11 A Side In The Toyota Cup - Thoughts?

[Major JW Hochstetter]

Anyone have a look at it today?

I was a bit of a sceptic prior to kick-off but I must say it delivered a fairly good balance to the game between the Knights and the Storm. By no means was it a touch footy contest (which is what many feared) and it seemed to extensively lessen the impact of wrestling, stripping and other niggly tactics. Plently of great footballing skills on show and very quick!

The in-goal rules were different to say the least, but they do heavily favour the defensive side and thus would need a review in any future trials I feel. But they did encourage the kickers to put more thought and positive purpose into their kicks. Some fairly interesting plays on the 5th tackle as a result.

I wouldn't say we're at the stage where 11 a side and changed in-goal rules need to be brought in across the board in a hurry, but they should definately be penciled in for more trials in the U/20s, and perhaps pre-season NRL games next year. It'd be good to get a better idea of how the rules can affect a game under a variety of conditions and tactics applied by coaches.

 

[Bucking Beads]

I didn't see the game but I can only imagine it was crap. The game doesn't need massive rule changes, the refs need to be consistent and use common sense on there rulings.

 

[Jeba]

I think these need to be trialled at the top level. Obviously cannot do it in real Premiership but my suggestion would be to shorten the season by 4 rounds. Delay the start of the real competition by a month and have a 4-week Pre-season competition to experiment new rules and play them in areas such as Adelaide, Perth, maybe even PNG, and treat it like promotion of the game to those areas as well. Not that PNG need a promotion but they love their League over there and it would be great to take a bit more of it over to them.

 

[Hamm.0]

All 11-a-side will do is get rid of the Props. That's the position that will get the arse.

I have been saying for ages; the NRL has been trying to speed the game up for the last 10 years, for the sake of making the "product" more marketable. However, essentially, RL (not the product, the actual game) isn't designed for speed.

It is a set defensive line.

This is what separates RL from Union and the reason why great Union backs are no good at RL and vice versa. To penetrate a set defensive line is far harder than what those skirts in 3-nations have to do. The reason wrestling, so much enforcement of the markers, hands on the ball, have all come into the game over the last 10 years, is because coaches (and players) are trying to slow the play the ball. To make the game 11-a-side will further increase the speed of the ruck.

The faster the speed of the ruck, the shitter the game becomes. When the 11-a-side starts, have fun watching a dummy-half run for 5 tackles than a kick on the 4th or 5th. Because (more so than now) that's what will happen.

If they are going to trial anything; it should be bringing back the 5 metre rule. The glory days of RL, when players had to devise tactics to make metres. Those of you who can't remember how good the game was with 5 metres would have erections at watching ball-playing forwards actually looking for supporting backs....RL becomes a game of skill again, as dummy-half running doesn't get many metres under the 5 metre rule.

 

[Coxy]

They should call it the NAB Cup and ensure it's a team that has no hope of winning the premiership wins. And we should have super tries worth 9 points.

 

[Jeba]

They should call it the NAB Cup and ensure it's a team that has no hope of winning the premiership wins. And we should have super tries worth 9 points.

Sure. That's the point of it - experimentation.

Hammo - agreed. 5m rule FTW. And we need to find a way to reduce the amount of dummy half running from the game.

 

[Broncos08]

If they are going to trial anything; it should be bringing back the 5 metre rule. The glory days of RL, when players had to devise tactics to make metres. Those of you who can't remember how good the game was with 5 metres would have erections at watching ball-playing forwards actually looking for supporting backs....RL becomes a game of skill again, as dummy-half running doesn't get many metres under the 5 metre rule.

I agree.

I enjoyed the game more under the 5 metre rule, I loved those deep backline set plays

I was talking to my mates about the 5 metre rule being re-introduced again, they all agreed.

Basically we agreed that we will see the classic backline set plays again, the 5/8 will have more to do in attack, 4 man interchange bench and once a player has been interchanged, he cannot return to the field like in the 80's etc