The NRL changes made to introduce fatigue and/or speed up the game

[bringitontm]

Just want to list some of the changes made over the years to speed up the game and introduce more fatigue.

1. Limited interchange to 10 to allow for more fatigue and more tries.

2. 7 tackle set..kicking dead or allowing for catch on full in goals.

3. Heaps of Ruck Penalties

4. Partially sinbins for teams purposely slowing the ruck.

5. Quick tap

6. Rewarding teams keeping ball in play.

7. 6 again call

8. 30sec time limit for drop outs

9. 30sec time limit for scrum

This game is becoming unsustainable. I have been watching many games with an origin intensity. How are players going to manage to play at this intensity for 26 weeks. Introducing all this fatigue is certainly unsafe for players and will result in a crazy amount injuries.

What are people's thoughts?

 

[Heckler]

Just want to list some of the changes made over the years to speed up the game and introduce more fatigue.

1. Limited interchange to 10 to allow for more fatigue and more tries.

2. 7 tackle set..kicking dead or allowing for catch on full in goals.

3. Heaps of Ruck Penalties

4. Partially sinbins for teams purposely slowing the ruck.

5. Quick tap

6. Rewarding teams keeping ball in play.

7. 6 again call

8. 30sec time limit for drop outs

9. 30sec time limit for scrum

This game is becoming unsustainable. I have been watching many games with an origin intensity. How are players going to manage to play at this intensity for 26 weeks. Introducing all this fatigue is certainly unsafe for players and will result in a crazy amount injuries.

What are people's thoughts?

Agree to all the above.

 

[The DoggFather]

The nrlol is an unfunny joke.

 

[dogzofwar]

Yep fitness is paramount these days and we just don’t cut it and looking at a photo of ava on the dogs ig today I don’t think he will either i can’t see this guy lasting more than 10 minutes

 

[SPEARTAKVIDREFS]

and the beginning of doing away with scrums

 

[Moedogg]

Getting ridiculous. An inferior team just can't grind out a win these days. Something i miss seeing.

 

[Como Dog]

Agree with you. It annoys me this ongoing obsession with all out attack.

The only changes I agree with are interchange reductions etc as it brings a natural form of fatigue into the game, with having players of different size and endurance, both an important player recruitment and team selection strategy.

Great battles and sporting contests are about two opponents/teams with different strengths trying to neutralise the other team's strengths to beat them. That often translates to a great defensive side against a great attacking side, not one team outscoring the other 7 tries to 4. Defence is an important part of any game and great defence should also be celebrated.

Soon tries will be so common that what used to be remembered as a great try in a game will soon become so common that it will be just another try that is expected every time.

If I want to watch end to end attack all game, I'll go and watch basketball.

 

[Alan79]

Just want to list some of the changes made over the years to speed up the game and introduce more fatigue.

1. Limited interchange to 10 to allow for more fatigue and more tries.

2. 7 tackle set..kicking dead or allowing for catch on full in goals.

3. Heaps of Ruck Penalties

4. Partially sinbins for teams purposely slowing the ruck.

5. Quick tap

6. Rewarding teams keeping ball in play.

7. 6 again call

8. 30sec time limit for drop outs

9. 30sec time limit for scrum

This game is becoming unsustainable. I have been watching many games with an origin intensity. How are players going to manage to play at this intensity for 26 weeks. Introducing all this fatigue is certainly unsafe for players and will result in a crazy amount injuries.

What are people's thoughts?

I agree with pretty much everything you've said.

We're already seeing a huge number of injuries at our club. I haven't monitored the injuries at other clubs, but have noticed that the Roosters seem to be mentioned frequently as being allowed to introduce new players outside their top 30. But the NRL admin don't really care as long as they and the gambling sponsors are raking in the money it's a win in their books. Players are a disposable thing to them.

The refereeing is shockingly poor nowadays too which I think is because the games are as scripted as possible due to bias. I see more and more people saying they can't watch the game anymore. I used to watch almost every televised game most weeks. I only watch the Bulldogs play these days. I used to be able to explain what had happened for penalties etc to less dedicated league watchers, with the 6 agains I rarely know why they've been called and when a penalty is given now they quite often seem to be very controversial. I think that they'll do away with the captains challenge as soon as they can too, because all too often wrong calls are caught out.

