You're now in charge of the NRL

[Foordy]

what changes, if any, do you make to fix the game?

 

[Cult]

I wrote this a while ago and still stand by it.


- 7 tackle sets can only be awarded if the defending team catches the ball on the full. They need to earn it.
- Suspensions are only for violent/really bad acts. A 1% of a a players salary fine would suffice for other illegal acts.
- Set restarts (if they really fucking need them) only occur inside the opposition half. Inside your own half you get to kick for touch.
- 5 minute sin bins need to be brought in
- Legs tackles to be considered like dominant tackles used to be, especially if they want to crack down on high tackles
- The Panthers have to play the ball with their feet at least half the time
- Blockers should be penalized every time. If they're not attempting to catch it's a penalty every time
- Attacking players shouldn't be able to help their team mate or "lend weight" if they're being pushed back into the goal/out of the field of play. That's pretty much an obstruction
- Players have to move forward when a tap is made, not when the ref blows his whistle (already a rule but they never care)
- Passes actually have to go backwards. There's too much grey area with the hands having to go backwards and it's always ruled differently
- Go back to the old stripping rule
- If a player is laying in the ruck, the defense can't move forward until the dummy half has picked up the ball
-Get rid of the scrum and kick off clock. They never use it anyway
- 2 point field goals are stupid

Off the field
- Home team commentators (especially on Fox)
- A luxury tax for clubs that actually earn money off the field. This would push clubs to be successful off the field or kill them, allowing for expansion to new markets
- Debutant compensation. A player who debuts for your club get's an extra 10% off the salary cap or something
- NRL Media taking priority over idiots like Hooper and Kent
- A trade and transfer window
- Proper rep weekends with 3 games for each team. QLD VS NSW, NZ VS Tonga or Samoa (or a joint team), QLD residents VS NSW residents, women's Origin etc.
- The merged Re grade competition I wrote about yesterday
- Attempt to take the name Rugby back as it's far more marketable and known worldwide

and to add on some more

-Less Sydney teams
-Perth, Central Coast and Adelaide teams added

 

[Foordy]

here is my take:

Rules

The very first thing that needs to happen is going back to a more traditional set of rules, rules that made this game as great as it is, and that means scrapping the bullshit six again rule.

the forward pass rule back to how it was when i was a kid ... nice and simple. if the ball travels forward it is a forward pass. end of story, it doesn't matter how it came out of the hands. it just means players might have to adjust their style to compensate in tough conditions. to help monitor this the touchies need to run in line with the ball like they used to. it is the refs job to monitor the 10m, not theirs. (thanks @Cult for reminding me about this one)

another change I would make is that the only time the bunker can intervene is in a try scoring situation. stay out of the general play, there is a referee and two touch judges on the field to handle general play situations. (this would also stop players diving since the bunker couldn't intervene)


Draft

I'm starting to come around to idea of a draft. there was a good YouTube video posted on here (i forget who posted it) talking about how a draft could work in the NRL, so I'd like to expand on his idea (points 2, 3 are my additions) (video posted at the end of the post)

1. Each club can pick their top 3 juniors to be protected and unavailable to be drafted by other teams (sorry Rorters)
2. Once those players are elevated to the top 30 squad they are discounted under the cap by 10-15%
3. if those on the protected list aren't promoted into the top 30 the following year, then no one else can be added without one of them being removed first (and hence can be drafted) .
4. I liked his idea about having a finals type series to determine the number one pick from the teams that miss the top 8

Draw

piss of the TV schedule and make a fair draw ... either player every other team once or a proper home and away fixture against each team.

if you play everyone once, you could have the Origins on stand alone weeks. these weeks could also include a pacific islands tournament. which would fill out the comp some

Officiating

yeah, I've got nothing.

my first thought is to sack them all and start from scratch

 

[simplythebest]

I've hated the 7 tackle set since it was introduced, but I like the idea above about only giving it if they catch on the full.

Piss off the 6 again rule - it's a joke.

If a player is sin binned in a game twice, the second time is a send off. There's no excuse for being sin binned twice.

Crack down on players walking off the mark. Markers get pinged for not being square because a tackled player walks off the mark.

Any player that stays down in a tackle clutching a head / neck to milk a penalty must automatically go off for a HIA. If they pass - it counts as an interchange, unless there was actual foul play at hand.

 

[Nashy]

Get an American college sports administrator in. Sack all the refs.

Let that person sort it out.

 

[BooKhaki]

1. 7 tackle restarts only when the ball is caught in goal on the full. You shouldn't be rewarded for letting a bomb bounce and it goes dead.
2. If you are physically unable to stand up to play the ball it is a minimum Cat 2 HIA, meaning you must be assessed by a doctor and be off the field for 15mins.
3. If you play State of Origin, your first choice for national duty must be Australia. You may play for your heritage nation if you do not make the Australian side.
4. Salaries are to be made public like all big sports outside of Australia. This eliminates the guess work and accusations.
5. Origin returns to only being played in QLD/NSW. If you want to sell the game, use International footy.

