It's pathetic and discredits a great game...
What a shame.....

Yeh it’s an awful rule.
You get 3 men in the tackle.
One clamps the ball.
2 drop off and leave big man on small man who just rags the ball away.
It will stifle the flowing play as the runner is thinking about protecting the ball rather than making a break or an offload.
Garbage new rule.

Exactly and what possible chance does a young kid or half have of holding on with an 18 stone prop ragging at the ball? Its crazy. Corey Hall had Liam Watts taking the ball off him the other day. He had no chance.

Yeh, that was case in point.
Hall had no chance.
Like a playground bully taking his sweets off him...


Hope they look at it again....

It's not a great rule but to attribute the sport's historic difficulties with expansion to minor rule changes is somewhat preposterous.

Didn't say that did I? Point is it doesn't help. I used to enjoy taking people who were new to the sport to matches because it was a simple game to explain and understand. Nowadays I don't where I'd start. Hope that's not too preposterous for you.

To be fair its quite a simple game to understand.....

Rugby League is a 6 tackle game unless certain things happen and then its 7.

If a foul occurs its a penalty but some fouls arent penalties they are set restarts.

If 2 players are in the tackle and steal the ball its a penalty unless its in a certain area of the field and then its play on whether its 2 men in the tackle or 5.

If a team kicks the ball into touch its given to opposition unless they kick it from their own 20 and it goes into touch in the opposition 40 or if they kick it from the 40 into touch in the oppositions 20 then the kicking team keep the ball. All these are 6 tackle sets. If a team kicks it dead opposition gets a 7 tackle set.

Once points are scored the clock runs and the conceding kick off unless its in a certain period of time in the game when the clock stops until its kicked off.

If a player knocks on while playing the ball the handover is at the place he knocks on. If the player at dummy half knocks on the handover happens where the non offending team chooses. Either 10m, 20m in from touch or in the middle of the field.

Wigan are allowed to lie on.

A quick glance at the stats suggests offload numbers in the first couple of games are pretty similar to last year's though some teams eg wire do it much more than others eg us, Wigan. Though obviously this might well change as teams get more savvy. I'd like to see how things pan out before condemning it. Also, is it actually a new rule? A one on one has been legal for some years now

Brilliant. Well said

That gave me a chuckle.

The problem is the tackle is virtually completed when the second player leaves the tackle so the ref should in most cases shout held .

we gave away a set restart described as a try saver , should/would that have been a sin binning and kickable penalty

The new ball steal interpretation is so open to abuse its ridiculous. On the basis it only makes sense to create a rule if a) it is to the benefit of the game, and b) it is actually policeable, then the only two options are all ball steals are legal or illegal, with no reference to how many players are in the tackle.

Eastmond tipped to play against Saints according to Leeds Live. This does look likely if Agar sticks to what he said before Cas game. He has also gone on record saying Eastmond is first man back from the injured players. Myler has a 2/3 week injury so it does look like a debut against Saints is on the cards.

Would imagine our backline for this game would be

1. Broadbent
2. T.Briscoe
3. L.Sutcliffe
4. A.Sutcliffe
5.L.Briscoe
6. Eastmond
7. Gale

Our pack hopefully is the same as we have a full fit forward pack. Gonna be a bit weird seeing Briscoe x2 & Sutcliffe x2 in centres and wings ahaha.

Is Mik ok to play?

Tough baptism for Eastmond if he plays at Saints but he needs to play now.

It is but no crowd to get on his back should help.

Dont think it matters about a crowd when your lungs are busting and Alex Walmsley is running straight at you with elbows and knees aplenty to be honest but i understand the point your making.

We just need him playing to get back upto speed of the sport as quick as possible. Its going to take him a while.

It’s his ability to function when exhausted at the end of each half. If he plays Saints will target him.

The current ball steal rule will put an end to offloading - ball retention is now one number priority - is that really what we want to see.

Next we will be bringing back shoulder charges

Looking like

Broadbent
Briscoe Hall Sutcliffe Briscoe
Sutcliffe Eastmond
Oledzki Leeming Prior
Martin Mellor
Tetevano

Dwyer Donaldson Smith Thompson / Vuniyayawa / Walters / O’Connor / Edwards.

Personally would prefer Vuniyayawa on the bench, Sutcliffe in the centres and Smith in the halves for this one.

Is Gale out?

Broken thumb apparently and will be out for several weeks.

Absolutely what we needed then.....


Season could be over by May!!