to be the sh*ts for Origin where continuous play makes the game what it is.

 

[Bakes]

Well you're the one who coaches that "boring" style of play and brought that ****ed up club to what it is now, Wayne.

Reap what you sow you old fart.

Exactly! That game was 2 Bennett teams playing eachother, was one of the most boring games Ive seen especially 2nd half. Dinosaur tactics!

 

[pillow]

I've been saying for years league should adopt the rule from union, where if you kick it dead it's a scrum from where the ball was kicked.

 

[Bry]

I've been saying for years league should adopt the rule from union, where if you kick it dead it's a scrum from where the ball was kicked.

That sounds good. People don't watch footy to see hit ups from forwards, they watch to see exciting footy and a big part of that is kick returns from fullbacks where they have some space.

I would also like to see when a try is scored from a bomb, there is no conversion attempt, just 4 points. Bombs bore the **** out of me and it's usually a lottery as to which team gets it. If you want to use dud tactics you should not get as much reward for it over a backline move that is much more exciting to watch than a ball being kicked 50 metres upwards.