 

[Wolfie]

Make the refs get obstruction offences correct.

 

[I bleed Maroon]

- 1: The six again and seven tackle set rules are GONE. Referees are to freely penalize the shit out of sides (and sin bin if necessary) that continue to wrestle and slow the ruck until it is out of the game. I don't care how much of a whinge the media want to throw about it and I don't care if Melbourne and Penrith finish bottom 4. Deal with it. You're killing the product and I'm not copping it. I dare Bellyache and Cleary to play chicken with me on it.

- 2: Teams can now initiate their 18th man after 2 mandatory concussion stand downs rather than 3. The hope is this will give teams a bit of a carrot to not rort the concussion rules by giving them the option of a fresh player sooner if they have to drag someone.

- 3: The mandatory binning for throwing a punch is out. The cure has been worse than the disease with all the niggle and arrogant bullshit that has snuck into the game (looking at you, Pennies). Penalties will apply against the side that threw the first punch.

- 4: Whatever method they're using to train the touch judges needs to be thrown out and done over again, because right now they're little more than VIP spectators with flags. I would definitely be investing a lot in technology to detect forward passes as well.

- 5: Here's one that will cause a stir: If gambling companies want to continue advertising on footy games, they need to invest some of the profit they make into grassroots footy. For every dollar they put in, the NRL will match it. If they don't want to play ball, they can bugger off and smear their toxic crap all over the AFL and A League. It's not like the NRL is pocketing the money, we are putting it towards securing the games future which means more ad revenue for the gamblers over the long term.

 

[BooKhaki]

- 5: Here's one that will cause a stir: If gambling companies want to continue advertising on footy games, they need to invest some of the profit they make into grassroots footy. For every dollar they put in, the NRL will match it. If they don't want to play ball, they can bugger off and smear their toxic crap all over the AFL and A League. It's not like the NRL is pocketing the money, we are putting it towards securing the games future which means more ad revenue for the gamblers over the long term.

I know Ladbrokes are getting out of sponsoring teams, they are saying because of responsible gambling, but I know the CEO has said privately it's just not worth the investment, especially with the new QLD tax.

 

[pennywisealfie]

-Youth players must play QLD Cup or NSW Cup until the year they turn 21 with no ties to any NRL clubs.
-Draft occurs for all players turning 21 that year. Last place team gets first pick.
-Third party deals abolished. Salary Cap raised.
-Perth 18th team.
-You can strip the ball no matter how many players are in the tackle.
-Bunker can check forward passes.
-Either Challenges can occur between tackles or you can challenge something that occured earlier on in the next break of play.

 

[BooKhaki]

-Youth players must play QLD Cup or NSW Cup until the year they turn 21 with no ties to any NRL clubs.
-Draft occurs for all players turning 21 that year. Last place team gets first pick.
-Third party deals abolished. Salary Cap raised.
-Perth 18th team.
-You can strip the ball no matter how many players are in the tackle.
-Bunker can check forward passes.
-Either Challenges can occur between tackles or you can challenge something that occured earlier on in the next break of play.

Few issues here for mine
1: If you're old enough, you're good enough. Plenty of blokes can handle it before they're 21.
2: No issues
3: Big issue. Restraint of trade. I think third parties should be unlimited but can't be linked to the club.
4: Meh
5: Will turn to union, and get rid of the skilful late offloads.
6: Bunker needs to be less involved, not more.

 

[Nerd]

Ditch the bad joke that is the 6 again rule.

Tackled player to be released as soon as the ref makes the held call. Not this crap where they call held and the players ignore them till they yell release.

Next team to be Perth and they are introduced as part of the next rights deal to force the value up.

V'Landys is allowed nowhere near the negotiations or planning for the next rights deal.

 

[Midean]

just two things and i would be happy.

Remove the 6 again rule.

And pay the refs based on their performance.

 

[Alec]

I'd probably do some dodgy shit and helps Broncos cheat the system.

 

[Dexter]

5 min bins for professional fouls.

Automatic send off second 10 min bin for foul play.

No 6 again rule.

Go back to the actual rules in the ruck. Defending players get off straight away, attacking players get to their feet and play it properly.

Markers square.

Juggled ball that hits a defender is not a knock on unless it hits the ground, it's also not a 6 again even if played at by the opposition.

Obstruction calls to be black and white. If an attacking player gets it wrong then bad luck it's a penalty. ( looking at you kikau)

 

[Browny]

Remove grub journos access to players

 

[Xzei]

Bring back the push in the scrum and have the hookers actually try hook the ball back

 

[Mister Wright]

7 tackle sets only for kicks outside the 30m. No way should teams get rewarded for a dropped ball over the line or a grubber that goes dead 5m out.
Ditch the 6-again. It is shit.