If the ratings are reflective of what I see people saying regarding losing interest as spectators, it's going to be very difficult to get a good TV rights sponsorship next time round. The frequency of gambling advertising and fucking menulog ads during the games I've watched pisses me off too. I don't notice much advertising outside of these two things during coverage.

 

[Kenya]

There was much to be said for the grinding games. Many amazing games were played with low scores.

I’m fed up with Nrl tinkering. EVERY year new rules.
The 2 point field goal is a ridiculous change that serves no purpose.

What the game needs is a strategic plan to expand and sustain it. The bloated Nrl with its bloated salaries is a pretentious weight on the back of the game. And they have nothing better to do each year than come up with another stupid rule change that makes no steps towards a vision to expand the game.

 

[Moey]

There actually isnt more injuries due to the quicker speed of the game. Facts are there if you wanted to check like I did.

Im all for the new rule changes. It will take a few years for teams to shed current squads and build squads built around speed and skill.

Then we will see the new type of players who can offload, kick, run etc compared to the robots we are churning now.

 

[B-Train]

Agree with everything in the OP and have been saying the same for years. They're changing the sport completely and it's for the worse.

Most of the games are unwatchable now and we're seeing less skills than ever to unlock a defence as defending teams are on the back foot and fatigued so much through unlimited tackles that more soft tries are scored than ever.

It's funny.. They got rid of unlimited tackles in the 60's because Saints won 11 comps straight and were too dominant, and now they've essentially brought back unlimited tackles for the dominant teams to create an even bigger gap between the top and bottom. Way to innovate the game dickheads!

They thought it would be more entertaining but I'm bored watching the cow bell getting rung and the favoured team scoring off 16 tackle sets like it's touch Rugby..

 

[piggy]

Just want to list some of the changes made over the years to speed up the game and introduce more fatigue.

1. Limited interchange to 10 to allow for more fatigue and more tries.

2. 7 tackle set..kicking dead or allowing for catch on full in goals.

3. Heaps of Ruck Penalties

4. Partially sinbins for teams purposely slowing the ruck.

5. Quick tap

6. Rewarding teams keeping ball in play.

7. 6 again call

8. 30sec time limit for drop outs

9. 30sec time limit for scrum

This game is becoming unsustainable. I have been watching many games with an origin intensity. How are players going to manage to play at this intensity for 26 weeks. Introducing all this fatigue is certainly unsafe for players and will result in a crazy amount injuries.

What are people's thoughts?

Are we playing touch football or rugby league? Honestly all the agression and rough and tough stuff has gone out of the game.....supposedly we have a better product today...I hate it I honestly do....I prefer watching games back in the 80s when ....still go back and watch those games....

 

[piggy]

There was much to be said for the grinding games. Many amazing games were played with low scores.

I’m fed up with Nrl tinkering. EVERY year new rules.
The 2 point field goal is a ridiculous change that serves no purpose.

What the game needs is a strategic plan to expand and sustain it. The bloated Nrl with its bloated salaries is a pretentious weight on the back of the game. And they have nothing better to do each year than come up with another stupid rule change that makes no steps towards a vision the expand the game.

Yes that’s the word....grinding....loved those type of games...now today is all about who can get to 50....more points = better game...I don’t think so!

 

[sifter6]

Just want to list some of the changes made over the years to speed up the game and introduce more fatigue.

1. Limited interchange to 10 to allow for more fatigue and more tries.

2. 7 tackle set..kicking dead or allowing for catch on full in goals.

3. Heaps of Ruck Penalties

4. Partially sinbins for teams purposely slowing the ruck.

5. Quick tap

6. Rewarding teams keeping ball in play.

7. 6 again call

8. 30sec time limit for drop outs

9. 30sec time limit for scrum

This game is becoming unsustainable. I have been watching many games with an origin intensity. How are players going to manage to play at this intensity for 26 weeks. Introducing all this fatigue is certainly unsafe for players and will result in a crazy amount injuries.

