Fast-track bullies: Difference between the good and the bad is getting ugly

A cynic named Oscar Wilde once noted, “When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers.”

ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys doesn’t like cynics, particularly those who argue that the rule change revolution – driven by broadcasters to attract bigger TV audiences – could result in fewer viewer numbers.

Brett Morris scored three tries in the Roosters’ hammering of the Sea Eagles.Credit:Getty

The round one results support the view that quickening up the game widens the divide between the good and bad teams, meaning exploding second half scorelines and fans turning off their TVs.

The average winning margin was 17.87 points, with strong teams blowing their opposition away with an avalanche of second half points, suggesting the weaker teams could not keep pace.

NRL head of football, Graham Annesley, playing the role of soothsayer, issued a “beware the odds of March” response, pointing out that one round of football does not constitute a representative sample from which to draw conclusions.

Annesley could well be right. The statistics on penalties and six again calls across the eight games do not indicate the rules introduced in 2021 ratchet up the game even faster than last year’s multitude of innovations.

Justin Olam scored a ninth minute try after some smart play by the Storm.Credit:Getty

But ask yourself this if you are the attacking team, particularly one with lesser quality players than the elite teams, wouldn’t you prefer a penalty?

It would offer some respite to a swarming defence on the early tackles and allow you to attack 30-40 metres downfield.

Still, the smart coaches anticipated this tactic and had a counter, particularly when the referee did not punish offside defence, as happened in the Storm versus Souths season opener.

When the Rabbitoh forwards encroached inside the 10m corridor on tackles one and two, the Melbourne halves sent long cut-out passes to their left wing, setting up a ninth minute try to centre Justin Olam.

Yet, how many teams are capable of spinning the ball wide, in their own half, with such precision?

Detecting 10m infringements on TV is problematic but the Eels also appeared offside against the Broncos and were punished three times -a high number of six again calls for this infringement across the eight games – but the young Broncos didn’t have the smarts to counter.

Referees have the power to sin bin players for repeated offences and V’landys has signalled a review of the rules if they prove counter-productive.

He persists in saying all will be well if players abide by the rules but this is a notion more relevant to English public school games of rugger in the 19th century.

Furthermore, the NRL post-match statistics do not separate six again counts for ruck infringements, such as slowing the play-the-ball, from six again counts for being offside.

So, offside offences which were once included in penalty counts and are now combined with ruck infringements, are not readily available.

This rule has the potential to exacerbate the divide between the good and bad teams, rendering counter-productive the initiatives to make the game more attractive to TV viewers and gain a big pot of gold from a free-to-air broadcaster.

V’landys may not like Oscar Wilde-type cynics but, as a proud son of Greek parents, he should know the popular expression “be careful what you wish for” was first said by Aesop, a 5th century Greek slave and storyteller.

Sport newsletter

Sports news, results and expert commentary delivered straight to your inbox each weekday. Sign up here.

Most Viewed in Sport

From our partners

Source: Read Full Article