What are people's thoughts?

The game is garbage now. I know old dinosaurs that have been watching the game closely for 40+ years reminisce about the good old hard 80s and 90s, it was a different game then, but a better game! New rules are rubbish and the game is barely watchable now.

 

[Riggs80]

Just want to list some of the changes made over the years to speed up the game and introduce more fatigue.

1. Limited interchange to 10 to allow for more fatigue and more tries.

2. 7 tackle set..kicking dead or allowing for catch on full in goals.

3. Heaps of Ruck Penalties

4. Partially sinbins for teams purposely slowing the ruck.

5. Quick tap

6. Rewarding teams keeping ball in play.

7. 6 again call

8. 30sec time limit for drop outs

9. 30sec time limit for scrum

This game is becoming unsustainable. I have been watching many games with an origin intensity. How are players going to manage to play at this intensity for 26 weeks. Introducing all this fatigue is certainly unsafe for players and will result in a crazy amount injuries.

What are people's thoughts?

1. There was too many interchanges and forwards constantly rotated - used to have 4 - was more tactical with less . quite A few teams have not used a interchange or only thrown last few minutes - so I don’t see an issue
2. agree , should apply only if kicking from your own half - miss a lot of the tactical kicks nearby
3. Blame the coaches - wrestling tactics and purposely slowing play the ball - remember when every set players used to try strip
4. Sin bin should be used more - giving the penalties purposely on try line ruins the game as that’s really when most teams only attack
5. used to be great when we had it - the bastardised version now blows - if we had quick taps like the 90s the cam smiths of this world would not have slowed game by arguing ref all day , refs decision is never changed
6. I wish they didn’t do away with scrums
7. Circuit breaker needed - but they should give penalty on 1st tackle in your own half as these are all given away on purpose
8&9 neither here or there for me

agree to much tinkering overall - but I blame the coaches - they get teams to break rules on purpose
example nrl bring measures for concussion as the game can get sued big time for it and coaches exploit rules designed to protect players - cam Munster is a good recent example

 

[Novdoggie]

Trent Merrin said this upon retiring this week at 31 years of age.
"I've been playing the game, seeing the changes to the game, obviously feeling the speed and the difference, (so) I thought it was time to let the young bucks take over."

The game is no longer a war of attrition. Players retiring at 30 will be the norm in future and we will see more and more players starting their careers at 18 years old who will be the ones that keep the game going at speed while pushing out the brutality the bigger and older players bring to the game.

 

[JackDog]

Makes it really hard to recruit for the future when fundamental changes are made every year.

I reckon Lolo’s not worth his contract under this years rules whereas he was under the rules a couple of years ago

 

[_G-Dog_]

I dont see the problem with players slowing the game down for strategic purposes like kicking it intouch etc.. been part of the game forever & is apart of every sport..

 

[Malla]

I think these were very knee jerk reactions by the NRL without proper risk assessment. You guys have described most of the issues we see at the surface but one thing nobody is really talking about is how it impacts juniors and player development. Do juniors play the same way? Probably not. Its a massive step up into first grade as it is, these changes just make it even more challenging. Its no an issue for those juniors with heaps of talent such but for those on the cusp they'll find it really tough.

Now People will say oh but what about Penrith theyre the youngest team in the comp. Yes they are but they've had this squad playing first grade for 2-3 years now and they've been incremental changes for them. Not the same scenario.

 

[dogsballs]

I think these were very knee jerk reactions by the NRL without proper risk assessment. You guys have described most of the issues we see at the surface but one thing nobody is really talking about is how it impacts juniors and player development. Do juniors play the same way? Probably not. Its a massive step up into first grade as it is, these changes just make it even more challenging. Its no an issue for those juniors with heaps of talent such but for those on the cusp they'll find it really tough.

Now People will say oh but what about Penrith theyre the youngest team in the comp. Yes they are but they've had this squad playing first grade for 2-3 years now and they've been incremental changes for them. Not the same scenario.

I think this has contributed to why our juniors recruited 5 years ago etc are struggling so much now, they were prepared for a different type of game.